The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-01-03
ORIGIN OF PEACE SOCIETIES.
and Purposes Of Their
o Formation.
1H lR E. DARBY.

Formation.
lY1R E. DARBY.
A Paper read at the Chicago Peace Con-
gress, 1881
eThe finger of God in history"
AS Bunsen expresses it, the presence
of Divine agent active in human
affairs and prompting and directing
human thoughts and purposes, IS
singularly illustrated in the origin OF
the earliest Peace Societies.
In no other way can the fact be ad-
enuately accounted for, that within a
period of ten months, at the beginning
of the present century, four distinct
organisations came into existence, in
REGIONS far distant from each other, IN
deed in different hemispheres,. .emoody,,
ing the same conceptions, aims, anu
; purposes, without any communication
with each other, and, so far as can be
ascertained, wholly unconscious OF each
Others existence, and without the
knowledge that any other Peace 50
ciety had been contemplated,
The modern Peace movement had
birth as have the rivers Of this great
Continent. The rain and dew OF
Divine suggestion fell, simultaneously,
on both sides of the Atlantic, and con-
densed into distinct organisation and
effort, into streams which are still
fresh and vigorous and which, mingled
with later-born streams of effort and
influence, form the Universal Peace
Congresses of to-day.
1t will be my purpose to trace briefly
the rise and flow of these various
streams.
Two lines of Divine suggestion are
distinctly traceable, at the beginning
of the century, in England and Amer
lea, which though very similar, 1act
80 like each other as to be almost lden-
tical, were yet distinct, and wholly. In
dependent. The idea had its origlna-
ton in the human side Of things. 1t
had also its human embodiments and
exponements, of course; and when
once the sentiment had been awaken
ed, the pressure of personal conviction
and the need for concerted action did
the rest. None the less was 1t divine
in its inception and developement.
The long European war, descrloeu
by Lord Russell as 1.-The most bloody
hostiIities that ever mangled the lace
of Europe" had directed the attention
of thoughtful public men to the real
nature of war and the attitude towards
it of the Christian Churches. And the
war of 18l2.]Sl4, between Americaand
the Mother Country, quickened a
similar sentiment Oh this side the At
lantic, and brought the leading think
ers of both nations, themselves alto.
gether unconscious of the fact. into full
accord with each other. DIR. Charming,
and DR.. Noah Worcester in America,
DR.. Chalmers, David Bogue and
others in Great Britain, were advoca-
ting the same principles and purposes
without any concert whatever, and in
total ignorance of each other and OF
the extent of that Peace sentiment
springing up around them, which was
shortly to crystalline into distinct and
visible forms.
This Divine origin of the movement
is the more distinctly seen as it is stud
led in detail, and the fact transpires,
that those who were originating the
movement in various districts of tn
same land were ignorant of what each
other were attempting, and fondly
fancied that their own efforts were the
first of the Kind. Thus, the twenty
persons who organised the New York
Peace Society, "did not know that any
other Peace Society had been contem-
plated,'; and. barely three months
later, the Ohio Peace Society was
the first of the kind" So with the
Others. They obeyed the secret sug-
gestion and prompting of God who
was behind them.
The first distinct beginning of that
condensation of sentiment and idea
which was shortly to run in forms of
action dates as early as the year 1914:
In that yeara merchant of the city of
Now York, Presbyterian by ecclesias-
tical profession, had his attention call
ed to the question of Peace and War,
and began to read up on the subject.
avoiding all books Of the Society of
Friends against whom he was strongly
prejudiced. After five years mature
deliberation he gavethe results of his
studies to the public in the form of q
trace which he entitled, 1.-THE Media
tors Kingdom not of this world"
The publication attracted sCme atten-
tion and called forth reply-the joint
work of three literary men, one a
clergyman-entitled "The duty of a
Christian in trying situation"
A rejoinder followed. The contro-
versy began to excite public opinion.
The New York merchant, impelled by
the fervour of a new faith and of a.
strong conviction, laboured necessarily
among his friends and acquaintance
q few of whom at length openly avowed
the pacific principles which he had
taught.
This was the actual beginning. AS
early as 1910, some friends of the new
cause deliberated together on the eX-
pediency of forming Peace Society,
but the war with Great Britain was so
threatening that it was judged mex
pedient then.
That war took place, with what re-
suits is altogether outside this inquiry.
MeanWh bile the New York merchant,
like the old Hebrew, consumed by the
inh q