The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-04-10
Extracts from the Christian NGighb0r. ?
What Part had God and what Part
had Men In the late Samoan
OF

Disaster
1t is probable that the storm would
have come as 1t did if there had been
no ships or other vessels in the har-
bor: or if the vessels had been man
ned with missionaries and laden with
Bibles. This much God did, or per-
mitted to come to pass according to the
laws which govern in the realm of
matter under curse on account OF sin,
as is the case with this world.
The presence of warships with their
crews and officers was the will and
work of men-moral agents. They
were there of their own accord or by
previously and voluntarily assumed
obligations. They might have been
elsewhere had they so chosen. The
men and means were there through
human agency, and the storm was
there in the course of natural laws.
What brought or who sent these
ships and men to Samoa? They were
the representatives or agents of the
three most enlightened nations of the
world-so it may be said that England,
Germany and the United States were
present in the persons of their respec-
tive representatives. Before and since
the disaster the attention Of these
three nations with that OF their neigh
bors has been centered on Samoa and
the Notwithstanding to see what
would take place.
The lack of keeping faith and the
oppression of the natives of the islands
by the Germans is accepted generally,
we think, in the United States as the
reason for the men-of-war from Eng
land and America casting anchor in
Samoan waters.
How far these charges against Ger
many or rather against resident avari-
cious Germans who may have misrep-
resented Fader-land, the English and
Americans on the ground or on the
water, with the Samoans know best.
The approaching Conference in Ber-
lin, it is hoped, will result in sound,
peaceful and lasting understanding be-
tween the three governments concern
ed, and also in the restoration of JUS
tice, order and peace throughout the
Samoan Islands. All this can be done
if wisdom be permitted to forestall the
weapons of war.
But to return to the threatening atti-
tude of the men-of-war in the harbor
of Samoa, March Is. 1.-THE Lord who
hath his way in the whirlwind, and in
the storm and the dust of whose feet
are the Clouds" (Nahum) seemed, in
the disaster, to say to these intelligent
and professedly Christian govern
ments, "Your men-of-war is not the
way for Christian nations to settle this
or any other dispute, and, since you
force me to the rough manner of de-
Gliding questions, I will take you on
your own grounds but, taking sides
with none but against any and all
who resort to carnal weapons to settle
disputes, I will 'rebuke' your warlike
movements with a storm, even as l
did once break the ships of Tarshish
with an East wind,' that you may set
tie your quarrels, if not on the high
ground of Christianity, then by arbi-
tration." AS Paul delivered the incor-
rigible Hymeneus and Alexander unto
Satan that they might learn not to
blaspheme, so the Lord delivers war
ring nations over to Satan or to each
other that they may learn at heavy
cost of blood and treasure that wisdom
is better than weapons of war.