Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1838-02-14
PEACE.-.No. XIII.
The Principles OF Peace intelHgible and
- &c.. " DracticaI. Il

&, 80 = = PEACEs.-No. XIII.
| The Principles OF Peace intelHsible and
| 49,. practical. i
You see on what points the friends OF
peace are agreed. do not pretend that
4they think perfectly alike on every one O:
the particulars aforementioned; fer such
coincidence can be found on no subject
whatever. Nor do / mean that no person
| professedly favorable to our cause, dissents
from any of these views; for every body
would tain be thought friendly to peace,
just as the sleek wine-bibber-eyen the
man who drinks his quart of rum day
without tunlbling into the gutter, deems
himself temperate, and would be very
glad to promote temperance in judicious
way For such persons l cannot speak;
but the, intelligent, active friends of peace
hold, without essential variation, the prin-
ciplesI have stated. %
These principles seem to me sufficient
ly inteiAgibte. When WEI assert, that
war IS In every case offensive to God, and
cannot exist without deep guilt on both
sides that the gospel, as the rule of con-
duct for all mankind, ought to regulate
the intercourse alike of individuals and
nations that war for any purpose except
the defence of life, if not in this case too,
is onl va mass of sin; that even such wars
can never be justified unless all other pos
! sible expedients have been tried in vain !;
that the entire war-sVstem of Chrstendom,
founded IN violence and guilt, is unwise
and wicked that all the causes of war
ought to be removed, and specific means
employed for the universal prevalence of
peace : we cannot help thinking these po-
s;tions to be as clear and definite as the
principles which lie at the foundation of
any other reform.
1t is easy to crtIcise these statements,
but not more so than it would be to find
fault with the positions taken in the cause
of temperance itself | could perpIex its
advocates with multitude of difficulties !;
they have of late met not few even from
their protested friends; and the main rea-
son why the cause has not from the first
dragged in the mire of similar objections,
is found in the fact of its having foated
upon tide of popularity which carried it
ooer such obstacles without touching them.
Let Minister'S and judges, and lawyers. &
physicians, and merchants, and teachers,
and Christians, all come up in solid pha-
lanx to the cause of peace, as they did to
!, that of temperance; and nine -tenths of the
objections over which people are now halt
ing, would no longer be needed, or even
thought of.
r We are confident, too, that our princi.
2 pies can and should be carried into prac
; tice Point us to single one that is no
2 practical. Is there no practical power in
the positions, that God looks upon every
war as a tissue of sin; that no war even
in defence of life can be justified on any
ground, until every other expedient has
: been faithfully tried in vain =; that the war
: system of Chrlstendom is utterly wrong
that specific, vigorous efforts ought to be
made for the extinction of this custom
Take one of our principles which NAV
seem the most vague Of them all, and see
if the idea that the gospel should. regulate
/, the intercourse of nations, as we'll as 0
Z individuals, will not be found sufficiently
practical. How does the gospel require
us to treat each other? If we are com
= manded to " live peaceably with all men
and follow after The things which max,
for peace, and do unto others as we would
u they should do unto US, and love our enc
a mics, and never avenge ourselves, bn
e overcome evil with good" would not suct
= principles, if applied to nations, put an en(
n to war at once, and forever?
There is work enough, then, for tn
friends of peace in carrying into effect tn
q principles which they hold in common
IS and confess | see not how any Christ
i ian, phiIanthropist or patriot can consis
" tently withhold his efforts from such
70 cause. While war is butchering its thou
sands, wasting it's millions OF money, an
u preying upon the dearest interests of man
Il kind for time and eternity, it is worse thai
folly to stand with folded arms, and scow1
IS ing brow, picking flaws in our principle
or our measures. DO something. Do
J. in your own way, if you will but onl
DO something for the removal of this tel
r rible scourge; and we will excuse FEY
u errors both in your theory and your pra'
he tice. If your views outstrip our own, sto
lie not to quarrel with US, but push on tow
re ards the goal at which we both are aim
lie ing. If you think we go too far, the
10 come up to yovr Darn principles and carr
. them into effect in advancing our commo
:, +cause. Follow TIE light you have, an
Ill look UP to God for more, with full detel
re mination to go whi:hersoever he ma
s. lead.-A Director of the Am. Peace So
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