Show Peace ad Party Will Not Falter in Task I T HE war had set a great greaf task for statesmanship The best thought of i ithe J- J the world demanded that a serious attempt be made maSe by bythe the leaders v- v of the allied governments formulate to-formulate a treaty pf peace which Ich should prevent the recurrence of war Every rightful impulse of the human heart was in ir accord with that purpose From time From time immemorial men mn have dreamed of peace poets have sung of it philosophers have written about it it statesmen have discussed it men everywhere have hoped and prayed that the day night might come when wars would ho no longer be necessary In the settlement of international differences For the first tim timer in the turbulent annals of the human race such a project had become feasible The destruction of militarism the crumbling of thrones the dissolution of dynasties the worldwide appreciation of the inner meaning of war and the triumph final of democracy had at last made it possible to realize the dearest dream that ever crossed the night of mans dark mind The opportunity for service was as great as the need of the world and the failure to render it must stand as a reproach for all time Let the true purpose of our party be clearly understood We stand squarely for the tho same ideals of peace a as those for which the war was fought We support without flinching the only feasible plan for peace and justice We will not submit to the repudiation of the peace treaty orto or orto to any process by which it is whittled down to t the vanishing point We seek to reestablish the fruits of victory to reinstate the good faith of our country and to restore it to its rightful place among the nations of the parth Our cause constitutes a summons to duty The heart of America stirs again The ancient faith revives The immortal part of man speaks for us The services of the past the sacrifices of the war the hopes of the future constitute a spiritual force gathering about our banners We shall release again the checked forces of civilization and America shall take up once more the leadership of the world From From Cummings Cummings' keynote speech |