The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-12-15
THE PEACEMAKERS AT WORK
The Efforts 10 Substitute Arbitration for
Ma Pushed Forward.
DR.. ". B. DARDY'S WORK IN EUROPE.
- spends Several Days In Paris interest
ing the Catholic Church In the Subject.
The Executive Committee Here Need
FUNDS ~ Prosecute tho Work.

NoehoA.S Churches IN "A movement IN De
half OF arbitration, has received an In
teresung and important communication
from DR.. Darby. of London. who IS exc
cutting commission for them on the
Continent The work in the hands of this
committee is TO secure the concurrence
OF the churches Of Christendom, through
their representatives. in "a petition adj
dressed 10 the government OF thirty-two
Christian countries, in their language.
and thus bring to bear this united in
fuence IN benalf OF a general substitution
Of arbitration for war in the settlement OF
international disputes. Tho representa-
tive bodies OF the most of the churches
I'm the United States and Great Britain
and Ireland, and few on the Continent
OF Europe, have cOncurrcd In the petition.
and signed IL by its officers. In Great
Britain rths result was accomplished
chiefly by a cooperating committee. APP
pointed by the American committee. w.
Evsns Darby. Ii. d.. being its efficient
chairman. A number of men of Great
Britain and ireland. prominent In Church
or State, have associated themselves with
this committee. and constitute the Arbi-
tration Alliance mentioned in the letter
below.
DIR. DARBY'S LETTER.
TO secure the cooperation OF the
churches on the Continent the Executive
Committee requested and commissioned
Or Darby 10 visit representatives. Of the
churches and organize cooperation COM
mittees He writes. of date London. No
vember 18th. to the chairman of the
Executive Committee:
Dear Dr. Campbell have spent from
ten or twelve days in Paris. fulfilling
The commission entrusted to me by your
committee.
During that time l saw most Of the
prominent Protestant pastors. together
with a number OF friends interested in the
movement. and now have much pleasure
in reporting the results.
My first act on reaching Paris was to
write letter TO the Catholic Archbishop.
putting the matter before him, and ask
ing him for an interview. | received no
reply from him, but this. ] learn. was
due TO his absence IN Rome. Everything
7 heard pointed 10 the Importance Of
getting the Catholic Church 10 cooperate
IN petitioning the governments first OF an,
especially In Catholic countries. Several
OF the French pastors urged that should
see the Roman Catholic bishops and get
them interested that ! should call upon
the prominent "vicaires.' and through
them reach the higher members Of the
hierarchy
I'VE" they said, care weak in point
Of numbers. the Catholics are strong,
Naturally they have more influence with
the government. If YOU want to reach
the government therefore You must work
through the stronger Church: that the
Catholics lead the way, and the Protest
ants. who sympathize thoroughly with
your purpose, will follow and back them
mp"
This, however. was by no means the
unanimous opinion one prominent pas
tor. who was cordially sympathetic with
OR movement. as, indeed, with one eX-
CeptiOn. AN were, urged that we should
begin with the Protes ants. because. he
urged, though they were numerically
weak. they were morally strong; and
he thought that If the Protestants began
the move. the Roman Catholics would
follow.
This difference of opinion. with the pre-
ponderanco of the former view, arises
from the peculiar position of the Protest
ant churches.
The weakness referred 10 will be under
stood when it IS noted that while the
population is about 590W,O0o. the Pro-
testants number about GO00o0-barely over
half a million.
ANTT-ENGLISH FEELING.
English feeling also. and Protestant pas
tors are charged with being unpatriotic.
sympathizing with the English and the
attack in the public press has even gone
so far as 10 affirm that the Protestant
pastors are the agents of Protestant
England.
"The position" as the first Of the pas
tors whom / called upon. a thoughtful,
statesmanlike man, said. "the position is
testants have TO move very carefully"
Only one pastor believed i'm war as a
good thing. and thought after the mas
sacre of the missionaries i'm China the
first thing would have been to have
sent the feet and cXacted punishment,
but even Dee neutralzed his remarks by
casually telling me that on the previous
Sunday he had preached against feelings
o. revenge With this exception there |
was unanimous appreciation and SYM
pathy. and desire to help.
I thanked one brother for his wise
suggestions. and his reply was. NAY,
my dear brother il is we who have 10
thank you for coming over 10 confer |
with AS on this question" Another !
pastor at the close of our |
interview said. you have come TO ms |
as "A minister OF Gods Word. it is now for |
the pastors OF Paris to meet together |
and tolk over your mission"
TIRED OF WAR BURDENS.
The difficulty of Alsace-Lorraine l !
found TO be prominent. even among the 1
pastors. but that detestation of war and |
their WEAKNESS OF these excessive mill !
fary burdens ] found to be much greater, |
10 that there was no talk OF the !
''Revancc." which is constantly referred |
10 as a prominent feeling of Frenchmen |
The desire unanimously expressed was 1
hat the question OF Asace-Lorraine |
should be submitted 20 arbitration. and /
hat the viii OF the people should be
consulted In any final settlement we
must look upon war" said Pastor Kuhn.
of the Lutheran Church. "as we look
upon sin. We must look upon war as
sc look upon envy and revenge, ana the
WI passions OF mankind"
Another brother belonging TO the same
.hurch. as soon as he heard Of the pro-
,osal. replied that he would introduce /
ne matter 10 his congregation at once,
md see whether they could not do
The secretary OF the Wesleyan confer
nee thought the time was somewhat IN
,pportune for such n movement, ana
Vas somewhat doubtful as TO our being
.ble 10 accomplish what we desire. Az
he same tine he readily undertook 10
introduce the petition al the next meet
ng OF the conference, and 10 urge IT'S
.d0ption and signature.
As 70 THE RESULTS.
Now az 20 results. ! could not IN TINS
,rst interview organize committee.
There. undoubtedly. the difficulty OF IN
lucing French pastors TO take the per-
onal initiative came I'm. and 30 many OF