The St. Joseph observer., 1918-12-28


piness Of its many peoples and ma
tions.
The President disclamed any per- /
sonal part in the sentiments which .
he expressed in his famous war mes
sages, asserting that: What l said |
and what l have tried TO do has been /
said and done only in an attempt to .
speak the thought of the people of 4
the United States truly, and to carry |
that thought out in action" To this 1
sentiment so happily put. the Ameri- !
can people can affirm in unanimous |
accord that no President. not even |
the great Lincoln. has ever given to
American ideals more fitting express
sion.
The President cut the Gordian knot |
Of international diplomacy when he
left our shores to attend I'm person the
coming Peace Conference. This step
at first awakened mordant criticism
at home but the voice of discomfort
has been silenced in part as the mo-
ttves of the President become better
understood. The thought is just be-
ginning to permeate the average mind
which caused nations to be represent
ed in the peace conferences Of the
past by subordinates rather than rul-
ers. No ruler dared trust himself in
the heart Of another country, even
| though that country might be an ally.
President Wilson has dispelled that
illusion of insecurity: he has given
striking testimony that he possesses
the courage Of his convictions; that
he believes the crushing of German
autocracy has indeed made the world
safe for the free peoples of the world
And his personal presence. added to
his eloquent voicing of American
aims. will carry more conviction and
make a deeper conviction than aught
else could do in the appeal to the
peoples Of Europe for an internation-
al organization which shall insure the
/
be assured by this visit when the
President speaks highly he means
holly; and that this American ma
ton will not be content until the
bright vision Of enduring world amity
has become an established fact
| Americans will read with pardon
able pride the tempered, gracious, pa
triotic utterances of our President in
his reply TO President Poincare. They
reveal a culture wherein is expressed
the only aristocracy permissible to
free people, that Of the intellect.
| President Wilson is setting a high
standard for American culture,
standard worthy of the emulation Of
the long line of American public men
to come. Destiny has shown a fine
.d!sCernment in the selection of our
public men; or perhaps ourselves de-
Americans, Washington. Lincoln and
/ Wilson, is typically the product of his
time. The aristocratic sentiments Of
Washington would have been out of
place at the time Of the Rebellion,
and the homely philosophy and rug
Eed visage Of President Lincoln would
not have won the confidence and ad-
miratiou Of Europe as the poise and
logic Of President Wilson have done.
Despite the misgivings Of some of
us at home, President Wilson has be-
gun well. No more fitting representa-
tive Of our republic could perhaps.
have been selected for the great work
cut out for him. There IS a growing
conviction that civilization must de-
stroy the seeds of future wars in the
present Peace Conference or war,
with its scientific development Of
forces Of destruction. will destroy
civilization.
Europe is beginning to regard our
President as a Sir Galahad in quest
Of a Holy Grail His presence at the
Peace Conference is taken as an ern-
est that the American people have
embarked on a crusade for universal
peace and that they will not sheathe
their swords until their objective has
been attained. The noble utterances
and high resolves Of President Wilson
have placed the whole Peace Confer
!, ence on a higher plane than any that
has gone before, and we are at least
permitted to hope that it may mark
the end of the last great war of the
present civilization.