The Greeneville daily sun. (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1918-1920, 1919-05-01
THE CONSTITUTION is A COVENANT.


Germany and on December Z 1917 it declared war o
Austra-Hungary. The declarations were made by Cor
gress, provided by the Constitution. There were n
treaties alliances with other nations, no leagues
nations other compusons restraints to direct or con
troll the will of the United States The resources o
cution of the war; and the President was called upon
press it to a successful termination
That the only direction which the President has re
ceved from the people through their representatives The
did not authorize direct him to enter into any workn
alliance with any other nations and he very properly
Trained from becoming entangled in the European ALI
ance, although he cooperated with the allies as he wa
expected to do
The people have outlined to the President thei
will regarding the manner of making peace They hav
never told him to go to Paris and join in the discussion
of European quarres They have never authorized hin
to with the allies that the United States would
make separate peace
The people have not authorized the President to aSss
in negotiating joint treaty of peace with Germany
The worwdng of the declarations of and the histor
of American policy indicate clearly that Congress and thu
people expected the United States make separate
with Germany and Austra-Hungary whenever those EN-
res had been defeated and were ready to surrender
condtonally to the United St;tes
The proposition that the United States should make
peace with Germany and Austria Hungary only on con
dtions which involve this nation forever in the concerns
of Europe not supported by anything that Congress has
enacted that the people have authorized The
conditions attached to peace with the enemy have not beer
attached by the people of the United States by the
treaty making power.
The assumption that the people of the United States
will now for the sake of making joint treaty with Ger
many, abandon the fixed policy of the nation and join in
IN agreement to guarantee the territorial integrity and
political independence of large number of nations, is
dangerous assumption for those nations that may rely
upon it. They have warrant from the American peo-
pie to presume that this nation will take upon itself the
quarre of the world If that presumption was raised
because of the willingness of American representatives
at Paris to interfere in the affairs of other nations it
should be borne mind always that the United States
peculiar nation and is not responsible for promises
pledges unless they made by the treaymakng power
American history is full of tentative pledges threats
promises of reward intrigue and proposed entangements
agreed upon by Americas temporary representatives and
killed off by the treatymaking power They all scraps
Of paper and were never anything else.
The joint treaty with Germany including the arrange
ment called the league of nations, is scrap of paper
far the United States concerned until and unless
the treatymaking power shall approve it in the
prescribed by the people This treaty is so widely differ
ent from the peace that was looked for by the people,
and creates many novel and dangerous departures from
American policy that will be vigorously scrutinzed by
he Senate, If in the opinion of the Senate the treaty is
IN attempt to set aside override the powers allotted
the government in the Constitution the treaty will be
,eace.
The integrity of the United States the continued OBJ
ervance of the covenant already existng-tha u.s. the
onstituton-requre that there shall not be new COW
There provisions of the league covenant which seems
set aside the Constitution Inasmuch as the President
nd Senate constituting the treatymakng power cannot
verde the Constitution the points in controversy must
ther be reconciled the league covenant must fail 1t
not question of partsanship even of peace with
Germany. Both partisanshp and peace are minor mat
whenever the independence and security of the Unit
d States are in question.
The people of the United States have gone through
many ordea but they have never yet been compelled to
make peace with enemy by sacrificing thr liberty or
heir countrys institutions-Wa Washington Post
5s42 Recruits for Army