The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1921-08-05
TWISTING LIONS TAIL.

Perhaps Senator John X. Shields,
of Tennessee, has been reading Martin
Van Buren's recently published auto
biography. This famous New York
er discusses at some length and most
Interestingly the ancient art among
democratic politicians of twisting the
lions tale" Lewis Cass and James
Buchanan were especially gifted in
appealing to the American prejudices
then existing against anything that
was British. So successfully did
these tactics appear to be that the
were emulated by Daniel Webster
the great leader of the opposition
who pursued the presidency to his
dying day. This very interesting mar,
rative of Van Buren, may account fol-
the senior senator's constant reitera
ton Of anti-British views. 1t will be
recalled that when the Versailles
peace pact was before the senate
Senator Shields voted repeatedly 70.
expressions OF sympathy with the
Sim Fieners In his recent other
wise admirable speech to the sen
ate, he took another rap at everything
British by defaming the great Cecil
Rhodes, one of the monumental men
of the Anglo-Saxon race and builder
In whose achievements all Anglo
Saxons can have just pride
While agreeing with all that the
able senior senator said respecting
the tendency in the government to-
ward Capitalization and the oblitera,
ton of the state lines, The Herald
must dissent most emphatically from
what was said therin about Rhode.
and the motives for his institution O
the Rhodes scholarships. His object
was to bring about closer relation
ship and a better understanding be
tween all the nations who speak Tho
English language. Anything thai
tends to that end deserves the approx
al of all right thinking men. Foi
more than one hundred years Britain
and America have been at profound
peace. Although for three Thousand
miles their boundaries touch it is un
protected by single frowning gun
1t Is to be sincerely desired that this
condition will never be changed
Not only will mutual good will and
thorough understanding between
the two great branches of the same
race contribute to the welfare and
interest of both, but it will be a pow
erful factor for the preservation of
world peace. One cannot contemplate
any serious misunderstanding between
the English speaking peoples that
might result in war with anything
less than horror. The issues of such
conflict would be too awful to con
template. Civilization, already tot
tering in some quarters of the globe
as the result of the recent catacy sm
could not endure the shock.
The Herald finds much in the utter
ances of the senior senator with which
1t ia in accord, hut it cannot view
Otherwise than with regret his repeat
ed expressions of British hostility anc
in this it is sure it speaks the senti
ments' of an overwhelming majority
ofy'his constituents. Senator Shields
is a great lawyer and an able man
but he sometimes permits his preju
dices to cloud his ketter Judgment
This was unQuestionabl the case dur
Ing the Wilson administration. The
senator Is man of intense prejudice
and there is no doubt that he cordially
disliked President Wilson, fact gen.
orally regretted by the partisans o
both in Tennessee. This is the time
for an amicable adjustment of al
world differences, for peace and gooo
will between the nations of the earth
and 1t is not good craftsmanship to
do or say anything that it calculated
to cause irration between the nations
only recently allied in a great war
to save civilization and freedom.
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