The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-04-25
REV. MR.. klMMELL ON WAR.
Patriotic Sermon at the Church of the
Messiah Yesterday.

In the Church of the Messiah the sub
Jeot of Rev. Mr.. Kimmells sermon yes
terday was 1.-THE Conflict Between Our
Country andsSpsin." He spoke in sub
stance as follows
For weeks the chief subject of ou1
thought and speech has been the impend-
ing conflict between our country and
spain. We have come through the days
hoping that in some way the conf let
might be averted but fearing that it
would not be. We can hope no longer.
| lhe drst shots have already been fired,
and perhaps before this week ends the
| 1irst blood will have been shed. 1 have
wanted peace. l have wanted it, how
| ever, upon conditions. have not wanted
| IT at any price and upon any terms. l
have not wanted it if we could not have
1t only at the sacrifice of equity and hui
manity. have not wanted it il it could
be only had by leaving unfultlled some
great obligation that God has laid upon
us. l believe in the supremacy and i'm
nations as well as individuals duty is to
be faithfully done even though it must be
by battle and bloodshed.
But while believing this l have recog-
nized the fact that wal is an unspeakable
and dreadful thing AS General Sherman
said from the fullness of his own expert
ence, "War is hell I have therefore
wanted not war, but peace. My longing
has been to have the trouble with Spain
settled without the clash of arms had
hoped that our President would succeed
in doing SO; and I still think that he
might have done SO had more time and
liberty been given him. Congress, how
ever, has taken the matter quite out of
his hands. 1t has resolved that Spain
| Ghan at rdlinn1ich bor of,fborifu and
government in the island of Cuba; and
he is directed to use the power of our ma
ton to carry the resolution into effect
And however uncertain we may be OF the
wisdom of its action, and however we
may regret the spirit displayed by some
of its members, still let us remember
that men of influence in both the Senate
and House of Representatives, the men
who did the most to shape the course
upon which we are entering. We're not
acuated by mere jingoism. We surely
do them great injustice II we 90 think
and speak of them. They acted from a
deep conviction that by long years OF mis-
rule Spain has forfeited all right to the
possession and government OF Cuba; and
they acted, too. from a noble sympathy
for suffering and outraged people. And
I do not know how any thoughtful and
kind hearted American can help think
ing and feeling in the same manner. |
do not believe that there is one of us who
has any adequate idea of the wants and
misery that have been experienced by
thousands of Cubans, especially within
the last two years r
There is not the slightest question in
nv mind that we have the right to inter-
vene in their behalf. | believe that it is
NOT only our right but our most impera-
tive duty. ia man ought not to stand in
differently and inactively by and see his
fellow being, who cannot defend or pro-
tect himself, wronged and afflicted. And
intervention In any humane and right
eous way seems to me to be just as evil
IDENTIFY the duty of nations as individuals.
I believe that nations as we'll as indivld-
uals ought to be the friends of the friend
less the helpers of the helpless, and the
hope OF the oppressed and suffering. We
condemned the nations of Europe because
they did not intervene to save the Arme-
mans from the atrocity of he Turkish
soldiers. We said they failed to respond
to the high and holy demands that were
made of them. AND now that an evil
hardly less great lies very near US we
must not follow their example. We must
not also fail to respond to the high and
holy demands that are made of us.
1 sympathiZe also with the Cubans in
their struggle for freedom. If our fathers
had reason to revolt against the govern
ment of Great britain, if we honor and
praise them for what they did, know not
how We can help to synpathize with
Gomez and his followers; for surely they
have tenfold more reason to revolt against
the government nf Spain.
II, therefore, recoil somewhat from
the war that is upon us, it is not because
l think their struggles and sufferings are
nothing to US, nor is it because think
that it Is not our duty to intervene in
their behalf, but it is only because I find
myself wondering whether the President
might not have accomplished as much for
them by peaceable methods as can be ae-
complished by armed conflict. However
judgment upon this matter has been pro-
nounced, and pronounced both by men
of tried honor, of proven principle, and
purest patriotism. / bow to their lu(lu-
ment. And now, and on until the CON
fiict with Spain shall have ended, wheUh-
er it be for weeks or years, there is but
one thing for everyone of us to do, and
that is to give to our government the 10y
atty of the whole soul.
And now that the war is upon us l
want to have it fought through to the
end in way that shall win as far as pos
sible for our nation, the sympathy and
respect of other nations, and leave it
crowned with glory when the struggle
isl over. And this cannot be done unless
we are actuated by the spirit of equity
sAAS W AAOAO poUUAS
on high moral plane. 1 believe thao
only one object can possibly justify the
step we have taken, and that is to put an
end to the sad and bad condition of
things at present existing in Cuba, and
esta blish a happier and better condition
of things. Whatever glory is to be won
by US in this conflict must come not from
the avenging of the Maine ror oonquering
a people on the other side of the sea, but
from helping a small and oppressed peo-
Die on this side of the sea 1t must be the
glory of ministry and not of victory. In
the. genuine aid we give them we are to
rejoice, and over the best we do for them
we are to exult.
On this high moral plane let this strug-
gle be begun and ended. Let it be char
acterized, not by vengeance or pride or
covetousness, but by equity and human
ity. Without Indifference, without blus-
tering, without madness, but in sober.
earnest, conscientious way let us do the
great work that seems to have been given
to US to do AS a senator said as he
closed his great speech the other day, let
the genius of America be seen sin her
august and serene tesuty, inspired by
sentiment, not of.hate, but OF love even
toward her enemies, perhaps little pale
in the cheek. and dangerous light in