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A STEP IN ADVANCESource: The American Advocate of Peace and Arbitration, Vol. 53, No. 6 (AUG.--SEPT., 1891),pp. 142-143Published by: World Affairs InstituteStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/27898502 .

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142 THE AMERICAN ADVOCATE OF PEACE AND ARBITRATION.

ADYOCATE OF PEACE AID ARBITRATION. BOSTON, AUG.-SEPT., 1891.

R. B. HOWARD,.Editor.

LITERARY HONORS.

Bowdoin College did itself honor in recognizing the dis

tinguished services of Hon. Sumner I. Kimball, chief of the life-saving department of the government, by confer

ring on him, at its late commencement, the degree of Doc tor of Science (D. Sc.). Deserved honors conferred on life-savers serve to counterbalance the evil of honors con

ferred on life-destroyers. Tufts College performed a graceful act of international

comity as well as recognized sterling scholarship and con secrated talent in conferring the degree of LL.D. upon our friend and coadjutor, Rev. W. Evans Darby, of London, secretary of the oldest and, in some respects, the ablest Peace Society in the world.

PEACE MEETING AT WASHINGTON.

Baltsey Brothers, of Washington, D. C, have established a new u

Chautauqua" at Glen Echo, in the suburbs of that

city. We do not understand that it imitates the original Chau

tuaqua in making religious instruction the central feature. But it is a kind of Symposium of all good kinds of out-of door instruction and recreation, and meets the popular demand for Peace addresses among others. The man

agers assigned July 28 for that purpose. We are sorry that we could not be present personally, but are glad to learn that the Universal Peace Union was represented by some of its most earnest and able speakers, and that it was a "

great meeting."

THE MYSTIC (CT.) MEETINGS Will be held, August 26-28, in a grove on grounds recently purchased by the U. P. U. This is usually the

largest Peace meeting of the year, and we expect this year will be no exception. President Love sends a most cor dial invitation to everybody to attend.

PEACE MEETINGS IN PORTLAND, ME. A very interesting public meeting, in the interests of

Peace and Arbitration, was held in Portland, Me., on the

evening of June 13, under the auspices of a committee of New England Yearly Meeting of Friends.

The speakers were Augustine Jones, A.M., principal of Friends' Boarding School at Providence, R. I., Thomas

Chace, Ph. D., former president of Haverford College, Richard Collins of New York, and Sarah W. Collins, our earnest and efficient superintendent of the department of Peace in the New York State W. C. T. ?. A large audience listened with good attention.

A STEP IN ADVANCE. It is now half a century since Peace Societies and

persons who adhere to their principles, have held confer ences and congresses to consult upon the best means to lessen the evils and to finally abolish the curse of war.

These movements of philanthropists and the people in

general have been voluntary. Benevolent men have borne

the necessary expense. Their object has been on the one hand to so elevate public sentiment that the faith of the few might become the conviction of the many, and on

the other to influence governments to practical measures in the interest of peace. There is a time when thought expresses itself in laws,

institutions and administrations. There is a time when the ideas for which the few contend are adopted by the

majority. Majorities have increasing influence on all

governments, and are dominant in free governments. The time has arrived when not only philanthropists but gov ernments ought to hold conferences, whose object should be the permanency and universality of peace. The time has come when international law instead of being made up of the laws of war, should adequately express the fraternity of nations and promote their friendly intercourse. The time has come when the expense of international confer

ences should be borne by the governments themselves.

They are supported by taxation. The tax-payers are

j tired of paying for vast armaments and exhausting wars. One-tenth of the cost of a war-ship would pay the

expenses of the largest and most efficient international conference ever held. This should consist of the ablest

jurists as well as the broadest philanthropists now living.

Memorials have been sent to the President of the United States, one to each House of Congress and one to the Secretary of State, praying the Government of the United States to invite an International Conference of Gov ernments in connection with the Columbian Exposition at Chicago in 1893, for the purpose,?

First, of maturing some project whereby arbitration clauses may be introduced more fully into treaties.

Secondly, to endeavor to harmonize conflicting interna tional laws and recommend an international code.

Tliirdly, to recommend some project for a High Court of Nations, whose jurisdiction in international disputes should be similar to that which the Supreme Court of the United States now exercises between the States.

