Evening journal., 1901-12-16
MONDAY. DECEMBER 10, 1901
..I.Er us HAvEl rEACEv

"IET US HANEi PEACE
The Peace Conference, which has
boen in session in Philadelphia for the
last few days. and which was attended
bv Friends of all branches and from
an parts of the country, expressed its
sentiments in a series Of resolutions
before adjourning. One cannot but
have the profoundest respect for the
organization which was so numerously
renreeented and the fulminations
against war as a statement Of an ideal
condition. must meet the approval OF
all right-thinking men.
The Friends have always stood for
peace and as opposed to ostentation-
Their simple and frugal lives have per-
hans been more eloquent for peace
than their public utterances, however
forcible they may have been. In any
community the Friend stands for char
acter and life eQuable and temperate.
Notwithstanding his reluctance TO
compel men to perform their just oDh-
cations by process of law, he almost
invariably by the exercise Of prudence
and thrift is blessed with sufficient of
the worlds goods. No one can doubt
that from the time Of the coming Of
Penn TO the present moment the
Friend has exercised a powerful and
benefcent influence upon all affairs Of
this country. public and private
But the demand for peace among all
the nations of the earth still seems
like a splendid dream and as we are
told the object seems no nearer reali-
cation than IL was a century, or even
two centuries ago. If there could be-
an agreement reached whereby all the
nations OF the earth would decide to
settle an disputes by courts Of arbitra-
tion. the sword might be placed in the
scabhard never to be withdrawn. But
all would not agree to such compact,
and as each has relations with all,
there is stll the possibility of dis
agreement between a contracting and
a non-contracting power. To assume
that no nation is ever justified in go
ing to war. is to assume that national
existence is a thing to be parted with
before people will dosist from the
ways OF peace Suppose America
should declare. and maintain as a poll
icy, that under no circumstances, even
for defense. would she appeal to arms.
Docs anyone suppose she would be inn
mune from insult, invasion and dis
memberment?
But suppose court of arbitration
should be established, having the as
sent of every power on earth is it rea-
sonable to suppose that certain ones
would not withdraw from such a COM
pact when it seemed the interest of
each to do so? And what then
Would the other nations enforce the
original agreement? II so. their only
weapon would be the sword.
In this the Friends are idealists, and
ideals are salutary and necessary. All
ideal is never realized literally and
yet when steadily maintained, they be-
come realities in part. 1t may be tru,
lit is true-that the idea for whicl
the Friends stand has been making an
impression on the dominant minds o
the great nations of the earth. Ger
tain il is that differences which woull
formerly have caused war are nov
settled by a little diplomacy. But il
Justice it should be said that this stat
is due to a better understanding Of tn
awful possibilities of armed conflict
and to the doctrines taught by tn
whole religious world.
Perhaps before dismissing the sui
iect it is necessary to notice that tn
greatest conservators Of peace are IN
enlightened. powerful, yea, Christia
nations whose great armies and flee
stand as a guarantee of peace and
menace to war. Without an army or
navy the countries of South Ameri
would soon be overrun with the armi
of Europe, each bent on the extensi'
of empire. Our Monroe Doctrine,
may be answered. stands I'm the W;
But that doctrine would be so mu
waste paper without our floating b
terles to back it up. And yet we jo
our prayer to that Of the Friends; "
us have peace"
.r. go - ,r...-.,s tf..t t,o hoe