Woodrow Wilson to Charles AD Burk

Title

Woodrow Wilson to Charles AD Burk

Creator

Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924

Identifier

WWP18363

Date

1914 February 9

Description

Woodrow Wilson writes to Charles AD Burk about his letter concerning criticism of Wilson at Princeton.

Source

Wilson Papers, Library of Congress, Library of Congress, Washington, District of Columbia

Subject

Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924--Correspondence

Text

My dear Mr. Burk:

I thank you sincerely for your letter of February twelfth. It is very difficult for me to know just what to say in reply, because, of course, I do not know the circumstances to which you refer; but I hold this opinion very clearly, that no man ought to let false or unjust statements go unchallenged in any company where he is free to speak at all. In church we must agree with the preacher at least by silence, but I cannot think of any other place where we need give the assent of silence to any opinion.
After all, the truth is a very sacred thing, and honesty and justice take precedence everywhere.
I am not sure that this little homily will be of any service to you, but it speaks my very deep convictions. I also have the confident belief that those who misrepresent or try to repress or twist the truth sooner or later hang themselves in the meshes they weave.

Woodrow Wilson


Mr. Charles AD Burk,
Graduate College,
Princeton, New Jersey.

Original Format

Letter

To

Burk, Charles A. D.

Files

http://resources.presidentwilson.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Temp00812.pdf

Citation

Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924, “Woodrow Wilson to Charles AD Burk,” 1914 February 9, WWP18363, First Year Wilson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.