The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-01-24
ORIGIN or PEACE SOCIETIES.

ORIGIN OF PEACE SOCIETIES.
Principles and Purposes OF Their
Formation.
BY DIR w. E. DARBY.
A Paper read at the Chicago Peace Con-
gress, 1882
Part Second)
Turning to the other stream of the
movements How early the forma'
ton of Peace Societies in Great Britain
was contemplated it is impossible to
say. But in July, 1915, the proposal
was published in q periodical called
The Philanthropist. 1t was contained
in letter to the editor, written the
previous April, probably before DR..
Worcester's "Solemn Review" had
been seen in that country.
Action had been already taken how
ever. AS early as 1914, Mr.. William
Allen, a philanthropic gentleman in
London belonging to the Society OF
Friends, invited several gentlemen to
meet at his house in Plough Court, to
consider the expediency of forming q
Peace Society. There was absolute
unanimity of sentiment on that point,
and a Committee was formed, but
there were difficulties In the way OF
immediate action. No specific plan of
action had been arranged, and 80 the
gentlemen present undertook to com.
municate their views Mr.. Allen. A
year passed, during which the matter
was allowed to lie dormant. On the
9Th Of Juue, 1916, another meeting
was held. But it was onlya few
DAYS before the battle Of Waterloo.
The time was not ripe. Only
three members attended. They
adopted resolution defining the OBJ
jects of the proposed Society, and de-
parted. Nearly another year passed.
On the 1st Of June, 1915, Mr.. Allen
again summoned the Committee.
Now there was large attendance and
the members were eager for progress.
A committee was formed to complete
the organisation of the society, and q
day in the following week, the 7th OF
June, WAS fixed on for this purpose.
1t met as arranged. In the interim,
information had been received of the
establishment of the Massachusetts
Peace Society and this had consider
able OBJECT On the proceedings of the
day. The foremost had their ardour
increased, the laggards were stimulat.
ed, and in the following week, on the
l4th of June, 1916, four days before
the first anniversary of Waterloo, was
formed the Society for the Promotion
of Permanent and Universal Peace.
The history and work of the Peace
Societies in America will be dealt with
in another paper, and by an ablel
hand. I need ouly notice therefore
that the movement in America devel
oped with such rapidity that the
whole number of Peace Societies in the
United States probably exceed fifty,
many of which had been recently form
ed, when the National SucIety-the
American Peace Society, 1 mean-was
organised at New York on the Sth oI
May, 1928.
The development of the movement
was equally rapid In Great Britain
until the United Kingdom was cover
ed with a network of societies. IL
Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and the
Channel Islands, as wei. as England
Even in Nova Scotia and Canada, So
cieties were formed. AS, however
these were all branches Of the one or
ganization, the Peace Society, the his
tory of their formation would be only
the history of its development which
Is beyond the scope of this paper
dealingonly as 1t with origins.
In France also, as the result the
labours of the Peace Society similar
organization was formed, and as the
political situation did not admit of it.
being called q Peace Society, 1t was en-
titled La iSociete de Ld Morale Ctret-
ienne (The Society Of Christian Nor
als). 1t published its prospectus on
the 10th of August, 1921, and declared
its object to be, ITO dispose mankind tt
abjure all anger, all hatred, all unhap
py di>sension-to love one another
TO treat each other as brethren, anC
finally to seek and procure Peace"
You will perceive that without men
tioning the words Christian or relig
ious, for which canton the religious
condition of France furnished proba
bly as strong reasons as the political
it's principles and purposes, as also III
broad, and free, and unsectarian mem
bership, were identical with those o
the parent aud sister Societies. The
distinguishing feature of these Sncie
ties was their religious and yet theil
absolutely unsectarion basis and char
acter. Not that they were less prattcal
or even less political, on that account
as their history shows, but they ayur
ed party: politics, making their OWL
principles of Peace the differentiatine
force of parties, and they believed tina
religion (by which they meant the
Christianity Of Christ, 4. e. Of tht
primitive and pre- Constantine period
was the only practical means Of pro
curing and preserving Peace.
The declaration Of the American
Peace Society, issued OH the occasion
of it's formation in 1928, admirably ex'
presses the fundamental position Of
all. It says, among other things:
awe believe the custom of war tc
be- contrary to the principles of the
Christian religion, subversive of the
liberty of mankind, and destructive tc
their happiness; a horrible custom
which every one is called upon to dc
what he can to abolish. These truths
we hold to be undisputed, and they are
the foundation of our Society. Never
theless, we draw no dividing, or dis
tinguishing line. We do not, as So
ciety, agitnle the question, whether
defensive war can be carried on on
Christian principles. We receive into
our Communion all who seek the abol
iton of war, whether they hold to the
lawfulness nf defensive war, or con
denim all war i'm every shape-whethel
they allow a latitude of construction