Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1919-09-20
DEFIANT RIGHTEOUSNESS

10y every man. woman and child
in the United States. 1t is such
a forcetul. truthful utterancc
and depletion OF the attitude Of
those Senators. who would lath-
cr wreck America than honor the
President. that Wc want the
readers of The Messenger 10
carefully digest il. The Times
says
The other nations will take H. ON
our own terms, Tor without H. their
League j. wreck and an their
gains from victorious peace are
impcrilcd
These words from the report of the
senate Committee on Foreign Rclatlo
admitting amendments To the Treaty.
words of terrible import and colossal
in>olencc. VIII be- read with profound
regret By every American whose eyes
are raised above the Strifes of party.
with deep pain by every friend of
America in those foreign lands with
which were are newly come into rcla-
tion- Of closer friendship. They are
not words spoken thoughtlcssly in the
heat of debate They are part of a
report prepared with dclibcration.
carefully considered and approved by
the Republican majority OF the com
mltteo. Nh McCumbcl being the only
majority member who wiihholds his
assent and they are submitted to the
Senate and published to the whole
world.
There can be- no misunderstanding
the meaning of the sentence we have
quoted. The Republican authors of
the report declare that in the attempt
10 force upon othcl nations the Treaty
amendments they have framed they
are willing 10 wreck the League of
Nations the worlds only ~afcguard
against the recurrence Of destructive
wal; they are Wiling to put in peril
the gains from a victorious peace
that has cost millions Of lives and an
expenditure Of S2u0.00O. 900. 600. They
have the full courage OF their hardi-
hood. they arr nncNiblo in their pur-
pose. for their amendments do wreck
the League. Even though they should
hc accepted by all the other nations.
the League would be a MANNED and
merry lcsS pact, its very heart pluckcd
out. the ultimate sanction and power
set up for the enforcement of its
resolves altogether destroyed. This
report OF the Foreign Relations Com
mlttce. If the Senate shall act in the
SENSE of that shocking passage. sets
the world back a hundred years. II
does destroy the gains of victory. II
does annihilate the League of Nations,
il repudiatcs not only all that was won
by the war but the declared purpose
for which the nations poured out
their blood and treasure The Allies
and the nitcd States took up arms
TO check the mad ambition Of Ger
many. to destroy her dangerous mill
tary power they fought her until that
purpose was achieved. They fought
that nations and men might be free,
that the world might bc governed by
law and justice. not by the viii OF
autocrats, and in the Peace Council
they drew up the covenant of nations
To safeguard wha, they had won at
such immense cost. All is sacrificed,
all is lost. { these reckless men Of the
Foreign Relations Committee have
their way.
The passage We have quoted. q
brazcn disclosure of the defiant spirit
IN which the committee prepared lis
report. is of such overlapping impor-
lance that comment upon details
seems hardly necessary That pas
sage controls the whole document.
The report declares that the Treaty
y the most important subject that
ever came before the Senate OF the
81 nited States" Yet though the
happiness OF mankind and the desti-
mics Of nations are involved, the com
mittcc's reports asks the senate to
treat the matter purely as though It
were a question of party interest. The
reports speaks OF - solemn public
duty" il declares that the lnited
States can best serve the cause of
peace by not permitting herself to
"hc fcttcrcd by the dictates of other
nations or immersed or cntanglcd IN
"all the hroilS and conflicts or Eu-
rope" II this report had omanatcd
from 4 committee Of a board Of alder
men. intelligent men would dismiss
these expressions as mere canting
humbug Coming from a committee
of 80 august q body as the senate oil
the nited States, in the known cit
cumstanccs which have called them
forth. We recognize such uttcranccs
a. the fruit in part of partisan cal
culation. in part Of yindictive passion.
But We read the purpose OF the com
mitcc in It's acts TIE definite things
il recommends to the Senate for adop-
tion are perfectly in keeping with the
spirit Of the burning passage in which
il is declared that peace may 70 to
wreck and ruin and the gains of vic
tory be thrown to the dogs. but these
pcrversely minded men OF the com
mittec must have their way.
They say that the other nations
twill take US on our own terms" On
whose terms Not the terms imposed
by the people Of the United States or
approved by them. but program of
fatal amendments 20 the covenan, and
the Treaty drawn up by nine Republic
can members Of q committee which q
Republican eN-Presidcnt Of the United
States declared was expressly packed