The age-herald., 1901-01-07
CARDINAL GIBBONS
 GREAT DISCOURSE
His Eminence Breaches on War
 and Peace
MOST TIMELY DISCUSSION
Review of Bloody Annals and a Fervent Prayer for Deliverance from l! Sanguinary strugeIes-Warn- ing to American Government.

Baltimore, January 6-At the late mass at the cathedral this morning, vast throng was present as usual, and it being the first Sunday of the month Cardinal Gibbons was the preacher His eminence, opening the Bible at the 50th chapter of Isaiah, spoke as follows:
 '"rhe mission of Jesus Christ on earth was mission of peace. He came to estab- fish in our hearts a triple peace, peace with God, peace with our neighbor, and peace with ourselves. Mans peace with God was dissolved by his rebellion against his Maker Christ came to restore manNto the friendship of God by sacrifice of His life on the cross. He tells us that this peace is to be maintained by the observance of the Commandments. There is much peace, o Lord, to those that keep Thy law and for them there is no stumbling block.
 1"He has taught us to have peace with our neighbors by observing the eternal principals of justice and charity, by doing unto others what we would wish others to do unto us And he tells that we will have peace with ourselves by keeping our passions subject to reason and our reason subject to faith.
 But Christ's mission of peace had wider scope than to the individual man. His mission was also to bring peace to the family and society. As the God of peace which He is called by St. Paul. He brings peace to the human heart. As the Father of peace, He brings peace to the family, and as the Prince of peace, as He is called by Isaiah, he brings peace to society and the commonwealth.
 Before the advent of Christ, war was the rule, peace the exception, throughout the world. So regular incessant and habit ual was war before the coming of our Saw -four that the sacred writing in the Book of Kings speaks of a certain season of the year as the usual peItod for the reopening of hostiities.
 Tn Pagan Rome the temple of Janus was closer in time of peace and kept open in time of war From the reign of Tullus Hos tilius, the third King of Rome, to Angus tus Caesar, period covering SIX hundred and fifty years, the temple was closed only for six years. So that Rome enjoyed only six years of tranquility against six hundred and forty-four of warfare.
 But although wars are less frequent and less inhuman in the Christion dispensation pnat in Pagan times it must be confessed that we are, as yet, far removed from the millennium of universal peace.
 "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men of good will was the song of the angels on the night of our Savior birth in Bethlehem.
 Although these words have been re- sounding throughout the woriu Tor nearly two thousand years, and though Christianl- ty is the prevailing religion in Europe, it is 6 melancholy reflection that it has not yet succeeded in arresting war and establish ing the permanent reign of peace on that continent. In fact the nineteenth century, from it's dawn to it's sunset, has witnessed an almost continuous scene Of sangunary struggles between the nations of Christian Europe"
 After sketching Europe's bloody history during the century just ended the Cardinal said
 Our War Record.
 And how does our own country stand on the subject of war? Although the cor ner-stone of the constitution is peace with all nations and entangiing alliances with none, we have had on our hands four wars In the century just brought to close. In 1872 we were engaged Tn the War with Great Britain, which was justifiabe on our part because it was a war of defense. In ls46 the Mexican war occurred. Our terri ble Civil War began in 1861, lasting four years, and We have recently closed the war with Spain, which resulted in the loss to her, and in the acquisition by us, of all her foreign possessions.
 When we read of a great military cam paign, our imagination revels in the con- temptation of the heroic achievements of famous generals. We listen with rapture to the clash of arms, the shouts of the yictors, and the sound of martial music. We seem to catch the spirit of enthusiasm by which the combatants were animated.
 But we take no note of the shfieks and agonies of the soldiers weltering in their blood on the battle field. We have no thought of the sick and wounded lying in hospitals and prisoners. We are unmind- ful of sorrowing wives and mothers at home weeping and signing for the loved ones far away. We do not picture to our selves the desolate homes, the Rachels bewaiing their children and would not be comforted because they are not.
 And how does our own country stand on the subject of war? Although the cor Eer-stone of the constitution is peace with all nations and entangling alliances with noe, we have had on our hands four wars In the century just brought to a close. In 1872 we were engaged in the war with Great Britain which was justifiable on our part because 1t was war of defense. In 1S4f the Mexican war occurred. Our terrible Civil War began in 1861, lasting four years, and we have recently closed the war with Spain, which resulted in the loss to her. and in the acquisition by us, of all her for eign possessions.
 The Cardinal as Volunteer.
 During the civil war served as vol unteer chaplain at Forth McHenry and Fort Marshall, and I had many occasions to contemplate the frightful calamities oc- casioned by war. General Sherman re- marked in his own blunt and expressive language that war was he'll Happening to converse with General Sherman, ques- tioned about his Virginia campaign. His face assumed an expression of sadness, and with mournful voice he said he hoped never to witness another war.
 Tt is not a mockery of justice and a scandal to the Pagan world, to see two Christian nations cutting each other s throat in the name of Christian civiMza- ton?