The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-09-05
President Wilson's
Columbus Speech

lows:
Mr. Chairman. Governor Campbell and
My Fellow Citizens:
II is with very profound p;easur" that
I find myself face TO face with you.
have for long tim" chafcd AT tn" con-
hnement Of association. ! have tor
long tIme wished TO fulhll the purpose
with which my heart was full when re-
turned to our beloved country. namely
to go out and report TO my Fellow
countrymen. concerning those affairs OF
the world. which now need 70 BE- settled.
The only people owe any report 10
are you and the other citizens OF the
United States and It has become IN
creasingly necessary. apparently. that l
should report to you After all the
various angles at which you have
heard tho treaty held up perhaps you
would like 10 know what is in the treaty.
I find Il very difficult in reading some
OF the speeches that have read 10 form
any conception OF that great document
1T Is a document unique In tho his
tory OF rho world for many reasons and
think cannot do you better service
or the peace % tho world a better SER
vice than by pointing out to You just
what this treaty contains and what IL
seeks 10 do.
In tho 1rst place. my fellow country
men. il socks TO punish one ot the great
est wrongs over done in history. IN"
wrong which Germany sought 10 do 10
the world and TO civilization and thcr"
ought tn b" no weak purpose with re-
Gard 10 N" Application Of the punish.
rrent. She attempted an intolerahIs
thing and sh" must bc made 20 pay fol
tho attempt.
"Th" terms OF the treaty nr" severe.
hi,f
hat the men associated with m" at IN"
peace confcrHncc in IariS had i m their
hearts to j" justice. AMI not wrong. but
they knew perhaps with a more vivid
sense Of what had happened than ""
could possibly know On this side Of
tho water tn. many Solemn covenants
which Germany had dISroCard"d. the
long prcpa paraticn she had maie IN over
whelm her n"ii SborS. In" after disre-
gard winch sh" had shown for human
rights, for the rights Of women and
children and thos" who were helpless.
They had seen their lands devastated
ny an enemy that devoted itself not
only 10 the effort Of victory. but 10 the
eftor OF terror seeking to terrify the
pcopl" whom they fought. and wish to
testify that they exercised restraint in
the terms Of this treaty They did not
wish to overwhclm any great nation.
md they had no purpose in overwhcln-
INK the German people, but they did
think that Il ought TO BE- burned into
the consciousness Of men forever that
no people out 10 permit its govern
mcnt 10 do what the German govern
ment did.
IN he last analysis. my fellow coun-
tryufcn as we in America would be tho
flrst 10 claim a people arc responsible
for tho acts of their government. II
their government purposes things that
are wrong. they ought 10 take meas
ures and See 10 II that that purpose Is
not executed.
Germany was sclt-govcrned. Her
rulers had not concealed the purposes
that they had in mind. but they had do
ceived their people as TO the character
Of tho methods they were going TO use.
and I believe from what can learn.
that there is an awakened conscious
ness in Germany itself ot the deep in
iquity Of the thing that was attempted.
when the Austrian delegates came
before the peace conference. th"y. in
so many words. spoke OF IN" origiuatinn
Of tho war as crime and admitted
in our presence that II was a thing in
tolerahle to contemplate They knew
in their hearts that II had done them
the dcerest conceivable wrong. that il
had put their people and tho people OF
Germany at the Judgment scat or man
kind. and throughout this treaty every
term that was applied to Germany was
meant not TO humil!1tN Germany. hut
70 rectify the wrong she had done. And
VI YOU will look even into tho severe
terms OF reparatior. for th"re was no
indcmnity--n0 indemnity nt any sort was
clairred-mersly r"paration. merely pay
ing for tn" destruction dorc. merely
making good tho lnSses so far aS the
losses could be made good which she
had unmstry inflicted not upon the gov
crnmcnts-tor III" rnparation is not TO
90 to tn guv"rnnrnts--but upon the
people whose rights she had trodden
upon with absolut" abSsnC" ~ every
thing that even rrs"mhl"d pity. Th.re
~ no indemnity in this treaty. but th"r"
is reparation. and Hrcn in tn" terms %
reparati"n a method is devised by which
tho rrparatioN shall hs adjusted 10 Ger
rnany's ability 10 pay it.
II am aStOUiShcd a, S"uc Of tn" state
mrnts | see made abb Ut this treaty and
rho truth - that th"y are made By per-
sons who have not read m" "-tr"aty. or
who. - they have road i. have not
conrprekended l's meaning
'.Thnr" IS a method Of adjustment in
, treaty by which tho rnparati"u shall
not be pressed beyond the principal
/ which Germany can pay. hut she VIII be
pressed to the utmost point that ShG
can pay what is Just. what IS righteous.
1t would hc Intolerable If th"rc had
been anything rls" for my fellow citi-
zcns. this 'rcaty is no, meant merely
to end this single war. u is meant as 4
notice to every government. who IN ~"
future. will attempt this thing that
mankind will unit" 70 inGict Ia" same
punishment.
There is no national triumph sought
10 be recorded in this tr.aty. There is
no glory sought for any particular ma
tion. The though: Of the statement col
lected around that table was Of their
peoplc Of the SuferinGS thai they had
gone through. Of IN" losses They had m
CURED. that great thrObb.re heart which
was so depressed. SO fororn. so sad IN.
every memory that II had had Of the
fye tragIcal years. my follow country
men. Let US never forget tn" purp"s"
the high purpose. III" d'sin'"rcStsd
purpose with which America lent It's
strength. Not for it's own glory. but
for the advance OF mankind
And as I said this treaty vas not IN
tended merely to end this war: Il was
intended TO prevent any similar war.
IT wonder II some OF the opponents $
Of the league OF nations have forgotten
the promises We made our people be
fore VIC went to that peac" table We
had taken this process Of law. the flower
NJ our youth from every countryside.
from every household and We told the 50
mothers and fathers and sisters and
wives and swecthearts that We were
takink these men TO fight a war which