The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-21
HIS VOICE IS FOR PEACE
REV. MIR. MILBURN THINKS WAR
WOULD BE TERRIBLE CALAMITY.
Rev. b. A. jenkins breaches on the
Same TOpic-BishOp Chatard ON
Feast of the AnnuEciatiOn.

of sermon yesterday morning by Rev.
Joseph A. Milburn, of the Second Presby-
terrain Church.
Il thought said he in beginning, that
1T might be well to-day to reflect little
upon the most beautiful and priceless OF all
Christ's requests and gifts to humanity, the
bequest and gift of peace. We are living IN
tumultuous times when the spirit of strlte
seems to pervade the universal air of earth
Abroad we find the nations cycling each
other jealousy, each preparing for contlct,
each nation in turn menacing its sister ma
ton and all the nations strung up almost
to the limits of the militant mood. And our
own nation, too, at last seems to be caught
up in the great storm of strife and TO De
seriously involved in the complications OF
the outward world. Hitherto we have as a
people lived quite apart, except commercial
ly, from the nations of west and east hltn-
efto our talent and genius have been occu-
pied in the development of our own re-
sources and in the fashioning of our own
national destiny. But to-day we nnd our
selves inv olved in the stormy problems OF
the larger world and face to face with what
may be "a very serious and terrible calam-
ity. Every morning when we take up me
daily paper we read therein caplesfea a.ls
from London or from Madrid or from
Havana or from New York or washington
which tell US that war between the Onite0
States and Spain seems imminent, ana OF
Warlike preparations toward that END goinS
on on every side, and we find that tne spirit
of bellicosity is atmospheric, ana Inat g. q
part of the press of this country seems 10
be actually anxious for war ana TO De 40
inp. ali in It's mower to precpitate this great
Nation into all the distress; caiamlty anu
catastrophe that war inevitably involves
TRUE BEAUTY OF PEACE.
Continuing, Dr. Miburn said that he could
not believe that in the long run war ever
made for, the beauty of any nation or that
the splendor of any people has really ever
emanated from it's contention and its strife.
1.-THE true beauty of England" said the
speaker, lis the beauty of peace, the beauty
of wisdom, the beauty of letters. And the
essential loneliness of our own country, too,
has been and is the loveliness of peace. 1t
has been magnificently loyal in the mo-
ment of war, but still, after all, America
beauty lies rather in the great moral gifts
that she has given to the world: of
Peace is a condition precedent OF
progress, intellectually. morally ana
socially Only in and through peace
can the great social questions and
the pregnant economic questions that have
beae agItating our Nation for the last dec
ade or more find adequate solution. Ano
war were to happen in the United States to-
day it would be more than terrible calar-
ity. There are questions that have come
up in this last ten years in. this country
that are most vital and interesting. we
have passed through turbulent times in re-
gard to the economic relation of man to
man. in regard to the more equitable dis
tribution of wealth, in regard to the purlh-
cation OF our politics, in regard to the falr-
litical forces; and we are just coming TO
time when these questions are to pc
solved and solved in good nature, solved IN
nifty and not of wrath. But If we should
now become implicated in war with any
foreign country these great questions must
rest in allowance and they will have to be
discussed over again later on, and later on
we shall again have an to go through an era
of strikes, an era of ill-feeling, an era or
economic heresies an era of social turbu-
Ience and unrest; for these questions must
ultimately find their solution, and ID they o can
God mas called this great nation to a
high and glorious mission; He has called
America to bear just as distinct a witness
to His purpose as He ever called Israel or
Greece or Rome. This Nation is 1ntrusteo
with the high mission OF showing 70 tne
world that a democracy is the truest form
of government; it IS called to show TO the
world that the common people are worthy
to be trusted; that they are worthy OF au-
thority, and that they will be Loyalty ODE
dent to the government that they them
selves establish and erect.
And Furthermore, this Nation is called TO
the high and exalted mission of proving to
the world that democracy is compatible
with culture, with the spread ana diHuslon
that is high and beautiful in the realm OF
mind, with passion for literature ana Tor
sBut high above these minor missions
think the United States of America is called
by God to prove to the world tnat democ-
racy is Favorable to peace. Whatever mon-
aver Of light and ulster may flow from
them whatever of virtue they may nave
given to the world, we all know that mon
arches and aristocraciss have always been
martial in their spirit, laS they nave al
ways been destructive, at they nave al
ways been belligerent, monarch pelng IN
arms against monarch 4ristocracy Delng IN
arms against aristoclt y throughout an lne
ages A peaceful monarchy has never yet
lived upon this earth, u peacetul austoc-
racy has never yet lived upon this earth,
and it is for US to prove that the conid mn On
man when he has the sGepdeT NAM an'r wben he
has the authority confided to his own grasp
can rule, and rule peacefully, and rule with
love and with good will towards all the
"This is, 1 believe. Americas highest and
supremest mission, to prove to the Worio
that democracy Is peaceful and benign, tnat
its heart is fraternal, gentle. calm ana mio
And so may God avert war from TINS cOun-
try, may God in his mercy keep II far away
from us and may our great Nation mafch
on its way in peace, conquerlng ahc 10
conquer other foes than martial foes, other
foes than human foes, conquering ana 70
CONQUER faIsehood, conquerng and to con-
Quer injustice. conquering ard eternally 10
conquer everything that retards the onward
march of man or diminishe- MS fehclty'
EFFECT OF MARTIAL STIR.
..But now, in conclusion, let me observe
that while we all should long and pray for
peace. yet 1 think we should be very thank
ful for this martial agitation that has re-
Gently swept from shore to shore and from
boundary to boundary of our country These
rumors of war that have filed the abr for
the past weeks have had blessed conse-
quences. They have directed the thought of
the nations of Europe towards great
wrong, and have converged the moral senti-
ment of the whole world upon the Cuban
question. Until these last few weeks Amer
lea has stood alone in dealing with the
Cuban situation, with it's wrongs and its
horrors and its gross and barbarous tyr
annles and inJustices; but to-day all the
nations of the civilized world are with
America feel with her and support her in
the stern utterance of her moral indigna-
ton over these wrongs against humanity
that have been wrought so near to her own
shores, and this consolidation of the senti-
ment of Europe and America necessitates
the speedy solution of the Cuban question.
And / think, too we should be thankful
for the present martial attitude and temper
of the last few weeks, in that it has been
a revelation to us of the superb qualities
latent in the American character What
surprises me in the average American is
the levity of his speech touching great and
idle way as though he We're absolutely i'm
sensible of wars terrible significance and
consequence. He is ready to fight at a
moments notice. ready to put on his armor
and go forth to battle without a thought
He seems to show in his ordinary conversa-
but marvellous is the change that sweeps
over him when he really comes to confront
a danger very closely and intimately Then
how matchless is his sanity, what superb
poise and balance he shows how deliber-
ately he measures his obligation, how calm
and serene he is when he confronts a Sc
rious emergency Washington Lincoln and
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