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Show 5., t zoo 291 may often have diverse interests and antagonistic opinions. The political machinery is built for the settlement of all differences according to forms of justice which are alike in all parts of the country. Yet these peaceful and prosperous relations have not been secured by any direct agreement between the states indi- vidually. Our .own Illinois has no industrial or political treaty with témrt Texas. nor even with Indiana. Massachusetts has not carried fire and sword into South Carolina in order to invest her capital there in cotton manufactures. New Hampshire (lid not desolate the plains of Kansas with the smoke of burningr homes and the slaughter of innocent women and children in order to secure the saiety of her investment in western farm mortgages. Such disorders cannot take place because the states must recognize the superiority of the Union. Nations have today reached virtually the same point in an organization for the amicable adjustment of their differences that the American colonies had reached when they formed the Con- federation. There exists at The Hague a tribunal, composed of the best statesmanship of the entire civilized world, whose pur- pose is to prevent war and secure international justice through parliamentary action. Yet. regardless of the fact that this court has already substantially proven its efficiency, nations carry on, with undiminished zeal, stupendous preparations for war in times of peace. Thus we are forced to ask ourselves the question, Is national prejudice now a hindrance to international peace, as local prejudice was detrimental to national peace in America one hundred and twenty years ago? There is but one answer. This old world is a battlefield strewn with the wrecks of creeds and of theories, of governments and institutions. all because men would not conform to the divine law of the brotherhood of man and the fatherhood of God. War, with its enormous consumption of money and property, its waste of human energy, genius and brains, and its long: trains of broken ambitions. broken hopes and broken hearts, is difficult to vindicate. It is the destroyer of commerce. the ruination of morality and the condemner of God. It has done more to defeat justice than any other form of sin this world has ever known. arbitration? \Varfiattempting to degrade humanity? Arbitra- tiongstrivin;r to uplift humanity? W'ar-brute force and destruction? Arbitration~rcason and construction? war-ignorance and disrespect for the law of God? Arbitration-intelligence and reverence for the teachings of the Prince of Peace? The contest between these two radically antagonistic principles grows more intense as the days go by. Let us be assured that the millennium for which we plead can only come through the principles of inter- national justice and love secured only by the elimination of inter- national prejudices. Through a blood-soaked history of international afflictions comes the long. clear call for indemnification. Which shall it be, war or Therefore, if war is to be eradicated. we, the common people, who bear the brunt of battle, must resolve first to conquer the pride and passion in our own lives, for these are the two great war~niakers. Secondly, we must employ every means at our command as Citizens of this country to secure the extermination of international prejudice by an application to the nations of the world of America's example as a peaceful and prosperous republic. Aphoristic Emerson said. ":\s goes America, so goes the world." It was prophesied, at the time of the modern extension of printing, that this nation would become the seat of the most universal education and intelligence. This became true. When the Bible. was unchained, and man was brought face to face with his Maker for the settlement of the great issues of lite and eternity. it was said that this nation would be the home of the most universal religion. and that has become trite. Now it seems that it any people are obligated by efficiency to lead in the perfec~ Lion of this great organization for the obliteratitm of war. it is we of the United States. There are many conditions that fervently call us to this mis- sion, but only three may be mentioned here. l'iirst, we stand. by the very composition of our people. as the conciliator of the great races, making it therefore lIUI)H\.\ll)lC for us to wage war against any people lest we do so against ourselves. Secondly, no other nation is so familiar with the process of federation and its diffi~ culties as we. Consider what a task it was to suece st'ully federate the original thirteen states. More than once the Constitutional Convention of 1787 was almost rent asunder because of the preju« dices which animated its constituency. How much greater then must be the attempt to harmonize the relations of the titty nations WIMH MnLL‘fyi \" i |