Richmond palladium., 1847-06-22

requests Us to publish it, and cheerfully com
py.l-Jr. Ed.
An Address to the society Of Friends, on
the subject Of War.
nv DEAR FRIESDs:-Suffer old man, in the
spirit Of charity and frie ndstip, address you
ON very serious and important subject tru-
ly and sincerely call you friends. and admire
and praise you for many things. AS denomi-
nation, esteem you industrious, honest and
charitable citizens. Your exemplary benevo-
lsnce and charity above all praise. In par
ticular, your late ibe raty for the relief Of the
suffering people of Ireland, is a bright example
and shining light before men. Indeed, it ap-
pears to mo, that it is excessive charity, or
rather q mistaken view OF the law Of love that
leads you wrong the subject Of War. Every
good man is governed in his actions by pure and
benevolent motives. The honest and sincere Qua.
ker, who believes that military power is lncom-
Patble with the precepts OF the gospel, which
enjoin universal love, even TO enemies his con-
science will not allow him to do any military
service. But another good man equity honest
and sincere, believes, that good government
sustained by military power. s necessary for the
protection and happiness Of society; and with a
good conscience, and with tho most pure and
benevolent motives, he believes it his duty as n
citizen and Christian, to submit to every ordi
nance Of man, in the defence of his country
Now surely it is very unjust and uncharitabe,
to class such pure minded patriot with mali
cious murdcrers! Gen. w Washington is universal
ly esteemed as great and good man. His great
mind was as full Of charity and benevoence, as
was the mind of William Penn: and in public
virtue, in tho opinion Of many, he far exceed
that ilustrious Quaker. He offered his life for
his friends, and encountered the dreadful dam
gers Of war. in defence Of the lives and liberties
Of the people. The malicious murderer seeks
to destroy mems lives; but Washington exposed
his own life to protect and save mems lives ana
not destroy them.
You believe in the utility and necessity of
civil government; but are opposed to the military
department. But what could a civil government
do without military power to sustain it? y
law without penalty would be but mere coun
sci, or advice; and without power TO enforce +
tho penalty, the law would be equally void. A 7
civil court would be impotent and useless, with I
out power to bring offenders to justice. Our
Savior himself recognized the propriety and
cessity Of such coercive power. He reasoned /
that a military band, armed with swords and |
clubs, might be necessary end proper to appre
hend thief or robbcr, but not him who never
resisted or violated the laws. And again he said,
al my kingdom Of this world then would
my servants fight" This plainly implies, that
government Of this world must have a military
force He rebuked Peter for using the sword
because il was unlawful to resist the constituted
authorities; or the powers that be. The
why we are forbidden to avenge ourselves is,
that vengeance belongs TO God; and he has auth
orized government with authority and power to
avcnge wrongs. ST. Paul calls civil ruler
the minister Of God, TO execute justice; and he
says, che beareth the sword in vain' So
any one that used the sword un!awfuly, in resis-
ting the public authority in danger of the
sword of Justice in the rulers hands. Accord
ing to the gospel it is the duty Of the Christian
TO honor and obey the constituted authorities of ,
the church and State. "Obey them that have
the rule over you,'' evidently means the judica-
every soul be subject TO the higher powers" evil
IDENTIFY means to be in subsection to the political
institutions of our country.
If the apostles, and their successors in the
Christian ministry had taught .ha: the gospel
prohibited military service and the profession of
arms, it seems very strange that have no ac- :
count Of il in history, sacred of profane But
according to all history, the is true When
the soldiers to John the Baptist, enquiriug
what they should do he told them to ..do violence
10 man, and be content with their wages. II is
The duty and business of a soldier to prevent and
suppress violence, and not commit it. And this
BURNING and shining light surely esteemed the
military service a lawful employment; for he
could not counsel then, TO be coutentcd with the
wages of iniquity. When Cornelius the Cen
turian converted. have account OF him
his office, being required TO leave
his military profession. And St. Paul was so far
from condemnng military power, that we read
of him availing himself of military guard of
three hundred horsemen, TO protect him from
combination of his malicious enemies. And
vhe n he cnumerates the heinous sins which ex-
.lude from the kingdom of Heaven. we
hing about military service in the black cata-
oguc of crimes In the first ages of Christianity
We read Of many councils being called, 10 settle
which continually arose. and to
maintain the unity and harmony of the universal :
church; but read of controversy about the
awfulness of military power which existed in
.vory government. II any of these Christian
councils had published decree. condemning $
military power, and calling the rulers of their c
country murGerers and robbers like some of the c
circulars of the Society of Friends. what an out |