In support of this proposition petitions are being circu lated for signature in all the Congressional districts of the

United States, a copy of which is placed at the close of this article and has been sent to every member of the

Fifty-first and Fifty-second Congresses. As to the United States Government taking up this

work, at this time and in connection with the Interna tional Exposition, it may be said,

First, that the proposed Conference is germane to the

highest objects for which the Exposition is held. The

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THE AMERICAN ADVOCATE OF PEACE AND ARBITRATION. 143

main purpose of the Exposition is to draw together and manifest to the entire world the evidences of human prog ress, not only in material things, but also in intellectual and moral development. To this end the display of the latest military inventions by which the Nations propose in certain contingencies to destroy each other, are surely less important than the presentation of those ideas by which it is proposed that they shall aid each other to a

higher civilization. Among the latter, anything that tends to the diminution of war is pre-eminent.

Secondly, such a Conference so called is in accordance with the precedent made by the United States Govern ment in the Conference of American Nations already held, and in harmony with the invitation sent by the United States to European Nations to which Switzerland has made a favorable response.

Thirdly, the five hundred thousand dollars (more or

less) which might be appropriated to this object, if it should prolong the enjoyment of peace for a single week or prevent some alleged necessity for coast defence or naval construction, would be the best investment possible to the nation. If it should result in a treaty with Great Britain alone, solemnly guaranteeing a trial of arbitration before any declaration of war, it would remove all prac tical danger of attack upon our extended coast or any reasonable pretence for attempting to rival the navy of Great Britain.

Fourthly, the geographical position of the United States ; the conglomerate character of its population ; and the nature of its free institutions, combine to point to our Government as a leader in the cause of peace. To

this other nations could not object. Indeed some of the ablest foreign statesmen have declared that in the cause of peace and arbitration America is the hope of the world.

Finally, will not the friends of peace circulate the Petition of which the following is a copy, and secure the

weightiest as well as the largest number of names ?

Petition to Congress.

To the Senate and House of Representatives in the United States Congress assembled :

The undersigned, citizens of the United States, having a profound sense of the evil and inadequacy of war as a mode of settling international disputes, hereby pray your honorable body to take whatever action may be necessary to invite a conference of the Governments of the world to

sit, during, and in connection with the World's Colum bian Exposition, to be held at Chicago in 1893, for the

purpose of devising, discussing and recommending meas ures by which the principle of arbitration may be incor

porated into Treaties ; conflicting international laws may be harmonized ; and an International Court established, having jurisdiction in cases which Governments shall fail to settle by negotiation.

A TALK WITH AND ABOUT MINISTERS. " I wish you would convert our pastor," said a lady to

me who had been made a widow by war. " He recently remarked to me that war was right and he could prove it

by the Bible ! " I did not see him but he is one of many ministers of the Gospel. There were thousands of such who could prove to their own satisfaction that slavery was

right by the Bible. A Mormon preacher spent some time on a steamer to convince me that polygamy was a

duty by quotations from the Bible. Those who drink and sell spirituous liquors will quote texts about " a

good creature of God"? " A little wine for the often

infirmities," and the miracle at Cana in justification of the use and traffic in intoxicating liquors in America in 1891 ! The Bible has no worse enemies than those who search it to justify wickedness. A minister is removing foundations laid by God for men's faith when he preaches that the congeries of crimes systematized under the I name of war is pleasing to our heavenly Father and to be

practised for his glory. If they exert any influence

they are breaking down the Christian and spiritual con sciousness of their hearers. Every soldier knows that the spirit of a battle and that Comforter whom Jesus Christ promised and shed forth after his death, are

antagonistic. It is said that certain Jesuit Fathers

proclaimed that everything was right that would do good. Hence the word "Jesuitical," a most significant and

suggestive word. War does good, yes. So does rum, opium, fire, pestilence, profanity, falsehood, covetous ness and all the things which God has taught us are

wrong. An incidental good can never justify an all but universal evil. Show me a war, one alleged object of which was to do good, the result of which was conspicuously beneficial to mankind in some particulars?like the Civil War in America?and I will show you a universal and penetrative evil that was essential to its spirit and method. It trained a nation to believe in war?its beneficence and perpetuity. No, if the Bible is a revelation of God it does not in the spirit of its teachings contradict the testi

mony of Jesus Christ who is its author and inspirer. i ' Love

your enemies " ? "Do no Murder"? "

Lie not one to an other"?" Swear not at all."

Gentleness, meekness, goodness, faith?surely these virtues developed as they may be by opposition and trial? are not the simple and direct fruit of men's fighting and killing each other. Courage in combat, patience under trial, obedience to commanders, are cultivated in warriors. But it is not always or often the highest, i. e., moral courage. The patience could be attained in nobler pur suits and higher conflicts. Obedience is not taught or secured alone by military law and drill. The good Cen turion of the Gospel is exceptional. He is enough like a miracle tobe conspicuous and remarkable. So are Gardiner, Havelock, Vickers, Jackson, Gordon and other soldiers whose deeds of piety wrought out under terrible

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