The Indianapolis journal., 1891-10-18
THE PRESIDENTS ADDRESS.
International Arbitration Desirable but No
Always POssible-Church Unity.


q few minutes. and then the small door
to the right of the pulpit opened and the
President entered. accompanied by Rev.
DR.. Corey. Everybody in the church rose
to their feet and there was an outburst of
applause as the President assembled to the
platform and was presented to the chair.
man, who in turn announced: II have the
honor of presenting Benjamin Harrison.
President of the United States of America"
Another burst of applause followed. and
when this had died away the President,
stepping forward. said:
Mr.. Chairman and Gentlemen OF the Confer
ence-I came here this morning to make an ex-
preston OF my respect and esteem lor TINS great
tries or tho world. and much more to give man.
Hesitation of my respect and love for that greater
body of Christian men and women for whom you
stand. [Applausel. Every ecumenical confer
ence is a distinct step IN the direction, not only
Of the uniflcation of the church, but OF the uni
tries unikeiln their civil institutions. their church
not wholly in accord as TO doctrine and
church order, you come together TO lind
that the unlikeliness is not so great as you had
thought lcries of Hear. hear" from the En-
giish delegatesl, and to find this common SYM
pathy and common purpose greater and larger
than you had thought-large enough presently
TO oyerspread aud eXtinguish all those tran
STORY LESSONS and divisions. [Applause.l l am
glaQ 10 KNOW tllat, as the IOllOWefs OF wesley,
whose hymns we sing, you have been in consul
tatiOn as to the method and time when these
minor divisions among you may be oDllterated;
be wiped out before the grand divisions or the
church can be united.
Who does not greatly rejoice that the contro-
yersial clash Of the churches Is less than II once
was, that we hear more Of the work OF the Mas
ter and His teachings of love and duty than OK
hair-splltting and theological dissensionsi re-
call many years ago, while visiting watering
place In Wisconsin, that when the Sabbath came
around went with some friends TO little Meth
Odist church In an adjoining village. The preach
er undertook to Overturn my Presby ytertanism
laughter, and an irreverent friend who sat be-
side me rs the young man delivered his telling
blasts against Calyinism was constantly empha-
sizing the points made by nudges of his elbow:
am glad 10 recall that, although since then
have worshiped ia Methodist churches, that was
the last experience OF that kind have had.
I"Hear, hear"
You have to-day as the theme of discussion the
subject OF international arbitration, and TINS be-
ing public and enlarged use of the word, per-
haps makes my presence here as an officer OF the
United Statos especially appropriate. 1t is @
me some days ago, and before was aware of the
theme of the occasion which We have here this
morning-I had appointed this morning to visit
the great gun foundry OF the United states at
the navy yard. Things have come Ill their proper
sequence. am here at this arbitration meeting
before go TO the gun foundry.
LIMITATIONS TO ARBITRATION.
This subject is one which has long attracted
the attention, and Il ink may say as greatly
attracted the interest and adherence OF the
United States as of any other Christian power in
the world iApplausel 1t is known to you all
that in the recent conference OF the AD Derican
States at Washington the proposition %as dis
tinctly made and adopted by the representatives
or all, or nearly all, of the governments repre-
sented, that as applied to this hemisphere all
international disputes should be settled by arb-
tration. [Applausc.l or course there are limita-
0ni the gs in ds ns Of aatpsen Ass
Of such such scheme II is quite possible
boundary line; IL Is quito impossible, it seems TO
me. to apply it to a case OF international feud.
IT there Is present disposition to subjugate. an
aggressive spirit TO seize territory. a spirit Of
national ACKNOWLEDGMENT that does not stop to
consider the rights of other men and other peo-
ple-to suoh case and to such spirit the ma
tional arbitration has no. or If any, remote and
ment. manifesting itself in the nation. to remove
forever such causes OF dispute, and then what
remains Will be an easy subject OF adjustment
But had not intended to enter into a discus
sion of this great theme for the setting forth Of
which you have appointed those who have given
it special attention. Let me, therefore, say sim
ply this: That for myself. temporarily In place
of influence In this country, and much more for
the great body OF Its citizenship. to express the
desire OF America for peace with the whole
world. Applause. 1t would have been vain to
suggest the pulling down Of block houses or fam
y hSse hnsan ironer They woSa
have told sou rightly that the conditions were
not ripe. And so 1t may be and is probably
not presently possible, the devil still being un-
chained. lLaughterl We Will still have our gun
foundries, and probably Will best promote the
settlement OF International disputes by arbitra-
tiOn by having 1t understood that If the appeal
is to fercer tribunal we shall not be out OF tho
T1hera "a q fnnitv Of tho cburch and of buma nitv
and the lines OF progress are the same. 1t is by
this great Christian sentiment, characterized
not only BY @ high sense OF justice but oy
civil institutions ana governments OF the world,
that we shall approach universal peace and
adopt arbitration methods OF settling disputes.
Let meyath ank you, Mr.. Chairman, and you
gentlemen of this conference, for the privilege Of
moat cordial welcome which you have given to
me. beg to express again my high appreciation
OF the character OF these delegates and Of the
come, and to wish that in your remaining de-
liberatiOns and II your Journeys to fardistant
homes you may have the guidance and care or
that God whom we all revere. Applause.l
As the President concluded and passed
ont of the church the entire conference rose
and applauded his remarks.
VIEWS OF DELEGATES.
The first appointed address OF the morn.
ing session was delivered by Representative
J. ID. Taylor. of Ohio. The history of the
world. he said, was but the history of war
war of conquest. war for revenge. 1t was
brute force Blk thousand years ago. and it
Is brute force now. The practical question
Is, what can be donef In this country the
States are prevented from going to war
with each other by written agreement,
called the Constitution of the United
States. in which it is provided that every
disagreement between the States shall be
settled by the decision of the Supreme
Court. What objection can the other ma
tIons of the earth have TO some such method
of arbitrationf
The next speaker was Rev. Enoch Salt,
of the Wesleyan NJ. f. Church, London.
He said the initiative and the longest step
tion had been taken in the United States
and as an Englishman he was bound to ad-
nit that in this respect England W As at
least twenty years behind this country.
The signs OF the times In Europe are por-
tentous. Everywhere are there prepara-
tions for war and no one could predict its
outcome. The war spirit is an arch enemy
of Christ. Let us. he said in conclusion,
do our utmost to bring about tho sweet
time of universal peace of which Lowell
and Longfellow sang.
Bishop Newman, of Nebraska, said that
not until the spirit of Christ is the ruling
war He hoped that high supreme court
would some day be established before
which could be adjudicated all the differ
ences of tho nations of the world. He
thought. however. that until that time
should come the nations would do well to