The Tupelo journal., 1918-07-05
FOUR MINUTE MESSAGE FROM
PRESIDENT WILSON.

The following patriotic message
from the President was read at the
various meetings over the country
to celebrate the day that marks the
birth of the freedom that we now
enjoy and which the Hun is trying to
wrest from us:
You are met, my fellow citizens,
to commemorate the singing OF that
Declaration of independence which
marked the awakening of a new spirit
in the lives of nations. Since the
birth of our republic, we have seen
this spirit grow. VIZ have heard the
demand and watched the struggle tor
self-government spread and triumph
among many peoples. We have come
to regard the right to political I'D
erty as the common right OF human
kind. Year after year, within the
security of our borders, we have con-
tinued to rejoice in the peaceful IN
crease of freedom and democracy
throughout the world. And yet now,
suddenly, we are confronted with a
menace which endangers everything
that we have won and everything
that the world has won.
In all its old ~insolence, with all us
ancient cruelty and injustice, military
autocracy has again armed ltseli
against the pacific hopes of men. HaV-
;,o sunnressed self-government
its own people by an organiza-
ton maintained in part by falsehood
and treachery, it has set out to m
nose it's will upon its neighbors ana
upon us. One by one, it has COM
pelled every civilized nation IN the
world to forego its aspirations or TO
declare war in their defense. we
find ourselves fighting again for our
national existence. We are face to
face with the necessity of asserting
anew the fundamental right OF free
men to make their own laws and
choose their own allegiance, or else
humanity to become the VIC
finn of a ruthless ambition that IS de-
+armined to destroy what it can not
master.
AGAINST it's threat the liberty-lov-
mo neople of the world have risen ana
allied themselves. No fear has de-
TERED them, and no bride of mater
ial well-being has held them back.
They have made sacrifices such as the
world has never known before, ana
their resistance in the face OF death
and suffering has proved that the ann
which animates the German effort can
never hope to rule the spirit OF man
kind. Against the horror of military
CONQUEST. against the emptiness OF
living in mere bodily contentment'
against the desolation of becoming
part of a State that knows neither
truth nor honor, the world has so re-
volted that even people long domlnat-
ed and suppressed by force have now
beo1n to stir and arm themselves.
Centuries of subjugation have not
DESTROYED the racial aspirations OF the
many distinct peoples of eastern Eu-
rope. nor have they accepted the sof-
did ideals of their political and mil
itary masters. They have survived
the slow prosecutions of peace as well
as the agonies of war, and now de-
mand recognition for their just
claims to autonomy and self-govern-
ment. Representatives of these races
are with you today, voicing their 10y
atty to our ideals and offering their
services in the common l ask
YOU, fellow citizens, to unite with
then>in making this u l~ndepend-
ence Day the first that shall be con-
secrated to a declaration of indie
pendence for all the peoples Of the
world.
Woodrow Wilson.