The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-06-24
ArchdcacOn Mackay.Smith on the.
Peace Testimony. Tsf1

EDS. CHRISTIAN STATESMAN The
kilograms from the Far West are tell
ing us of the appearance among the
Indians of one who, it is said, claims
to be the Messiah, and who, in rebuk-
ing evils, says that there should be no.
fighting, and that the Indians must
cease from it. The query has often
been raised, what, would the Prince
of Peace say, were He to come sudden-
ly to His heritage, and find whole ma
tions, calling themselves by His name,
armed to the teeth and ready to fall
upon each other at the word of COM
mand? Would He not instantly pro-:
nounce His "Woe unto you ~ Would
He not deem that defence very "re-
fuge of lies" which should strive to-
stay His righteous wrath by the sorry
plea that because q nation had voted.
more muskets, more cannon, more
coast defences, more war ships, there
remained naught for us to do but to
pursue the same fateful course of arm-
ing and suspicion
Alexander Mackay Smith said some
very true words upon this subject lin
the columns of the ILLUSTRATED Chris
tian Weekly") when the subject of
putting ourselves in better fighting
trim was mooted in Congress a few
months ago. AS it is not often that
we find pronounced churchman re-
inforcing the Friends in their testi-
meny against war, it may be profita-
BILE to hear the Archdeacon's conclud-
ing sentences:
II am we'll aware" he says, "that in
arguing thus shall not carry the CON-
victions of many of my readers with
me. Be it so. / am content to take
my stand with the old monk, Alci-
blades, who ventured to denounce the
games in the Roman arena, only to be-
sacrificed between the combatants he
appealed to. But the brutal combats
ceased. I no more expect to effect his
result, than I have offered his sacrifice.
But am confident that if the thought
full Christian reader will consider well
the aspect of the case 1 have pre-
sented, he may occupy my position q
few months hence. ] know, of course,
what can be said against it. 1t Is "a
mean spirited" policy. 1t is "un-.
worthy a great nation, chimerical and
absurd to the astdegree." "We should
sink into a position of contempt, and
be at the mercy of any third rate ma
ton. The millennium has not yet ar
rived" To all this my answer simply
is, that I ask my reader to get out of
the conventional way of viewing such
matters, and try to look at the ques-
ton from fresher standpoint. Isym-
pathize with him to certain extent
But have come to believe that unless
our Christianity means q polite pagan
ism, the time has been reached when
must begin to preach O new and betrss
ter way of handling people and things
than that which has satisfied the 80
called Christian world for eighteen
centuries. And if our Americanism
means anything new and. true 1t will
carry us beyond this mere copying of
other nations in all our opinions.
Must we march because Europe whis-i
ties? Has not Providence placed our
country in position to refuse to emu
lase those nations which are constant
ly provoking one another, and chal-
lenging each other by these costly
armaments? Do they not tempt US
into such a brusque and offensive atti.
tude in all international difficulties as
tends to bring on wars, and illustrates
the DEVILS way Of looking at things,
rather than the Christian way2 And
in arguing against these weapons OF
war, does the natural man (and I, as
much as others, since my own spirit
is combative rather than peacefully do
we not all, have to make an effort to:
conquer passions, which we are con-
scious are largely those of the savage,
while we acquire a temper which we
are just as conscious is that of God
rather than of the eunregenerate manT'
JOSIAH w. LEEDS. 5.