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Show 3m 3'7 gated along the coasts (if ('liili. l‘trn and New Spain, where I one of the great world philosophers, Emanuel Kant, who wrote the best ptaee tract of his century, "Perpetual l'eacef' let us consult our imetsilnngfellow, Lowell, Whittier-then doubt if we can that Victor Hugo was right when he said- "The time is coming when the cannon will be found only in our museums, and they will be studied with as much curiosity as now ‘HL‘ study the rack, the wheel and the instruments of inedimval torture." Yes, it is coming. Why not believe that it is coming now? , "if there is to be war,' said Captain Parker on the Lexington (ireen, "let it licgin here." In his name and as his loyal representatives, let us say, lf war is to cease, let peace begin here and now. Too tardy has the United States been in this mission. it was laggard at the Geneva Congress that made the wounded man international and neutralized the surgeon and the ambulance. The picture of our Senate refusing to close a beneficent treaty between England and the United States that would malte its tribunals permanent is at least fresh in the minds of many of us. Our country appeared tardily at the First Hague Conference and it appeared there with red hands and shamefaced, with its "It wont work." and "They don't mean it!" What if they don't mean it? Let us mean it; let us make it work. - Oh. but this is "sentiment!" "emotion l" "impractical human- itarianisml" Has it CHIHC to this. friends. that this nation must curl) its highest inspzratiun. split its vision, qualify its convictions. in order to Command the respect of its neighbors? Has it come to this, that we must re; u out of the baser side of our lives, survey the shorter line (if expediency, in order to be regarded practical? ls that alone practical that compounds with felony and murder? If so, let us plead guilty to the soft impeach- ment and believe with George Eliot that "Sentiment is the better part of the world's valor." Friends, the principles of heaven are made great spoils. I burned and sunk nineteen sails of ships, large. small and great. ;\ll the towns and villages l ever landed at I burned and spoiled." All this he did under the "sanction and to the ‘,jivrl'\ of find Almighty." as he thought. I 1 hope we are through dedicating fields to religion or dis- tributin;r llililes at the cannon» month. shooting the gospel into lonely islands. The financiers of the world are beginningr to have a realizing sense of the \\‘astefnlness of war. The s‘real in~piiation of the warrior is still his "flag." something lie c lls the "honor" of his Conn" . 17;" mam; "m \ i it ought to lie the Illl>\liill of this body to show that there is no sanctity in a piece of linntiiur when it tluats over a wrongr or when it ceases to represent the . *al. l'xilitieal conceit and national Sle»glOt'lf:l(£tllull is an indignity in the nation. ‘ George, Eliot was right when she characterized such patriot ism as "The virtue of narrow minds." ‘ l'lc disgraces his country and is treasonalile to its highest interests and truest glory who nourishes in his heart a hate against any child of the livingY 13nd. or who lives and dies under the mad delusion that the God of the ['niverse delights in his narrowness and glories in his prejudices. , \Vhat are we groin;r to do about it? linter upon a campaign of education. llcgin with our children to instill in them an abid- ing faith in the power of ideas, the supremacy of things noble. Study with them the awful and truthful pictures of .liattle in Carlyle's "Sartor liesartus." llook lli. Chapter VIII. Read Emerson‘s great essay on war where he says: "\Var is an epidemic of insanity. ' i" The excitement demanded by idle and vacant minds. * * "" \\"ar is on its last legs. Universal peace is as sure as the triumph of liberal government over feudal forms." Let our college classes and women's clubs. even if our leqiss lators are too busy. study Channing‘ s mightv delirerances. Clear With argument and hot with righteous indignation: llenry fieorgfs "Law of Human l'rog'ress." Chapter Hf. lloolt X, in is ,1 regress and Poverty? Charles Sumner's "True Grandeur of l\ations. John Fishes "Destiny of Mam" let us not forget none too good for earth. As for myself, I would say, call me traitor, let sect, party and country disown me, only so that in some way I may deserve the right to the title of "philanthropist," the lover of man, and I will lie content. l will still he a humble member of the church of Abou lien Adam. a citizen of the world, a voter in the federa- 7 im mum when |
