The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-02-02

though this Is hardly 10 be atsStou4@
to their ideaiistic trend Of thcuol
Those who had formerly cast go
votes for Wilson were friends
peace and hated war. But after Nq&
had been declared the majority N
these pacifists in logical chAnoo e.
mentality went with flying colcrs CY&fI
to the camp Of the will to war ats
win. szaEx
If Wilson were in the present ct4Se
cumstances candidate for re-electteNs
sSs9a4s~ - 4kssSry4- =. s-es w. s.ansa1y7.
men. if the present enthusiasm XXI
him is a criterion. To such dS8fM4
has he lifted the great mass Of Amer
leans UP to him through the arm fAjt9s
in his saving principles. II
Nor has President Wilson nrnittAA
opportunities to enable the world ~
deduce a picture of his true chHrArt0e
from his public utterances. In tn
course OF the past year he has clearly
reveavled himself repeatedly through
messages and speeches before con.
grss which were virtually addressed
to the whole civilized mankind.
If we impartiaIly scrutinizA these
clusion that here spoke not n chic
of darkness but a child OF light. Like
a golden thread, there runs through
all his speeches the thought OF hber-
alton from class domination. the ErcAf
thought of the Cancellation and broth
erhood Of all peoples and OF the
equality of their spiritual and physi>
| cal claims.
A deep religious trend thus marks
/ the whole thinking and feeling Of
! this man--in contrast with Jefferson,
with whom. however. he has in com
mon the sympathy for the poor ard
oppressed. He has never denied his
/ traditions. for he was born and raised
| in a pastoraxe In his public utter
acnes his religion is not limited to =
definite confession Of faith. Nor does
he show it---as most of his predcce6-
,sors did--by regularly taking UP his
pew in the Presbyterian church At
Washington on sundays.
They live and weave. these rradt-
tons. often urconsciously in hie
whole thought and feeling. II is true
that his religious views were unable
to prevent the Roman Catholic hief-
archy as we'll ns all German Luthe.
rams working with might and main
for his defeat I'm the election Of 1919,
a movement which. for political, ecO-
nomic and financial reason was sup.
ported by all German -Arericars ana
the powers Of Wall street.
Religious thoughts are scattered
in all his utterances. Many Of ther,t
are thoughts animating the man o.
neace who, seeing his own country
threatened by the furies of war. be-
comes 8 man of war and fires MS
countrymen with an old war hyrnn
which is at the same time his war
ideal in a battle for universal human
freedom, and which contains hid
spiritual confession of faith 1t Is:
las He died to make men holy
Let us die to make men free.
The realization that Woodrow VIII
son Ia a child OF light is valid ever
in a Biblical sense. The great mas.
isages of conciliation issued by this
man are to be regarded primarily aa
out-croppings of a religious basic sem
timent, the product of philosophy u
, life coming from his heart OF hearts
II he succeeds in bringing real peaee
overcoming ali the terrific obstacles
of vengefui feelings. Justified and In
justified. then the creator OF ous
moral world structure. Christ, 1is
through that philosophy OF life q
Wilson'S brought suffering, dying la'
manity a new salvation.