The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-04-18

Rev. Maurice D. Edwards, pastor of
the Dayton Avenue Presbyterian
church, spoke to his congregation yes
terday of the pending controversy be-
tween the United States and Spain.
In part he said:
We are in the midst of grave national
crisis The question OF peace or war trembles
in the balance. Our congress. with practical
unanimity. seems determined to take firm
stand for Cuban independence.
Whether its action be right or wrong, wise
or unwise. the die is about to be cast. the
issue is fairly and distinctly Joined. 1t de-
ponds upon Spain whether the result be war
or peace. She may yield to our demands
and without a struggle, convinced of the
hopelessness of contending against us in view
OF her comparative weakness in men and re-
sources and she may boldly accept our dec
laraton as gauge of battle and appeal to
the arbitrament OF the sword.
The former course Spain is not likely to
take. Few expect her to give up Cuba with
out struggle, or at least a show of re-
sistance. She has too much at stake in ter
ritory and prestige, and there fingers too
much of the old Castilian pride to permit
her to surrender without an effort at least
10 save the fair possession. While still pray
ing, therefore, that peace may prevail, pre-
pare and plan for war. We all of us as
patriots aud Christians deplore, | hope the
present issue, and hope the strife may yet
be averted. We are a peace-loving nation.
We have no national antipathies. no memory
of past wrongs to be avenged or righted.
We are envious of no country's prosperity,
nor do We coVet any other country's terri
tory.
Outside the loss of the Maine, which in it
SELF can be readily settled without war, we
have no controversy of our own even with
Spain. During an entire national existence
we have lived at peace with the earth. What
ever difference there has been between us
has been amicably settled. War is always
TO be dreaded and is only to be resorted to
when every other measure of settlement,
save the sacrifice Of honor and rank, has
been exhausted,
Said general of our late war to me few
DAYS since: ''Thirty-siX years ago yesterday
I was on the battlefield of Shiloh. Between
5000 and 1900 young men wearing the blue
and gray were buried in soldiers graves.
What hopes were buried there also. What
tears and breaking hearts that scene meant
in thousands OF distant homes from the gulf
TO the great lakes.
What a monster war is. Well has Gen.
Sherman said, War is hell" Think not
only of the dead and dying, but the manned
and suffering, the desolated country the de-
structiOn CT property, the passions aroused,
the hatred engendered, the too frequent
cruelty and SaYagery aroused.
War is always somebody's crime. If it be an
offense that must needs come, woe be TO him
by whom the offense cometh. 1t behooves any
people therefore before either casting down
or taking up the gauge of battle to be sure
that it is in the right AS Mr.. Lincoln once
said: Our prayers should be not that God
would be on our side, but that we might be
on Gods side, for Gods side is always right.
II We are to have war it is of the utmost i'm
portance to be on Gods side of the conflict. ="
We must have reasons for cur course which
shall not only justify us in the yes of the
world that is of a comparatively small i'm
portance, but such will justify US before
the throne of God. Nations as well as indi-
viduals, God judges. Nations as well as in
dividuals must act in obedience to His law.
The moral obligation to live the sermon on
the mount is just binding on US, as a
country, as it is upon US as individual
Christians.
We can never, therefore, get rid of moral
responsibility by association or corporate ac-
ton. That which is wrong for single indi-
vidual to do does not become right because a
thousand 20 900 are associated in the
doing. Ethics are the same everywhere
There may be differences of application, but
not of the essential principles and obligation
What may be the questions now involved
as related to international law, whether we
have the right under any application of its
principles to interfere to stop the strife in
Cuba, and if so, how we can thus inter
Vene; whether or not also such Intervention
can be accomplished in harmony with the
precedents CT our own national history and
traditional policies: whether Intervention is
the wise and prudent course to pursue in
view OF the circumstances and of the future.
All these and similar questions INST be
left to others to discuss and decide. the
people, such, have nothing to do with
them. We shall therefore consider the pres
ent crisis only from the ethical standpoint
and ask whether under the law of God we
have any justification in the course which
COHSI6SS anu the SvN6t p4opISS ldhiiiS
1t is not necessary to raise the question
whether war is ever justifable under the
Christian system. One can scarcely read the
Bible without admitting that circumstances
VIII and do arise where war has the divine
sanction. To resist wrong and oppression to
defend national liberty and sovereignty it
Is right and even obligatory to take up arms.
War of aggression or for spoils, for the
sake of national CORY and prestige war for
the promotion of selfish interests or mere love
OF strife, war for vengeance or oppression is
always ard altogether wicked and damnable.
Those who thus take the sword should per-
ish by the sword. All the great wars in which
our nation has engaged with a single posi-
BILE exception, have been justifabie wars
The War of Independence was fought in the
blessing could be sought and was sought for
its success. ard in the final victory achieved
the divine approval was universally recog-
nized. The brief hostilities with France noar
the close of the last century and the war with
Great Britain in 1872 were OF q similar char
acter. In neither were we the agrees
sors, but the struggle was entered upon so.e-
~ to resist entertainments and demands
which could not be tolerated by any free
people.
We can scarcely say as much for the war
with Mexico. That was largely a scheme to
gain additional slave territory. The bound
airy question involved might easily have been
settled by peaceable means, if it had not been
be aggressive for Interior ends. Our great
Civil was of a different character On
the Part of the North it was primarily to