Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-07-01

against Me" In the discussion which
| followed no quarter was given to the
! pacihSt or Stacker. and the minister de-
clarcd with ringing emphasis that the
! most dcSpicable human being among
! us. in his own eyes. after the war
/ will be the man who held back and
| criticized and thought of himself and
! his comfort and preferences first.
IT may be possible" said the speaker.
! mat some persons and some questions
are OF sufficient insienitcancc to leave
men in neutral position in reference
| to them. They arc not of enough i'm
| portance to demand a sufficiency OF con-
sideration to justify a conclusion, the
! one way or the other. seriously
question such possibility with reference
| TO any person or issue. am disposed
to believe that strict neutrality is a
! practicable impossibility anywhere.
under any circumstances If we have
| thought at all of a person or an issue.
| we instinctivcly take sides on the basis
! OF the information that has come to us.
| strictly speaking. no man can be ncu-
| trail on any subject about which he has
given thought He may not have be-
| come sufficiently aroused 10 give eX-
! preston to his position. or indeed he
may not have thought with sufficient
clcnrncsS 10 even formulate in his own
| mind an opinion: but spontaneously he
approves or dtsapproves on the basis
! of the information in his possession
1 VI
COMMON CRUIIRLE OF WAR
again. as in tho days of tho Revo-
! i"'ion, our hearts are being melted in
! the common cru"ible Of war Our
fathers forever silcnccd the autocratic
command OF tbs English crown. and
throw off the yoke OF subserviency TO
a foreign power.
And for nearly century and a half
We haTe paid tribute to no foreign
court. From out tho mass we have
! nekcd the mon to whom for a brief
/ period we have given the reins OF
mower: and when in our judgment an
| DINER should take their place. we have
! voiced our command at the ballot ho1
ana mus nave made and unmade rulers
! IN day. But after nearly n ccntur,,
ana half of liberty and indcpendcnce.
again VIC are threatened will, the pcril
/ OF autocracy. Tho paths of the high
! seas. which have always been regarded
as common property OF nations. along
| which We have conducted our peaceful
! and mutually helpful commerce with
/ our ncighborS across the seas have hcen
arbitrarily obstructed by a foreign
! power. we have been warned that we
| Will enter these forbidden waters at
the peril OF our lives. and tho thrcu.
| mas repeatedly been made good shin
! after ship laden with American goods
ana lives. has been torpcdocd and sunk,
with IT'S cargo. beneath the pitilcss
waves.
In Keeping with our traditions ne
! a Christian nation, We sought peaceful
settlement Of these questions, again and
: "Gal' We knew that we had resources
. sufficient to enable us to become the
| ""cldinE factor in the great struggle;
! ana that we had men who would adorn
me nation in military annals. with a
ulster that would shine on and on
/ through the coming centuries We
knew that the Stars and Stripes hal
| never traiied in the dust of defeat. and
| Cou'o DC made to wave in triumph over
! inc nroudest foe. But we did not want
! To fight. We loved peace and liberty
| and justice. We did not want territory
we had all We cared for We did not
want gold. We were rich beyond cal
cuiation We did not want further do
! minon. We wanted to live with other
| nations OF the earth as our brothers
| ana sisters. We sought to keep the
golden rule. We wanted TO do to others
as we would they should do 10 us: and
| over and over again we tried. We have
| "ecn in tho position of tho boy al
( school whose parents taught him moi
! TO hight. who has been struck again
| ana again by an impudent and intol-
! Grant bully, until, cXasperatcd beyond
! further endurance. he struck the bully
sharply in the face.
HAVE BEEN VICTIMS OF
/ HlMILIATING INDIGNTTIES
I'm our long drawn out forbcarancc.
we have been the victims of other and
/ Illuminating indiEnities. While feiCninE
| friendly relationship, the trcachcrous
zoe. sought TO cmbroil us with our
hciEhoors. to corrupt our legislators
TO honcycomb our citizenship with
pro-German ideas. II is now a matter
Of common knowledge that the original
purpose OF the imperial government Of
Germany vas - conquer the United
states and make it dependency OF
[ Germany.
Does the blood OF our revolutionary
ancestors still course through our
veins? DO we still love liberty better
man life: Are our institutions sufficient
: ~ dear to us to make lis die In their de-
/ tense: Or are we ready cowardly 10
submit to the tyrant's heel and be-
Smrch glorious history?
/ some of the more timid and hcsi-
tant have been saying. and still say.
that they would gladly fight if the
war were on our own shores. but they
do not think We have any business in
/ terferinE in European fight. Two
/ things are TO he said in reply. AS long
/ AZ we read the history of the Eevolu-
/ ton we can never forget the debt we
owe TO the French. But for Lafayette
and Rochamhcau the victory at York
town would have been impossible Rut
! for tho aid of these gallant Frcnchmen
/ ana their troops we might o-dav he
: q dependency OF the British crown The
most eloquent thing I have seen re-
/ ported from General Pershing was his
/ brief uttcranCc when he stood at the
/ tomb OF Lafayette, after the American
/ oXpcditionary forces had landed in
| France. lie said: Lafayette we have
4 come And the most beautiful words
( | have seen reported from any French
/ officer, or from any other orator. were
/ those of the officer over the graves OF
/ the first American soldiers who were
| killed III France. over the graves of
! Privatrs Gresham, EnriSht and Hay he
| said Let them remain with us. re.
main with us forever. Five million
/ American lives are not too many to
! offer in defense OF noble. bleeding.
/ heroic France.
! "Eu: again. suppose we wait till the
/ war is wagcd on our shores before we
/ take part We have but 10 read the
/ stories OF the dcsolation Of belgium
and Northern France TO get an idea Of
what we would have If the Atlantic
seaboard were the battle ground. DO
We want TO wait till our temples Of
| worship are destroyed. our cities are
! ruined, our fields are laid waste. our