The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-11-16

the same systematic manner that
they were organized in the case OF
Belgium. By the use of the idle ton
of the central empires it ought
,, .tly to be possible to lift the fear
of utter misery from their oppressed
populations and set their minds and
energie free for the great apd haz-
ardous tasks of political reconstruc-
ton which now face them on every
hand. Hunger does not breed re-
form; it breeds madness and all the
ugly distempers that make an or
dered life impossible.
For with the fall Of the ancient
governments which rested like an
incubus upon the peoples Of the cen-
tral powers has come political change
not merely but revolution; and revo-
! luton which seems as yet to assume
no final and ordered form, but to cun
from one fluid change to another, un-
til thoughtful men are forced to ask
themselves, with what governments,
and of what sort, are we about to
deal in the making Of the covenants
of peace? With what authority Will
| they meet us, and with what assur-
ance that their authority will abide
and sustain securely the international
arrangement into which we are about
to enter? There is here matter for
no small anxiety and misg1vings.
When peace is made, upon whose
promises and engagements besides
our own is it to rest?
Let US be perfectly frank with
ourselves and admit that these ques-
tions can not be satisfactorily answer,
ed now or at once But the moral is
not that there is little hope of an early
answer that will suffice. It is only
that we must be patient and helpfut
and mindful above all Of the great
hope and confidence that lie at the
heart of what is taking place. Ex-
cesses accomplish nothing. Unhappy
Russia has furnished abundant re-
cent proof of that. Disorder defeats
itself. If excesses should occur, II
disorder should for time raise It's
head, a sober second thought viii
follow and a day OF constructive ac-
ton, if we help and do not hinder.
The present and all that it holds be-
longs to the nations and the peoples
who preserve their self control and
the orderly processes Of their govern
ments; the future to those who prove
themselves the true friends Of man
kind. To conquer with arms is to-
make only a temporary conquest; to
conquer the world by earning its es-
TEEN is to make permanent conquest.
I am confident that the nations have
learned the discipline of freedom and
that have settled with self possess
sion to it's ordered practice are now
about to make conquest Of the world
by sheer power of example and Of
friendly helpfulness:
The peoples who have but just
come out from under the yoke Of ar
bitrary government and who are now
coming at last into their freedom will
never find the treasures of liberty
they are in search of if they look for
them by the light Of the torch. They
will find that every pathway that is
stained with the blood Of their own
brothers leads to the wilderness, not
to the seat of their hope. They are
now face to face with their initial
test We must hold the light steady
until they find themselves. And in
the meantime, if it be possible, we
must establish a peace that will just
ly define their place among the ma
tions, remove all fear of their neigh
bors, and Of their former masters and
enable them to live in security and
when they have set their
own affairs in order. I, for one, do
not doubt their purpose or their ca
pacity. There are some happy signs
that they know and will choose the
way of self control and peaceful ac-
commodation. If they do we shall
put our aid at their disposal in ev-
cry way that we can.~ If they do not.
we must await with patience AMI
synpahy the awakening and recov-
cry that will assuredly come at la sts