The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-04-10


fore. to uge the loan. 1 have come
only to give you, If I can, a more vivid
conception Of what 1t is for.
''The reasons for this great war;
the reason why it had to come, the
need to fight it through, and the is
sues that hang upon it's outcome, are
more clearly disclosed now than ever
before. 1t is easy to see just what
this particular loan means because
the cause we are fighting for stands
more sharply revealed than at any
previous crisis of the momentOus
struggle. The man who knows least
can now see plainly how the cause of
justice stands and what the imper-
ishable thing Is he is asked to invest
in. Men i'm America may be more
sure than they ever were before that
the cause is their own, and that, IL it
should be lost, their own great ma
tion's place and mission in the world
would be lost with 1t.
II call you to witness, my fellow
countrymen. that at no stage of this
terrible business have i judged the
purposes Of Germany Unexpectedly.
should be ashamed in the presence
of affairs 30 grave. so fraught with
the destinies of mankind throughout
all the world. to speak with trucu-
lence, to use the weak language Of
hatred or vindictive purpose. We must
Judge as we would be judged. have
sought to learn the objects Germans
have In this war from the mouths Of
her own statesmen, and to deal as
frankly with them as / wished them
TO deal with me. have laid bare our
own ideals. our own purposes. with
out reserve or doubtful phrase, and
have asked them to say as plainly
what 1t Is that they seek.
1--WE have ourselves proposed no in
justice. no aggression. We are ready.
whenever the final reckoning is made,
to be just to the German people. deal
fairly with the German power as with
all others. There can be no differ
ence between peoples in the final
judgment, IL it Is indeed to be a right
eous Judgment. To propose anything
but justice. even-handed and dispas-
sionate justice, to Germany at any
time. whatever the outcome Of the
war. would be to renounce and dishon-
or our own cause. For we ask moth
ing that we are not willing to accord.
1T has been with this thought that
have sought to learn from those
who spoke for Germany whether ii
was justice or dominion and the execu-
tion OF their own will upon other ma
tions of the world that the German
leaders were seeking. They have an
swered, answered in unmisaxable
terms. They have avowed that It was
not justice. but dominion and the un-
hindered execution Of their own will
'The avowal has not come from
Germany's statesmen. 1t has come
from her military leaders, who are
her real rulers. Her statesmen have
said that they wished peace. and
were ready to discuss it's terms when
ever their opponents were willing t.
sit down at the conference table with
them. Her present chancellor has
said--in indefinite and uncertain
terms indeed, and in phrases that Of
ten seem to deny their own meaning
but with as much plainness as ne
thought prudent--that he believed
that peace should be based upon the
principles which we had declared
would be our own in the final settle.
nent. At Brest-Litovsk her civil del
egates spoke In similar terms, pro
eessed their desire to conclude a fair
peace and accord to the peoples with
whose fortunes they were dealing the
right to choose their own allegiances
But action accompanied and followed
the profession. Their military mas.
'ery. the men who act for Germany
and exhibit her purposes. in execution
proclaimed a very different conclu
sion We can not mistake what they
have done--in Russia. in Finland. II
hl
test OF their justice and fair play ha'
come. From this we may judge thu
est. They are enjoying In Russia /;
cheap triumph In which no brave Of
gallant nation can long take pride.
"reat people. helpless by their act. lies
'or the time at their mercy. Thei
Dir professions are forgotten. The!
no where set up justice. but every