Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1901-08-27

In New England. irresponsible scan
dal or misrepresentation is not free
speech; and no true man asks the least
immunity from full responsibility for
what he says; but return abuse or
personal attacks are not free speech.
Truth freely spoken in good faith is
free speech. In that only mean to
indulge.
a great event. truly great event
followed by amazing consequences,
has marked for our country the close
of the last and the opening OF this
century. I mean, Of course, our Span
ish war. What was its character and
what have been its consequences?
We may concede that war is natural
and inevitable. We may admit that 1t
is sometimes justifiable, possibly some
times necessary. Self-dcfense, the de-
fense Of liberty, or government, Of
national life, even of national rights,
are perhaps the clearest cases of what
we call righteous, or justifiable OF
necessary war. But war can never
be more than ultima ratio, il ratio at
all; never less than gigantic waste
and woe. Even by these high tests
1t has been casy, as we know, fol
nations, for rulers, and for individuals
to persuade themselves, to persuade
so-called moralists, to persuade histor
inns, that almost all the great histori
cal wars were just and glorious. Yet
| suppose no careful thinker claims
more for war than that it must al
ways be regarded as the last remedy
never to be begun, never to be waged
never to be defended, except in cases
where all other remedies have failed
and all efforts to avoid it have beel
unavailing. Public morality is defcd
moral standards are set at naught
when war is wagcd or defended fo
any ends attainab1c by other means
If this be not So | know not wha
public morality, or morality Of an.
kind means.
Many of the defenses of war-so
| nn 1Ia1 nbilncnnhtn,l l.
these standards at once cut off, and /
not discarded are dlscredited and con
demned. Some able men have loudi
and confidently asserted that war
what they call a patriotic war, bl
which means only II popular war;
good for a people and for individuals
: You will all recall the speeches an
; writings of Mr.. Roosevelt and of Chic
Justice. Holmes, as well as the poetr
and prose of Rudyard Kipling.
Now do not admit that this is
matter of opinion. There are rule
: of conduct-rules prescribed by tn
highest moral sense Of mankind, an
by the consenting moral judgment @
the best and greatest men, as well a
by the spirit, precepts and example G
: the founder of Chirstianity-whic
cannot be spared to the wholesal
, slaughter of men except as dire an
S last resort. Human life is sacred q,
cept when necessity compels its tai
ing. IL this Is doubted or denied. thel
! is for me no possibility of morality {
= moral reasoning. 10 sacrifice huma
y life by the thousands on a single ba
@ tleteld Is primarily and of itself
$ dreadful thing. If strictly necessal
S 1t may be done with good conscienc
s but 1t is of itself demoralizing, d
d humanizing, in its essential charact,
+ and in its natural effects. If fiji
d moral character, noble NOR
u standards, have survived Il
u practice, and even the pr
= fesson, of arms, 1t has not been b
q cause war is good or productive of his
g character or noble qualities. 1t ca
: not be so. Grapes do not come fro
IS thorns. The work OF slaughterlng h
= man beings-and this is war in /
II naked reality--cnnnot be ennobling.
% the cause Of the war, the slaughte
Is truly inspiring, It may and does II
d the soldier and the general above Il
1, horrld work he does; but war view,
o In any light except its great ends, |
s lofty and pure causes, Is necessari
S and always inherently lesson
s slavery, II step backward toward ba
{ barism.
n l assert these positions upon expel
e ence. experience of my own and
y others, as well rs upon secure NOR
grounds. The doctrines OF our Roos
=. velts, our Holmeses, and our Kiplin
II are. in Millions powerful phrase mer
It ly "new-vomlted paganIsm."
II DO YOU point me to moral heroes wi
l. were warriors llfe-long? bow b
ai fore such heroes. many; but l ha
ID never heard of one such who ever lis
b. cd his love of war ifsnlf. rnu x,,hn Il