The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1921-03-25
RABBI WISE PAYS TRIBUTE 70
WILSON

RABBI WISE rAJS IubpOlE ~
WILSON
DR.. stephen S. Wise in sermon
at the Free Synagogue in New York
a few SUNDAYS ago said Of Woodrow
Wilson:
History will never forgive the
crimes of his enemies, who to pun
ish a man and defeat a party, broke
the heart Of the world
Future historians, DR.. Wise, said,
would accord President Wilson his
proper place in history. Let us not
magnify the significance of contem-
porary Judgment he continued, for
contemporary judgment, in truth,
means little, if anything. Woodrow
Wilson's place will be determined
neither by his bitter detractors nor
bv his revering friends. Have no
doubt as to what Woodrow Wilson's
place in history will be, and what will
be the place of his malignant and un-
plying detractors, if they are to have
any place at all.
Truly. it may be said of Wilson,
in such terms as Lowell used touch
ing Lincoln--that Wilson has had no
nilsson save to keep the honor of his
country sustained-so to enhance the
greatness of his country that it should
seem and be great in all those things
inward and external that alone can
constitute the greatness of our coun-
try.
"The people of the world or its maxi
ing was in the hands of Wilson. How
gloriously and tragically near he came
to blessing the world with peace!
Then he was struck down. To say
that he broke beneath the strain be-
cause he would not share his burdens
with others, or to claim that he un-
dertook task heavier than any man
could properly meet, is not to miti-
gate the crimes of those that struck
him down amidst the councils OF
peace. and with unrelenting cruelty
struck him down when he returned to
his own land. In the midst OF the
councils of peace, for the sake of par
tisan advantages, in the interest OF
partisan purposes, to satisfy personal
enmities. the President of the United
States was betrayed in foreign land.
"That is what history will say OF
him and of his foes. History may re-
greet some mistakes of Wilson. but
higtory will never. forgive the crime OF
his enemies, personal and partisan,
who to punish man and defeat
party broke the heart of the world.
History may say of Wilson tnat ne
most differed from Lincoln in that he
lacked Lincoln's unfailing magnanim-
ity. but history cannot fail to record
that Wilson was goaded and embit-
tered by such cruel assailment as few
men in public life have ever been cali
ed upon to endure cruelty which In
its brasen and vulgar mendacity
spared not his Utmost life.
What man was ever more largely
the object of public abuse and OF prl-
yate SANDER? True, men spoke I'D
terms of disparagement of Lincoln
while he lived. but they did not ques-
ton his honor nor assail his life UNI
der his own roof-tree. Enmity and
bitterness did not spare Wilson even
here. so that if sometimes he seems
unforbearing if he seems to be with
out that supreme Lincoln-like quality
of magnanimity, let it be remembered
that his foes wounded him where any
man that is a man and that cares. for
his honor can be most easily and
grievously wounded.
1T is believed that Wilson erred, or
rather that his encourage erred griev
ously in falling to tell the American
people the whole truth about his i'll
ness, seeing that Wilson fell because
he overburdened himself abroad and
upon his return was forced to take
the issue Of world peace to his fellow
Americans. When he was stricken,
the standard should have been gently
taken from his hands and others call
ed upon to bear it to victory. IRE
spective of the technicality of with
drawing from the presidency, his
duty was so to resign the leadership
of the contest to others as would have
made possible an appeal to the coun-
+ try against selfish. willful partisan
band who scrupled not to break this
man. though in so doing they made it
l 49, -