The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-05-29
Suppress That Resolution.

Inc pFeSIu6flC OF the NATIONAL TedCo
society, Mr.. Alfred H. Love, of Phila-
delphia, recently wrote, so it is alleged,
a letter to the queen regent of Spain
and Senior Sagasta, urging that fur
Their concessions might be made by
their government to the demands made
by the United States with reference to
Cuba, to the end that the war between
the two countries might be promptly
terminated, adding, at the same time,
that the sentiment of the people of the
United States was against war.
The Peace society has during the
past few years occupied a room in In
dependence hall, and 1t is said that this
peace-inspiring letter was written On
paper bearing the heading 'Independ-
ence Hall, the Cradle of American Lib
erty." 1t is now proposed that at the
next meeting of the city council of Phil
adelphia a resolution shall be offered
to summarily GUST the Peace society
from the quarters at present occupied
by them under authority of the same
body conferred in 1885, because of the
"unpatriotic, un-American and dis
graceful expression Of opinion" uttered
by the president of the society in the
Letter referred to.
While the action of Mr. Love may
have been of questionable taste, and.
possibly, in view Of already existing
war, indiscreet,, the proposition to be
made in the city council is not only sill
ly, but contemplate. 1t is well known
that the organization presided over by
Mr.. Love is founded in the spirit Of
~
underlying principle of the Society of
Friends, or Quakers, whose representa-
tives largely constitute it's membership.
That religious sect has never been
lacking either in patriotism or in adj
vocacy of the cause of liberty. Tt was.
indeed, their love of liberty and their
desire to live in peace and unity with
one another which brought them to
these shores more than two centuries
ago and led, through their peaceful
colonization, to the foundation of what
is today the second commonwealth in
this nation. Representatives of this
sect, too, were conspicuous among the
earliest Abolitionists; but they always
sought the accomplishment Of the free
dom Of the slave by peaceful means:
with aspirations similar to their own.
they never contemplated the possibility
of long and bloody war as a result
of the agitation with which thew were
identified. But when that war came.
with heads bowed in sorrow at it's adj
vent, they reverentially and patriotical-
ly surrendered their sons as defenders
of the cause of the Union; and the BODY
of many and many a Quaker boy rests
today at Gettysburg at Antietam and
in the soil of Virginia, disturbed for
the creation of etrenehes for the burial
of those who were killed in the fierce
battles of the Army Of the Potomac.
The Peace society has been useful in
this way. It's methods have never been
offensive, nor has itTf1aunted it's virtues
impudently in the faces of other peo-
pie. 1t may, without any fear of con-
tradiction, be plainly stated that the
resolution, if 1T shall declare as the
reasons of the 1no yfnent against the
society its "unpatriotic, un-American
and disgraceful expressions of opin-
ion," will carry the conviction of false
hood on it's face.
Alfred H. Love Is a, man widely and
favorably known among certain ele-
ments of society in the West. IIe is
neither a fanatic nor charlatan, but
a quiet. Christian gentleman. and if
this evidence Of the recognition of his
moral worth, in a far-away community,
will contribute anything toward check
ing the impending foolish action of
the city council Of Philadelphia, a