The Savannah morning news., 1901-01-07
A PLEA FOR PEACE
CARDINAL GIBBONS REVIEW of
THE CENTURY.
CHRISTS MISSION TO MEN.
SPECIAL REFERENCE sIADE TO THE
WARS OF THE PERIOD.

The Century Drenched with Blood.
4 Melancholy Fact That 1000
Years of Christianity Have Not
Succeeded In Esta bIishfnE the
Reign of Peace-The Standing
Armies OF Europe To-AAS Like
Clouds SurcbnrRed with RIectrIcI-
ty.
Baltimore. Jan. 6-Cardinal Gibbons to-
day delivered a sermon at high mass in
the cathedral in which he reviewed, brief
Is, the events of the century just closed,
with special reference to the wars which
have been waged during that period, as a
preface to an urgent plea for universal
peace. lie incidentally touched upon the
subject of the proposed increase of the
standing army in this country, pointing
out the evil results arising from the
maintenance Of large bodies of armed
men in Europe and expressed the hope
that similar conditions may never OBJ
tain in ths country.
The sermon was as follows:
Isaiah, chapter lx.-'The mission of
Jesus Christ on earth was a mission of
peace. He came to establish in our
hearts 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 man TO
the friendship of God by sacrifice of His
life on the cross. He tells us that this
peace Is to be nominated by the observ-
ance of the commandments, There is
much peace, o Lord to those that keep
Thy law and for them there is no
stumbling block
He has taught us to have peace with
our neighbor by observing the eternal
principles of Justice and charity, by doing
unto others what we would wish others to
do unto us. And he tells us that we will
have peace with ourselves by keeping our
passions subject to reason and our rea-
son subject to faith.
But Christs 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 socet nd the commonwealth
Before the a. ent Of Christ, war was
; the rule, peace the exception, through
out thr world. So regular, incessant and
5 habitual was war before the coming OF
our Savior that the sacred writer In the
Book of Kings speaks Of certain season
of the year as the usual period for the
re-opening of hostllt'es
I'm Pagan Rome the temple of Janus
was closed i'm time of peace and kept open
in time of war. From the reign of Tullus
Hostilius the third King Of Rome, to
Augustus Caesar, a 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 nhuman in the Christian d.spen-
sation than in Pagan times II must be
confessed that we are. as yet, far re-
moved 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 Saviors birth in Bethlehem.
although these words have been re-
sounding throughout the world for nearly
two thousand years and though Chris
tanity is the prevailing religion in Eu-
rope, it is a melancholy reflection that IL
has not yet succeeded in arresting war
and establishing the permanent reign Ct
peace on that continent. In fact, the nine
teenth century, from its dawn to it's sun
set. has witnessed an almost continuous
scene of sanguinary struggles between
the nations Of Christian Europe.
"At the close of the eighteenth century
we find the allied forces of the Russian
empire and the Kingdom OF Prussia in
vading Poland, and after heroic resist
ance under the leadership OF Kosciusco
(who had previously drawn his sword IN
behalf of American independence)s the
Kingdom of Poland was subdued and dis
I ma fftfonaA hafWQeU
Russia. Austria and Prussia.
From the beginning of the nineteenth
century till 1915, the great Napoleon was
engaged in a series of the most colossal
and sanguinary engagements which set all
Europe ablaze. Napoleon encountered
the whole OF Europe, and was generally
victorious until the memorable battle Of
Waterloo when he was defeated and his
sun was set. History justly accords TO
him the title of the greatest military gem
eral of his age.
About the middle of the century oc-
CURED the Crimean War in which the al
lied forces Of England France and Tur-
key fought and defeated the Russians.
"a few years later, hostilities broke QUE
between Austria and the combined forces
of France and Italy. Austria was over
come in the battle OF Solferino and was
obliged to surrender her italian provinces
I'm 1870 the Franco Prussian War took
nlace. which proved so disastrous to the
French empire. Beside an enormous war
indemnity France was compelled 20 trans
fer 10 Prussia two of her provinces-Al-
SAGE and Lorraine.
And at this moment, after an enormous
expenditure Of men and money, England
IS endeavorng to bring to successful
close her war with the South African
republics 1t Is stated that this cam
paign will cost England $500 100000.
And how does our own country stahd
on the subject of war; Although the cor
nerstone of the Constitution Is peace with
all nations and entanglug alliances with
none 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 justihable o0
our part, because II was war of defense.
In 1916 the Mexican war occurred. oar
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 ny
US. OF all her foreign possessions.
: when we read OF great military
campaign our imagination reveis In ths
contemplation OF the heroic achievements
of famous generals. We listen with RAP.
ture to the clash OF arms, the shouts OF
the vlctors, and the sound OF martial
music. We seem 10 catch the spirit OF en-