The Washington herald., 1920-12-08

4&l uScsA8o To- yOpnkrtes Ao1AoWo~
Gentiemen of the. Congress:
+; When I. addressed myself to
performing the duty laid upon |
the President by the Constitution |
to present to you In an annual |
report the state Of the Union, 1 |
found my thought dominated by |
an immortal sentence OF Abraham |
Lincoln's:
LET US have faith that right
makes might. and in that faith |
let US dare to do our duty rs
we understand IT,"
- A sentence immortal because it !
embodies in a form of utter sim
iplicity and purity the essential
faith Of the nation. the faith in
which Il was conceived and the
faith In which IL has grown to
glory and power. With that faith
and the birth OF nation founded
upon IL came the hope into the
world that anew order would pre-
vail throughout the affairs OF
mankind. an order in which rea-
son and right would take prece-
dence Of covetousness and force,
and ] believe that / express the
wish and purpose Of every
thoughtfui American when ] say
that this seRtence marks for US In
the ,plainest manner the part we
should play alike-dn the arrange
ment Of our demostic affairs and,
in our exercise of influence upon
the affairs OF the world. BY this
faith, and by this faith alone, can
the world be lifted out OF its pres
ARN E,...
was this. faith which prevailed
over the wicked forces of Ger
many. You will remember that
the beginning OF the end OF the
war came when the German peo-
pie found themselves face to face
with the conscience of the world
and realized that right was every
where arrayed against the wrong
that their government was at
tempting to perpetrate. I think.
therefore, that 1t is true to say
that this was the faith which
won the war. Certainly this Is
the faith with which our gallant
men went into the field and out
upon the seas to make sure Of
victory.
,wo Ways I'm which z. s. Ca.
Assist.
This is the mission upon which
democracy came into the world.
Democracy Is an assertion OF the
right Of the individual to live and
to be treated justly as against
any attempt on the part Of any
combination OF indiyiduals 20
make laws which will overbur-
den him or which will destroy
his equality among his fellows in
the matter Of right or privilege,
and L think we all realize that
the day has come when democ-
racy Is being put upon its-6nal
test. The old world Is just now
suffering from q wanton rejection
Of the principle of democracy and
n substitution Of the principle Of
plutocracy as asserted In the
name but without the authority
and sanction of the multitude
This is the time OF all others
when democracy should prove its
purity and It's spiritual power to
prevail. It Is surely the manifest
destiny Of the Bnited States to
iead IN the attempt 10 make thSs
spirit prevail. EHfe are two
ways IN which thA United ScStes
can assist 10 accomplish this
great object: First, by offerine
the example within her own bor-
ders OF the will and power Of
democracy to make and enforce
laws which are unquestionably
Just and which are equal in their
administration-law which Sc
cure its full right to labor and
yet at the same time safeguard
the integrity OF property, and
particularly Of that property
which is devoted to the develop
ment of industry and the increase
of the necessary wealth Of the
world. Second. by standing for
right and Justice as toward indt-
vidual nations. The law Of de-
mocracy is for the protection OF
the weak. and the influence OF
every democracy in the world
should be for the protection OF
the weak nation. the nation which
Is struggling toward its right and
toward its proper recognition and
privilege in the family OF ma
tions.
Cannot Refuse Role.
The United States cannot refuse
this role Of champion without put
ting the stigma OF rejection upon
the great and devoted men who
brought its government into ex-
istence and established il in the
face of almost universal opposi-
ton and intrigue even in the face
OF wsnton force as for example
against, the orders in council Of
Great Britain and the arbitrary
Napoleonic DEGREES which involved
us in what We know as the war
of 1919. I urge you to consider
that the display of an immediate
disposition on the part of the
Congress to remedy any in3ustices
or evils that may have shown
themselves in our own national
lifN will afford the most efrectual
offset to the forces Of chaos and
tyranny which are playing SO dis
astrous a part in the fortunes OF
the free peoples OF more than one
part of the world. The United
States is of necessity the sample
democracy OF the world and the
triumph of democracy depends
upon its success.
Recovery from the disturbing
and sometimes disastrous effects
of the late war has been exceed
ingly slow on the other side OF
the water and has given promise
venture to say of early compile
tion only In our own fortunate
country; but even with us the re-
covery halts and is impeded a;
times and there are Immediately
serviceable acts Of legislation
which 1t seems TO me we ought