Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1918-03-08
THE SUPREME TEST OF THIS
NATION is TO FIGHT.

Every suggestion of peace except
based on unconditional surrender of
Germany and punishment of Germ
any's criminals is q tribute to crime
and an insult to the God Of Justice
and Morality.
The supreme test before the coun-
try il to fight, and fight for it's own
life for civilization and for Chris
tianity itself, to the utter extermina-
ton of the accursed power Of Ger
many, which has filled the world with
blood and sorrow.
This is no time to talk peace or to
think of peace.
Any MANN this country, or in that
of any of the Allies, who utters one
word i'll behalf of peace until Ger
many has been beaten to its knees, is
false to the greatest moral issue the
world has ever faced.
Peace talk is pro-German talk; it is
talk with rampant, bloodstained, red
handed murderers. and international
and individual rapists, and is dis
grace to any man of moral character
who utters word in its behalf.
Indeed, no man or woman having
due appreciation of the fearful i'm
morality of Germany can possibly
loow with any degree of favor what
Germany than the peace which the
law makes with the individual muir
derer and rapist when forced to pay
the just penalty of his crime
This is not the time to tallp eeace.
This is the time ii stir the fighting
spirit of America, and in this way
revivify and strengthen the fighting
spirit of England, France, Belgium,
Italy, Serbia, and Roumania, who for
nearly four years have poured out
their blood to save the world from
destruction by barbarism.
Any suggestion of peace on any
struction of the military power of
Germany and the punishment unto
death of those responsible for Ger
many's actions would be merely the
offering of premium upon crime,
and such a suggestion would be II
disgrace to the moral fiber of any
man who uttered the thought.
There can be no peace with the red
handed murderer, no peace with the
rapist except that peace which the
law enforces in all civilized commu-
mites against such black crimes, and
there can be no other basis of peace
with Germany than the enforcement
of the same law and to the same ex-
tent.
This has been the pOsitionuuuuu
We cannot think of placing pre-
MUM upon such crimes without dis
grazing our mothers, our wives, our
daughters and all womanhood
We cannot think of overcomingpp
We cannot think of welcoming back
without contrition and without pun
ishment the cold-bloded murderer.and
outrager of women and children,
neither can we think of welcoming
back into world society, except thru
punishment and contrition. those who
internationally and individually have
stained the pages of history with the
blood and sorrow, and as never be-
fore in all human experience.
This is not time to talk of peace.
This is the time to talk war, to
talk fight, the time when the nation,
like the individual community, must
determine to suppress the criminal
rather than yield to his crimes.
This is the time when the nation
on Bonded knees may well ask AL
mighty God to strengthen its power
to fight in order that it may do the
work to which He has called us as
clearly rs He ever called any man or
any nation to any great task since the
beginning of time.
Our supreme duty is to fight
The supreme business of this ma
ton is to win the war, and never to
count that it has been won until there
is a comrletc, unconditional surrender
by German and until Germanv's
murderers from the highest on the
throne, have paid the full penalty of
their crimes.-Richard II. Edmonds,
Editor Manufacturers Record