Ypsilanti sentinel. [volume] (Ypsilanti, Washtenaw Co., Mich.) 1843-1900, 1845-12-10
From the Columbian Magazine for December.
THE BEAUTY OF PEACE
ny L. MARIA Chill

| WILL you pardon me courteous reader, if 10
stead, of story, give you something more lk,
a sermon IL you ask why | suppose il will no
suit you as WELL may answer playfully in tn,
language ofo!d DR.. Mayhem of Boston, who some
tunes INDUCED in vein of pleasantly not usua
with cergymen in his Purtanic times. Being
asked what was the reason that the Council O
Bishops voted the Song of Solomon into the b
BILE and the Wisdom of Solomon out, he replied
"Indeed cannot tell except that mankind have
always preferred Sings to WISDOM"
i Moreover, you may listen more colby to the
advocacy of peace principles than to other wist
words because few protesting to believe The
Christian religion venture TO deny their truth
while at the same time all agree in giving them
a sort of moonlight reputation, will o. the wisr
foundation as beautiful but impractibIe theories
But cannot help feeling strong hope.amoanling
TO faith, that the world will be at last redeemed
from the fIightful vortex of sin and misery, into
which it has been drawn by the prevailing Law
of Force. Aud surely il is MISSION worth v.
ing for, il can give the least aid in convincing
n ankind that The Christian doctrine of overcoming
evil with with good is not merely beautiful sen.
timeDt as becoming to the religious soul as are
pearls to the maiden's bosom, bit that ii is really
The highest reason, the bravest nanness, the mos.
comsrehensive philosophy the wIsest political econ
omv. --
The amount Of proof that it is So seems abun.
dant enough TO warrant the belief that practical
adoption Of peace principles would be alpays safe
even with the most savage men, and under the
most desperate circumstances provided there was
a chance to have It distinctly understood ina, such
course was not based On cowardIce, but on prin.
cipe.
When Capt. Back wen,to the Polar Regions,
10 search of his friend Capt. Ross. he fell in with
baud Of Esquimaux. who had never seen white
man, The chief raised his spear to hur il at the
strangers head but when Capt. Back approach
ed calmly and unarmed, the spear dropped, and
the rude savage gladly welcomed the brother man
who had trusted MIN. Had Capt Back adopted
the usual maxm that il is necessary TO carry
arms in such emergencies, he would probably
have occasoned his own death, and that of his
companions.
Raymond, iI his Travels. says: "The assassin
has been nv guide in the de6les of Italy the SNUG.
sler Of the Pyrenees has received me with well
come in his secret paths. Armed, should have
been the enemy Of both unarmed, they have a.
like respected nae. In such expectation. have
long since laid aside all meDacing apparatus what
ever. Arms may indeed be employed against wild
boasts but men should never forget that they are
no defence against the traitor. They
,nayi rritate the wicked and intimidae the simple.
The man Of peace has much more sacred defence
his character"
Perhaps the severest test to which the peace
principles were ever put, was in lrelaad, during
The memorable rebellion of 179s. During that
terrible conhlci,the Irish Quakers were continual
Iy between two fires. The Protestant party vie W.
ed ,hetn with suspicion and dislike because they
refused to fight. to pay military taxes; and the
fierce multitude of insurgents deemed it sufficient
cause of dea III, that they would neither profess be.
lief in the Catholic religion nor help them fight
for Irish freedom. Victory aiternated between
the two contending parties, and as usual in civil
war, the victors made almost indscriminate havoc
of those who did not march under their banners.
1t was perous time for all men but the Qua
kers alone were liable 10 a raking FIRE from both
sides. Foreseeing calamity, they had.nearly two
years before the war broke out, publicly destroyed
all their guns, and other weapons used for game.
But this pledge Of pacific intentions was not suffi-
cient to satisfy the government. which required
warlike assistance al their hands. Threats and
insults were heaped upon them from all quarters
but they s,eadfastIy adhered 10 their resolution of
dong good to both parties and harm to neither
Their houses were filled with widows and orphans
Win tne SICK, Tue WOuHucO duu TIE ny ttlS UeOnS-
ing both to the loyasts and the rebels. Some>
times when toe Catholic insurgents were vic,ori.
Gus, they would be greatly enraged to find Quaker
houses filled with Protestant families. They would
point their pistols, and threaten death if their enc.
mies were not Immediately turned into the street,
to be massacred. But the pistol dropped, When
when the christian mildly replied, "Frend. do
what thou will, will not harm thee, or any OH
er human being" Not even amid the savage
ferceDess ofcivil war, could men fire al one who
spoke such words as these. They saw that this
was not cowardice but bravery much higher than
On one occasion AN isargent threatened to burn
down Quaker house, unless the owner expelled |
The Protestant women and chicren. who had taken |
refuge there, 81 cannot help it," replied the
F.iend: $50 long as have house, will keep
il open ID succor the helpless and the distressed,
whether they belong to thy ranks or to ;hsse on I
hine enelues. II my house is burned, mus, be !
urned on, with them, and share their afflctioo."
The fighter turned away and did the Christian
no harm. - se 49,
The Protestant party seized the Quaker school