The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1896-04-11
STRONG PLEA FOR PEACE
AMERICAN. ENGLISH AND IRISH
CARDINALS ISSUE APPEALS.
A Permanent Tribunal. Composed Of
Representatives OF Each Sow
ereien Nation.

Baltimore, April cardinal Gibbons
today gave out the following appeal for
arbitrati ton instead of war. signed by
himself and Cardinals Vaughan of
Westminster and Lodgue of Ireland.
The document is the result of a CORE
spondence upon the subject between
Cardinal Gibbons and his colleagues,
whose names are affixed to the appeal,
which is issued on Easter Sunday be
cause of the appropriateness of the day.
The appeal is as follows:
An appeal by the American. Irish and
English cardinals in behalf of a per-
manent tribunal Of arbitra ton.
We, the undersigned cardinals, repre-
sentatives of the Prince of Peace and of
the Catholic church in our respective
countries, invite all who hear our voice
to cooperate in the formation of a pub
lie opinion which shall demand the es-
adjustment of permanent tribunal of
arbitration as a national substitute
among the English-speaking races for
a resort to the bloody arbitrament of
war. We are aware that such a project
is beset with practical difficulties. We
believe they will not prove to be insu-
perable if the desire to overcome them
by genuine and general. Such a court
existed for centuries when the nations
of Christendom were united in one
faith; and have we not seen nations APP
peal to that same court for it's judg-
ment in our own days?
The establishment of a permanent
tribunal, composed mostly of trusted
representatives of each sovereign ma
ton, with power to nominate judges and
umpires according to the nature of
general principles defining and limiting
the jurisdiction and subject matter of
such a tribunal, would create new guar
antees for peace that could not fail to
influence the whole of Christendom.
Such an international court of arbi-
tration would form a second line of de-
Tense, to be called into requisition only
after the ordinary resources of diplO-
macy had been exhausted. 1t would
al least postpone the outbreak of hos
tilties until reason and common sense
had formally pronounced their last
word. This is a matter of which the
constitution and procedure must be set
tied by governments.
But as governments are becoming
more and more identified with the aspi-
rations and moulded by the desires of
the people, an appeal in the first in
stance must be addressed to the people.
We do not hesitate on our part to lift
up our united voice and proclaim to all
who are accustomed to harken to our
counsels that it is a sign of a divine in
fiuence a work in their midst when
Nations shall not lift up the sword
against nation, neither shall they be
exercised any more on the war Qsaiah
pa; for IT was written of a future time:
Come We and behold the work of the
Lord with the wonders he hath done
upon the earth, making wars to cease
even to the end Of the earth" psalms
$3.50.
Others may base their appeal upon
motives which touch your worldly inter-
ests your prosperity, your world wide
influence and authority in the affairs
Of men The Catholic church recognizes
the legitimate force of such motives in
the natural order and blesses whatever
tends to the real progress and eleva-
ton Of the race. But our main ground
of appeal rests upon the known char
acter and will of the Prince of Peace,
the living founder, the divine head OF
Christendom He it was who declared
love for the brotherhood; is second
command like unto the first? 1t was He
who announced to the people the praise
and reward of those who seek after
peace and pursue it. Blessed" said
He, ARE the peacemakers. for they
shall be called the children of Cod"
CMatthew so
JAMES CARDINAL GIBBONS.
Archbishop of Baltimore.
MICHAEL CARDINAL LOGUE,
Archbishop OF Armagh, Primate Of
all Ireland
HERBERT CARDINAL VAUHAN.
Archbishop of Westminster.
London, Easter Sunday, A. ID. 1896