Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-03-02
rae MORALITY AND USES OF WAR AND OF
PEACE
BIZ GKo FI1zHUGH .


That war is an evil and peace good has ever been
the almost universal opinion of mankind. The very
few who have dissenttd from this doctrine, and main
tanned that war evil but necessary, useful and
healthluI condition of social existence, have given
satisfactory or their opinions Yet If wars be
evils their universal Ir.vaence Is strong argument
against the belief in benevolent Deity. who made man
and controls bis destiny and is EQUALLY at variance with
faith il natural and revealed rlgion If be evs
oae might well maintain that Satan had deihroned the
Almighty and kept mankind the noblest and favorite
creation Of God embroled in frequent and continually
recurring wars in order to gu and saAte his cruel APP
petits for revenge. IL BIS wrongful then is the
Christian God false God; for he has declared himself
to bs he God of Battles" counseled and directed his
chosen people to engage in long wars of conquest and
selected as his favorites great warriors, such as Noses
and Joshua aud David the last of whom, the greatest
of AL Jewish chieftans was man, told latter
Gods own heart" He suppanted Saul in the affections
o. his couutrymen and the favor of Deity, because no
WAS greater chisftaia, had slain Goliath; and whilst
Saul had slain bis thousands, he, David, had slain bis
tens of thousands passionate fondness for war has
dtr gushed all great good and prosperous nations in
all ages and in all clmes. Yet all men denounce war
as gteAL evil, pOAOo No biOes B0~e' @]N"
shall We reconcile this Inconsistency between mems pro-
fessions and actions How reconcile with faith in
natural or revealed relgiOn' Can the Bible be true If
war be wrongfui To these questions no satisfactory
answer or solution has yet been given. We think that
very simple ineligible and satisfactory one may TO
given. Thus: Tne world, moral and physical human,
an NAL physical and inert IL governed and sustained by
1tiuomes by opposing yet concurrent forces Every
thing is evil in ITSELF evil in the abstract evil in excess
Everything good when duly balanced, propOrtOned or
adnixed. Peace and war antinomes. Peace dis
inep,ates society," iselaes and indviduazes men, be-
ne : competitions rivares, hatreds antagonists, uni
9ersal and intense sefshr ess. War correcs these
avis xss and consoIdates society, beges human love
and brotherhood. equalA human conditions, makes
men love one another cause they feel their depend
enc suspends for the time, all selfish feelings eeges
lib raly generosity and se-sacihce; IN hne, brings
into lively aciio the feeling of patriotism the nobest
of human feelings because the least selfish and the
most sefeacri6cing Patriotism, love of country, is
the strong est exhibition of love OF our elloW-beingsi
the most perfect ul6lment of the great and leading n-
tiunction of Chrstaniy-"LoVe thy neighbor as thy
self Ia time of war most men are ready TO sacrnce
their lives and fortunes to advance the We-oelng OF
their ne ghbor; for to die for ones country - 70
for ones eghbors. IL is our feoW-citizens, not
soil We nhabit that constitutes our country f-- %
Society with US has become compact, living sem
tent being Men are It's limbs or members and are ss
ntms tey related to each other and as dependent on
one ssoher as the arms the legs and the head are on