The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-23
LYMAN ABBOTT ON WAR.
TELLS cOSGREGATIOHALIs ERA OF
PEACE rs NOT AT HAND.

Says There IL No Really Christian Nation.
BosToN. Sept DIR. Lyman Abbotts adj
dress on International Relations and hespon-
eibilitios" wns the feature OF this mornings
session OF the International CongreRauonhi
Council. DR.. Abbott spoke against protective
tariff. on general principles. and favored inc
open. door policy. On the subject oil war
Dr.Abbott touched upon The Hague feace Son-
ference and went on to say;
Are wars then at an end1 No IL the ma
lions OF Christendom honestly accept and con.
scientifically carry out tho principles implied ana
the methods adopted by the conference at inc
Haugue. are wars at an end? No. Wheh All
tho kingdoms OF the world have become the
kingdom OF Our Lord and OF His CHRIST. war
will cease. Whom all the Kingdoms OF the
world recognize law as substitute for war;
and yield allegiance to conscience and REASON
as interpreted by an impartial tribunal ana en-
forced by international public opinion. war
will cease. Until that time war will be an Gees
sary means for Fastening the advent OF that
unity Of all Kingdoms In one kingdom. founded
on law. enforced by reason and conscience.
which will be the kingdom OF God
Wherever reason and conscience are incapa-
Bile OF compelling obedience to law. armed
force must do so. whether it be in the family.
the school. tho CITY or the larger community OF
nations. The Armenians appeal to the law ia
win. for it Ia under the law. and by the con-
nivance. IL not the direction OF the Sultan. the
lawgiver. that they are robbed and murdered.
The law. which has no right to exist except as
1t protects their lives and property. is itself de-
stroyinE their lives. violating their homes.
burning their crops and buildings. They nr-
peal TO tho public opinion OF Chrlstendom In
vain. for thcre Is nothing in the conscience OF
the Turk to respond to the indignant con-
science Of European peoples.
Tho Cuban In piaged for three centurie a.
A constituencies bureaucracy holds him pros
trate with one hand and plumbers him with the
other. He appeals to law in vain. Law looks
on Mathematician law which consigned men
to prisons whom we found there. they them
solves not knowing. no one else knowing. what
wns the complaint against them. Cain is his
brothers keeper. The blood that cries to God
for vengeance speaks a language which human
ears can hear. The strong owe q duty to the
weak. the rich to the poor. the wise to tho lg-
norant. Armenia ought not to have been left
to CRY In vain to Europe for help. Americans
have a right to be glad that Cuba cried not In
vain to America"
There are those who hold that the precept
and example Of Jesus Christ taught US that
we are never to use force do not 80 under
stand the teaching of Him who said that He
came to bring q sword on the earth nor the
example OF Him who drove the constituencies
traders from the Temple. without any attempt
whatever at diplomacy. Cancellation or arbi-
tration. The current Interpretation OF Christ
10. In this respect, believe, the right one.
1t is that tho resort to force is always a last
resort: that force 10 never to bc appealed to
80 long az there 10 hope. even by patient wait
ing. for redress from an awakened reason and
conscience. But whore conscience and reason
are wanting. and either despotism rules by
the Redeemed sword or anarchy runs it's wild
uck the ChriRtian rnust maef avorl With
sword. and awaken conscience and reason
| through the wholesome fear OF q stronger
| arm.
When We encounter any OF the criminal
| class who are Indifferent to public opinion and
| not amenable to reason and console noe. the
| most nou-resistant among us does not hest
| tate to call on the policeman for his trun-
cheon. What the rod is over the lawless pu-
pill. what the policeman's truncheon is over
| the lawless criminal. that the armies Of the
! civilized world are. and ought to be. over those
| communities that are so ill-civilized a. to be
| indifferent to considerations OF reason and Of
| justice. Law Is the foundation Of civilization.
| the basis oflife.
| "Despotism is rot the only foe to civilization;
| anarchy 10 a greater foe.
| To sum all up in q single sentence. in the
international relations Of the future. tho king
| doms OF the world will be one kingdom OF
| terpreted only by reason. enforced only by
| conscience. q kingdom OF human liberty be-
| cause OF voluntary obedience to divine law.
| The Christian nations are responsible to
| hasten the coming OF that day. not only by pro-
| noting material development commercial
| freedom and international law as interpreted
by an international tribunal. but also by estab-
| fishing by individual or united action. In bar
| barrie and lawless com munitos. that law which
Ia. tka I.tf - atx;li anA
| basis Of liberty and life"
President Angel called for nve-minuts
speeches on the subject Of DR.. Abbotts ad-
| dress. and among those who responded was
| DIR. Philip 3. hoxom who In his remarks said:
We all look with gratitude on the closer feel
| ing Of unity which to-day exists between Great
Britain and the United States This feeling is
greater than difference Of geographical lines.
| 1t marks the supremacy OF law and tho coming
| OF q stable and bensncent peace. a movement
| more important than any other In this century.
There 10 a certain sentimentality mistaken for
| sentiment. 1t springs from the idea that true
| discipline absolutely dispenses with force.
| Such an idea belongs only to the ideal"
The Rev. DR.. MacKennal OF England spoke
| On The Christian Attitude Toward War In the
| Light Of Recent Events" Dr. MscRsnnal did
not touch on the Philippine question. He
thought the present strained relations between
En8lono anu tno lranoVhal were que TO the
| fact that neither Of the two nations Understood
| the grandeur OF their opportunity In Christian
| brotherhood. At the close he said:
There will DO no end to the liability OF war
| until nations are Christian In the sense that
| many men and women are so and In this sense
there 10 not and never has been. q Christian
nation. The Hague conference has brought
us liRht-more than CLEAN Of light. 1t Is like
the dawning OF the day. The nations have
| been told to look to arbitration as means of
preventing war. and methods by which to
| make II effective have been suggested Ono
| great cause OF war Is this neither man nor
nations will believe they are wrong when they
| arc Judges In their own cause"
In the afternoon there was reception at the
| Nendome And in the evening the Rev. Charles
| H. Brown Of Oakland. Cal. and the Rev J. D.
| Jones OF Dournemouth. England. read papers
on "Distnetive characteristics OF ChrIstienity"
| DIR. 4. NJ. Falrbnirn OF Oxford. England. also
| Other Religions upon Christian Theology"
|
| NHnI--