The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-07-10
MOUNT VERNON ADDRESS.
PRESIDENT WILSON PLEDGES
AMERICA TO FIGHT FOR
WORLD FREEDOM.
a New Declaration of independence
That Carries a Message of Hope to
All Oppressed and Down Trodicn
People I'm All Parts of the World.

Washington, July President
Wilson today answered all feelers for
compromise peace, with a new and
unqualified conservation of America
to the struggle for cleaning military
autocracy from the earth.
At an Independence Day gathering
on the gentle slopes Of Mount Ver-
non, home and tomb Of George WASH
lnston. and surrounded by scenes
which looked upon the creation of
this nation, the president addressed a
small gathering of officials and of
diplomats of the allied nations.
But he spoke to the world and he
spoke the logical sequel to his force
without stint or limit declaration of
several weeks ago.
Unreservedly, the president declar-
cd that there could be no thought of
a peace which did not mean the de-
struction of military autocracy or its
reduction to virtual impotence.
"A reign of law, based on the con-
sent Of the governed and sustained by
the organized opinion of mankind"
was the way he summarized in O.
single sentence the objects of human
ity in the world war.
Whether the president was address
ing his remarks directly to the recent
speech of German Foreign Secretary
ven Kuehlmann; or to the foreshad-
ows Of renewed German peace Of
fensive, or whether he merely took the
occasion of the celebration of Ameri-
can independence to emphasize to
the world the war aims of the nation
can only be OWNED He did not deal
with the progress of the war or anv
particular phase of it, but he spoke
eloquently of Americas attitude to-.
ward Germanys so-called peace
treaties in the east by grouping the
people of Russia for the moment. un-
organized and helpless" among the
peoples of the world standing against
the enemies of liberty.
The past and the present are I'm
deadly grapple and the peoples of
the world are being done to death
between them, said President Wilson.
There can be but one issue. The
settlement must be final. There can
De no compromise. No halfway de-
clsion would be tolerable. No half
way decision is conceivable. These
are the ends for which the associated
peoples OF the world are fighting and
which must be conceded them before
there can be peace:
Il. The destruction of every arb,.
trary power anywhere that can sepa-
rateiy, secretly, and of it's single
choice disturb the peace of the world:
or IL II cannot be presently DESTROYED.
at the least its reduction to virtual
-. The settlement of every ouss-
tion' whether of territory. of sover-
elsnty, of economic ARRANGEMENTS or
OF political relationship, upon the ba-
SIS Oh the free acceptance of that set
tlement by the people Immediately
concerned, and not upon the basis of
the material interest or ADVANTAGE of
any other nation or people which NAV
iesire different settlement for the
sake OF its own exterior influence or
mastery.
8. The consent of all nations to
'e governed in their conduct towards
each other by the same PRINCIPLES of
ionor and of respect for the common
aw OF civilized society that govern
he individual citizens of all modern
states in their relations with one an.
''her; to the end that all premises
ma covenents may be sacredly OBJ
erved, no private plots or conspira-
les Matched. no selfish injuries
wrought with impunity. and a mutual
rust established upon the handsome
vi " iiutudl respect Tor
ight. NM z4
a. The establishment of an or
aniZation of peace which shall make
certain that the combined power of
rec nations will check every inva-
on of right and serve TO make peace
nd justice the more secure by af-
,rding definite tribunal of opinion
which all must submit and by which
'ery international readjustment that
'nnot be amicably agreed upon by
lc peoples directly concerned shall
, sanctioned
These gl eat objects can he put into
single sentence What we seek is