Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-06
"LET Us ARBITRATE."
The Spirit of the Age Demands
Peaceful settlement of All Question

The Spirit of the Age Demands a
Peaceful Settlement of All Questions
The following extracts from sermon
delivered last Sunday evening by Rev. DR..
Crane in Trinity Methodist Church, Chi
cago, are to the point:
There Is no event in history. since the
coming of Jesus Christ, that is Of more
tenefit to the human race than will be the
establishment Of a court OF international
arbitration. The efforts now putting forth
to secure this should be the object of the
devout prayer Of every lover of his fellow
men. There are many obstacles to over
come. Conservatism Is intrenched in mill
tary ideas and will die hard in the battle
ity. Old ideas of martial glory must fade.
The pride Of national renown must be
taught to bow to universal justice. Great
leaders that owe their prestige to the old
will take time. But it will come. Public
opinion Is slowly but surely living down
the cruel, senseless and false principles
from which alone spring the possibility Of
war.
Look over history. Never was a nation
that yielded itself wholly 10 the passion
for military conquest and glory that did
not go down. Persia, Greece and Rome
died of the suicide of war. Military Spain
and France were defeated by commercial
Holland and England.
The wealthest, happiest nation on the
globe is the only one that spends more
money on schools than armies-the United
States.
England's supremacy is founded en- her
missionaries, explorers and merchants and
on the natural fecundity of her people. Her
army is entitled to very small portion Of
the credit, and Is wholly responsible for
losing her the most important of her col
onies. the American republic.
The jingoists of our Congress who con-
tend for greater ornaments and coast de-
lenses are short-sighted, when they are
not demagogic, statesmen. Our safety lies
in our defenselessness. To equip for war
Is to invite war. There is not space here
to prove this proposition; but if you need
proofs read the great speech of Charles
Sumner at Boston on the Fourth Of July,
1S45
There never was question permanently
settled by war alone.
There never was an International ques-
ton settled any other way than by treaty
of peace.
Why rot make the treaty of peace before
instead of after war?
Among civilized nations the god Of bat
ties is the devil.
AS long as a court of arbitration is a
possibility there never will be "a good war
ror a bad peace"
And lest you should think this the luke
warm mounting of a poor parson read these
words of the greatest warrior America has
produced, the words of Gen. Grant, uttered
at the close OF his voyage around the
world:
"Althcugh have been trained as a sol
der and have participated in many battles
there never was time when. in my opin-
ion, some way could not have been found
Of preventing the drawing of The sword.
I look forward to an epoch when q court,
recognized by all nations, will settle all
International differences, inseeaI of keeping
large standing armies, as they do in Eu-
rope"
The nresent uovemept dooe moi ;,,n1,- =,
congress of nations. nor the millennium.
nor the adoption of the principles of nom
| resistance, nor the policy of peace at any
price; it implies the adoption by the ma
tions Of the american idea," that of set.
Ting disputes between separate states by
Representatives.