New-York tribune., 1900-11-16
CAPTAIN MAHAN ON WAR
HE DISCUSSES ITS RELATION
TO CHRISTIAN ACHINGS.
CONSCIENCE MUST BE THE JUDGE OF
ITS BUSINESS, HE sAYs-OTHER
NOTABLE PAPERS.
TBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUSE.I

morning session OF the Episcopal Cnurcn CON
gress. The Rev. Everett P. Smith. Of Lewiston
Idaho. read a paper concerning missionary WORK
in China and Japan. The Rev. Percy S Grant
OF the Church of the Ascension New-York, re-
lated matters which had come under his own
personal observation in Asia. The Rev. Arthur
s. Lloyd, General Secretary of the Board Oh
Missions of the Episcopal Church, said ne
believed that the time would soon come when
for il TO be possible for child to be born INTO
the world without opportunities would be
crime and a sacrilege The Right Rev. Sidney
Partridge Bishop of Kiote. Japan, gave evil
dence as 10 the social progress made by the
Chinese and Japanese under Christian in
nuences. The Rev Mr.. Osborne Of Boston, and
formerly of Cape Town, spoke OF some faVor-
able results Of missionary work in South AFRICA
All Of these writers and speakers agreed that
the missionaries performing great work
among benighted people, and that Asiatics, as
soon as they became converted to Christianity,
became far better citizens and more useful to
their fellows than ever before.
At this evenings session Of the congress the
topic considered was. War from the Christian
Point Of View" The fame of the leading
speaker Captain A. T. Mahan, attracted a large
audience. Captain Mahan. in opening the dis
cussion of War from a Christian Point of
View said:
I'm approaching the consideration OF this ques-
ton we are confronted by the fact that a wide
spread feeling exists that cannot be recon-
ciled with the principles or practices Of Chris
tianity. This feeling rejects the proposition
that war is remedial in its results The
speaker maintained that is justified as an
element of human progress. yet war is not In
all circumstances justified he said For wars
Of conquest, or dynasty wars he had no words
of defence. He said that the object Of a just
war is to destroy evil and to destroy the evil
doers. If necessary. War in certain conditions
Is clearly righteous; it is evil. but an evil.
He conceded the duty OF minimizing the fire.
quency OF wars. How are we to determine
whether or not a war is just? For the nation, as
well as for the individual conscience must be
the judge
Captain Mahan here went into a careful and
thorough discussion of the attitude Of Christ on
the employment of force. The speaker consid-
cred that the expulsion of the money changers
from the temple indorsed such under GER
tain conditions. He continued in part:
To follow out to the letter certain words Of
Christ as TO non-resstance would result in trans
ferrng all property to the idle and all control to
the vicious. These commands are to the indi-
vidual Christian. Such Christian, however,
would have right to surrender the rights OF
another. This applies especially to national
rulers. That force in municipal affairs is nee
essary and Christian is self-evident, and is COM
mended by st. Paul. If the evil doer be without
the gates Of the city, where is the difference in
principle? Shall the nation do right and suffer
do wrong and be at ease? The words OF our
Lord the question of resistance have been
quoted without their qualifying words and cir
cumstances. Peter used the sword Wrongfully
and was reprimanded Later our Lord showed
that. under different circumstances he was ia
vorable to force On one occasion he said: He
that hath sword let him sell his coat and
buy one" He clearly meant to advise his fol-
lowers to neglect no ordinary precautions, and
clearly recommended self-defence by force Of
arms He willed TO allow evil to work its will on
him, and spoke and advised accordingly. Such
knowledge we do possess. We have our nat
ural faculties, and have the sword committed to
us, with conscience to direct il.
Honest collision between mankind is evidently
a law Of progress, whether its origin be a law
of law of God.
The Rev. L. H. schwab of New-York upheld
the idea that war is irreconcilabe with Chris
on Christianity is the negation of Christianity.
Many claim that war develops all the sturdy
very ideals of civic virtue. This may be true
In Providence. bat it is quite the reverse in
New-York.
E. H. Crosby of New-York followed. The Rev
St Clair Hester, OF Brooklyn, n. Y. delivered
an eloquent eXhortaton against war. He was
followed by DR.. Mcconnell, of Brooklyn, who
defined warfare under certain circumstances
There are horrors Of peace well as of war"
he said. Appeals to force, however. should be
just"
The Rev. Dr. Van De Water of New-York.
made an impassioned speech in reply to Mr.
Crosby's criticism Of the Church as the sponsor
for and defender of war. He spoke as one who
knew what war was from personal observation
When he saw the starving children in Cuba he
said to himself that all the suffering and death
Of the Spanish war was as nothing to putting
an end TO such conditions.
Bishop Hail. of Vermont spoke briefly In the
same vein.
CHRISTIAN WAR IMPOSSIBLE
Ernest H Crosby. of New-York, said in the
course of his address:
War is the symptom of hate"
klpling. the poet laureate OF brute force sneaks
aeviseoly Of the hate that backs the hand which
SENDS the torpedo on Its mission of destruction"
In his Q<ipling's) Drums the Fore and Aft.
ne says. You must employ either blackguards or
gentlemen to do butchers work with efficiency"
"A well known American officer summed ,In 81 =
situation at Santiago when he urged his rnep 20
give the Spaniards hell"
War Is hate. Christianity is love- On which
Side is the Church of Christ TO be ranged7"
ar is NELL The Church should be the Kirg
oem OF Heaven What truce can there be betvea,
theTn?" 0e'"eeii
And yet the fact is that the Church favors ,,a
Can you recall a single sermon criticisine yvar.
fare9' war
In England among the recent leading onnona,..
o. war have been Harrison, the postivist; Spencar
the aghostic' and Morley, the atheist while tbs
whole influence OF the bench of bishops has bean
thrown on the side of bloodshed"
In France the Church gave its unwayerine s,n
pefi TO the military conspiracy against Drevfrs
and left IL to the free thinker Zola N shon
What would Jesus do.'"
In Germany and Russia IL (the Church, Is the
nainstay OF military despotism. In our own coun
Try what has she done to stay the arm of v,olsnoe9
In the vigorous movement TO prevent war she has
been almost silent"
am constrained TO assert. as the result OF INV
observations. that the churches are the chief
sfrorghoios of the spirit of war"
There is just way TO overcome war .na
that Is by the spirit Of love and heaven II IS i'm.