The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-10-03
"a Great Opportunity

ga Great Opportunity"
With very great satisfaction I cut
the following excellent article from the
New York Christian Union, of the
21st of June. It is from the pen of the
editor, DR.. Lyman Abbott, a Congre-
gational minister, and one of the oldest
and most eminent of American clergy
men at the present time.
Let all ministers and all editors all
over Christendom speak out strongly,
boldly, lovingly, and preseveringly for
Peace and Arbitration-Pedce and Ar-
.bitratio1 dlaOays and everywhere. Var
never and no1Uhere!
Oh, how can any patriot, any phi
lanthropist, and above all, how can any
Christian who has any regard for the
teachings of our Savior in His great
Peace Sermon on the Mount, be indif-
ferent to the cause of Peace2 ]. Il.
A GREAT OPPORTUNITY.
The United States Senate, which
has bred many statesman Of the first
order and set it's seal on many acts of
the highest craftsmanship, has done
nothing nobler in its history than the
passage last week of resolution au-
thorizing the president to enter into
negotiations with all foreign powers for
the settlement of all international dis
putes by arbitration. This action Is
an expression of the country's noblest
self, and, if it shall take practical form,
will mark great advance toward that
leadership in civilization which is the
great opportunity of the nation. We
have been content for the most part to
do our duty to our own citizens; we
have rarely risen to our opportunities
to lead society on toward a purer and
higher development. A people. cannot
be really great which does not play a
great part in the general work Of the
world; which does not make its power
and influence felt by action of world
wide significance. The great powers,
as they have come one by one to the
front, have striven to do this by force;
the army has been the messenger.
which has carried national and racial
aspiration and ambition to their fulfil
ment in achievement. The result Is
clear in record of antagonism and
struggle which has often made history
a prolonged and heart.breaking trage-
dy; it Is clear to-day in the spectacle
of civilized Europe vast camp, drain
ing the resources of a continent to the
uttermost, and imposing burdens which
are fast becoming too heavy to be
borne. Side by side. with venerable
churches, with ancient seats of learn
ing, with accumulated treasurers of art.
and scholarship, are great military
posts, massive Notifications, vast en-
campments, the whole armory and en-
ginery of war. This is the most terri
Bile enigma of history-this strange
and hideous blending of civilization
and barbarism this unnatural alliance
of Christianity and paganism. For al
most two thousand years the European
world has worshiped one who came to
write the law of love in all hearts and
to put men under the bonds of per-
petual peace; but the worshipers have
praised peace armed for war; they
have proclaimed the gospel of love
with the blare of trumpets and the
thunder Of cannon.
From this brutal competition we
have been saved by our remoteness.
We are entangled by no alliances,
bound by no traditions, endangered
by no antagonisms, handicapped by no
great military establishments. Wea
lovers of peace, although we have
shown great capacity for the asts of
war; we are so strong, so free, so for
tunately circumstanceed, that, with
small risk to ourselves, we can take the
lead in a movement which would do
more for common happines and for
the highest interests of fcivilization than
any other that could be inaugurated.
We are in position to serve civiliza-
ton as no other nation by single
action has been able to serve it. The
spectacle of nation employing physi-
cal force to settle disputes is as absurd
as would be the spectacle Of private
persons settling difficulties and differ
ences by the arts of the pugilist. That
method of adjusting differences Of
opinion or conflicting claims has been
relegated to the barbarism which ante
dated the organization of civilized So
ciety and of the courts of justice.
There is, nevertheless, as much ration
ality in this method Of settling personal
disputes as in TIE employment of
armies to settle differences between
so-called civilized nations. War has
become something worse than an alb
surdity it hasihecome a crime. The
waste and horror of it have become
infn1ara lilo