The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-06-20
ERROR EX CATHEDRAL.

According to the newspaper reports.
the Rt. Rev. Bishop w. f.. McLaren, in
his annual address before the Episcopal
diocesan council in Chicago the other
day uttered these surprising senti-
ments:
THE nation has entered upon war
with Spain. 1t is war for humanity
and civilization. War is one of the
greatest sources of good. / have no
sympathy with those sided doctrin-
aires who prate Of peace, only of peace.
Peace at any price often amounts to
peace at the expense of principle, right
eousness, manhood, and civilization.
1.-THE present war is a defense of prin-
ciples, which have been invaded and
trodden under foot by nation which
from the sixteenth century has misgov
erned colonies which she founded in
ruthless bloodshed and heartless greed
1t looks as If the God of nations had
fixed the period and the instrumental
| ity of Spanish chastsement.
ION the other hand, it Is apparent
| that this war may be productive Of
| great good to this nation. Times of
peace are times when human selfish
| ness runs riot War is a creator of
unselfshness and the development of
herosm in men,"
When the bishop declares that our
present war is a noble defense of prin-
| ciple, and when he justifies it because
| of its righteous motive, he has with him
! the profound approval Of all patriotic
| Christians But when he goes beyond
| this to fall into the rabid fallacies OF
/ jingoism, against which his people
should be solemnly warned. he presents
] strange spectacle for minister OF the
] Prince Of Peace. That all war is good
| because this war is good, is non Sc
| quitur. On the contrary, this war meets
Christian welcome simply because it is
J different from other wars. We do not
applaud this conflict because war is
wholesome, but because war is hellish
horrid and abominable and our attack
upon Spain is to put a stop to her war
upon helpless Cuba.
That "times Of peace are times when
| human selfishness runs riot" may be
| true upon the ground that man is al
| ways selfish, but, as compared with
times Of war, times Of peace are az
gardens of Eden. War may offer OPP
| portunities for more theatric, but not
for more real self-sacrifice and patriot
ism than peace affords. But it is noto-
| rious that war times are the hot-beo
| of cruelty, craftsmanship hatred, thiev-
cry. and every base and selfish passion
for which all the glory of the real he.
roes who nobly die for their country
connot make amends. The moral lesion
the financial heresies, the pension
frauds and the general decentralization
of our people subsequent to and conse'
quent upon the war Of the rebellion
were almost as bad as the death anc
disease Of battle. General Sherman
knew more intimately than the bishoI
the nature of war when he declared
sententiously: WAR is hell" instead
of looking upon war, therefore, as THE
creator of selfishness and the devel
opment of heroism in man." the CHRIS
tian minister should look upon 1T as
dread and awful scourge, made neces
sary by the devilish tyranny and sin o
men; a calamity we now accept as oul
unavoidable cross, which we will bea
manfully and loyalty, but which W.
will earnestly pray God may soon b
removed. War develops heroism indeed
So do burglars, thieves, assassins ant
footpads develop manhood to arres
them: so did the malignity of the Phar
isees develop Calvary; so did the dew
develop Christ; so does sin and foil!
develop righteousness and strength u
overcome them! What monstrous fal
lacy from a bishops chair!