Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-28


ton of national existence.
This growth beyond the bounds orig
inally set for it, this restleSsness under
existing conditions, this effort to work
out and throw off a great incubus of
evil-like slavery in our civil war--this
development Of its own genius of civil
izatlon in contact with savage or less
civilized tribes or nations, may bring
about war as the necessary concomitant
of the highest advancement.
1t Is such a condition of things that
exists at this moment in Cuba, and the
graphic but calm disclosures Of which,
during the past week or two, have filled
the sensible and humane people Of this
country with deep concern, and made
all classes of our citizens feel profound
ly that some way must be devised to
suppress these gross barbarities upon
an innocent and helpless people who, I'M
der this ruthless treatment, are perish
ing by thousands almost at our very
doors by starvation.
We pass by, for the moment, the blow
ing up Of our splendid warship with the
loss of more than 250 brave lives in a
friendly port, for it is doubtful il any of
us have at this moment sufficient data
at hand or have sufficient grasp of the
legal principles involved, to deliver an
unbiased and complete verdict as to
what justice may require of US in this
case. Certainly 1t induces a formid-
able and most perplexing element-an
element specially calculated to inf1ame
popular passion-into a condition of
things already most delicately comp1i-
Gated.
But it will be well for us, If we can,
to leave this awful incident aside for
the time, and consider what simple hui
mantty may force US to demand of a
nation confessedly backward in its civil
ization, embarrassed by poverty, cursed
by bigoted, cruel and unenlightened
policy, yet proud, vain, high-spirited and
Jealous of It's honor
When we say this, we need to remem-
Der our own national disgraces as shown
by the number of murders. lynchings,
the defiance of law which exists within
our own borders We should also have
sympathy for a nation without our ad-
vantages or light, struggling to main
tain it's sovereignty over turbulent
population. We should be willing to
extend the helping hand to enable her,
if possible, to solve her difficult problem
with some regard to the modern prin-
ciples of liberty and law, and in ac-
cordance with the dictates, not of the
strong-headed tyranny and cruelty Of
the 18th and 18th centuries, but of Chris
tianity and humanity as they are con-
ceived at the end of the 10Th century.
We should show patience as we have
shown patience. We should calmly wait
as we have waited. The wisdom, the
good Judgment, the serenity of the presi-
dent and his councillors are worthy of
the highest praise and have profoundly
affected the whole nation and excited
admiration abroad Congress has so
far shown a commendable patriotism
restraint and, above all, united and
a non bipartisan spirit that are most com
mendable. We feel that we are strong
enough, and that the things we repre-
| sent among the nations Of the earth
are righteous and civilized enough, for
us to possess our souls in patience and
go slowly. At the same time the most
peaceable among us is compelled to see
that 1t would be madness for us to go
on unprepared for the worst. The ma
ton responds as one man in approval
Of the utmost exertions to put ourselves
in condition of defense and OF ability
to do our duty.
Our chief concern should be to dis
cover without passion and without
prejudice what that duty is; to help the
| national administration to see; to see
ourselves with calm, unclouded eye
| just what the interests Of civilization,
what humanity, what true liberty, what
God requires Of us at this difficult cri-
| sis; to realize that these may demand
! of us the awful cost of war. If we do
| this, though we labor and pray that
war may be averted, 1t will be with the
solemn conviction that there are some
| things worse than war; that its horrors
| may be easily surpassed by the horror
| of q greed for gain that pollutes and
| decays every fibre Of humanity, by a
| treachery, q cruelty, barbarity that
stops at no excesses, and by a coward
| ice that is the father Of anarchy; and
| taf to1n
exacts may be at times the most "rea-
sonable service" which we can render
| towards the coming of the divine king
dom.
We need, however, to remember that
the beginning Of war is the awakening
| Of a. sleeping giant From his remote
ancestors, man inherits an aptitude for
strife, disciplined indeed by thousands
OF generations, but still In him. II it
were not in him he would have no place
in the world. Like all other animals
who have kept decent footing on the
earth, he IS good fighter, The hostile
feeling in him is easily stirred and
slowly allayed, especially in the mob,
especially in the mass, when passion
becomes blind through numbers, when
the voice of the individual protest is
absent or drowned, or where unreason
Yields it's sceptre.
1t is not any foreign foe, however
menacing, but it is these reckless, un-
scrupulous adventures, shallow, lying
and cowardly with neither patriotism
nor humanity, that constitute our chief
peril at a time like this. When great
nation stands as ours does at the pres
ent moment, breathless over issues that
may compel strife, every consideration
of patriotism, not to say decency, should
lead every one possessed of the least
influence not to spread false and ex-
citing rumors, but to be cool, wise, de-
nberate, patient, cautious and God-fear-
ing. We should remember what war
means, and that it is the very last re-
sort: for once this spirit Of strife is
fairly reused and has set his ponderous
fighting machine in motion, he lays un-
der tribute "a thousand passions and in
terests which give momentum to his
| flaming chariot. The issue once Joined,
there is no stopping till bloody work is
done.
Let us then in patience and in the
serene consciousness of a just cause, of
a desire to help the helpless, to miti-
gate suffering, to do right, seek the
things that make for peace, while We
prepare ourselves for war, II in the dis
charge Of our duty as nation towards
the cruelty oppressed and desperately
suffering at our doors, the dire neces-
slty of war shah be forced upon us, and
let us cherish as citizens at all times
that truly patriotic, that truly Christly
spirit of self-sacrif1ce for truth for
righteousness, for love of which per-
haps the nobliest embodiment is the
figure of the true Christian soldier
OUR DUTY TO CUBA.
Timely Sermons at ST. Johns Episcopal
Church by Rev. Eliot White.