The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1919-03-08

which yergennes and Benjamin Franklin
wrote their names, nothing but mod
ern scrap of paper; no nations united 10
defend it, no great forces combined TO
make it good, no assurance gwen to the
downtrodden and fearful people of the
world that they shall be safe
Does not Know America.
ANY man who thinks that America
will take part in giving the world any
such rebuff and disappointment as that
does not know America.
81 invite him to test the sentiments OF
the nation. We set this up to make men
free and we did not confine our concep-
ton and purpose to America, and no" we
will make men free. If we dld not 90
that the fame of America would be gone
and all her powers would be diSsipated.
She then would have to keep her power
for those narrow, selfish, provincial pur-
poses which seem SO dear to some minds
that have no sweep beyond the nearest
horizon. l should welcome no sweeter
challenge than that. l have fighting
blood in me and it is sometimes delight
to let it have scope, but If IT is chal-
lenge on this occasion it will be an in.
diligence. Think of the picture, think of
the utter blackness that would fall on
the world. America has failed. America
made a little essay at generosity and then
withdrew; America said, We are your
friends but it was only for today. not
for tomorrow. America said, Let right
take care of itself and we will take care
of ourselves America said, We set up
d
liberty but we have lowered it. 1t is
intended only to light our own path. We
set up a great ideal of liberty and then
we said, Liberty is thing that you
musH win for yourself. Do not call upon
u.s. and think of the world that we would
leavei Do you realize how many new
nations are going to be set up in the
presence of old and powerful nations In
out disinterested friend? Do you be-
lieve in the Polish cause, as / do? Are
you going to set up Poland. immature, IN
experienced. as yet unorganiZed, and
leave her with circle of armies around
her? Do you believe in the aspiration Of
the CZecho-S lovaks and the Jugoslavs. as
[ do? Do you know how many powers
would be quick to pounce upon them if
there were not the guarantees of the
world behind their liberty?
Have you thought of the suffering of
Armenia? You poured out your money
to help succor the Armenians after they
suffered; now set your strength SO that
they shall never suffer again.
Must Be Guaranteed.
1.-THE arrangements of the present
peace can not stand a generation unless
they are guaranteed by the united forces
Of the civilized world. And if we do not
guarantee them, can rot you see the pic
ture? Your hearts have instructed you
where the burden of this war fell. 1t
did not fall upon the national treasures,
it did not fall upon the instruments of
administration,
resources of the nations. 1t fell upon the
victims homes everywhere, where wom-
en- were toiling in hope that their men
would come back
which dull despair would settle were
this great hope disappointed, | should
wish for my part never to have had
America play any part whatever in this
talk if there were any question. l
have no more doubt of the verdict of
America in this matter than | have doubt
of the blood that is in me.
And so, my fellow citizens, I have
come back to report progress. and I do
not believe that the progress is going to
stop short of the goal. The nations of
the world have set their heads now TO do
a great thing and they are not going to
slacken their purpose. And when [ speak
of the governments of the world 1 speak
of the peoples who constitute the nations
of the world They are in the saddle, and
they are going to see to it that if their
present governments do not do their will
some other governments shall. And the
secret is out and the present govern
mentS know it.
There is a great deal of harmony to
be got out Of common knowledge There
is a great deal of sympathy to be got out
of living in the same atmosphere. and |
except for the differences of languages,
which puzzled my American ear very
sadly, l could have believed I was at
home in France or in Italy or in England
when | was on the streets. when | was
in the presence of the crowds, when l
was in great halls where men were gath |
cred together irrespective of class. | did
not feel quite as much at home there as
do here, but l felt that now, at any
rate, after this storm of war had cleared |
the air. men were seeing eye to eye |
everywhere and that these were the kind |
Of folks who could understand what the
kind of folks at home would understand |
and that they were thinking the same |
things.
Manners Are Familiar.
II feel about you as l am reminded of |
4 story of that excellent witness and |
good artist. Oliver therefore,. who one day, |
sitting. at luncheon at his club, was slap |
ped vigorously on the back by a man
whom he did not know very well, who
said: oliver, old boy, how are you"
He looked at him rather colby and |
said: Il don't know your name, l don't |
know your face, but your manners are |
very familiar
'And 1 must say that your manners
IRE very. familiar and, let me add, very |
delightful
1T is a great comfort, for one thing,
o realize that you all understand the |
language / am speaking. friend of
nine said that to talk through an inter
prefer was like witnessing the compound |
fracture of an idea. But the beauty of it
S that whatever the impediments of the
channel OF communication, the idea is
he same: that it gets registered, and it
gets registered in responsive hearts and
eceptives purposes.
81 have come back for a strenuous at
empt to transact business for little
While in America, but l have really come
Jack to say to you, in all soberness and
that I have been trying my best
o speak your thoughts.
when / sample myself l think I find
hat 1 am a typical American, and if I
ample deep enough, and get down to
What is probably the true stuff of man,
hen 1 have hope that it is part Of the
tuff that is like the other fellows at
ome.
"And therefore, probing deep in my
cart and trying to see the things that