The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-01-17
GIBBONS SERMONON WAR.
THE BALTIMORE CARDINALS
OPINIONS.
Interesting Sermon on War in Relation
To Christianity and to our own
Country-Imperialism and Militarism.

BALTIMORE, Jan. 6.-Cardinal Glib
bons today delivered a sermon at high
mass i'm the cathedral i'm which he re-
viewed briefly the events of the century
just closed with special reference to the
wars which have been wagd during that
period as a preface to an urgent plea
for universal peace. He incidentally
touched upon the subject of the pro-
posed increase Of the standing army in
this country, pointing out the evil re-
suits arising from the maintenance of
large bodies of armed men in Europe
and expressed the hope that similar
conditions may never obtain in this
country.
Cardinal Gibbons began by saying
that the mission of Christ was one of
peace. He continued:
Before the advent of Christ, war was
the rule, peace the exception, throughout
the world. But although wars are less
frequent and less inhuman in the Girls
tian dispensation than in pagan times,
it must be confessed that we ae as yet
far removed from the millennium of
universal peace.
AT this moment, after an enormous
expenditure of men and money, Eng
land is endeaVoring to bring to sue
cessful close her war with the South
African republics. 1t is stated that this
campaign will cost England six hun
dred million dollars.
And how does our own country
stand on the subject of war? Although
the cornerstone of the constitution is
peace with all nations and entangling
ALLIANCES with none, we have had on our
hands four wars in the century just
brought to a close. In 1872 we were en-
gagged in the war with Great Britain,
which was justifiable on our part be-
cause it was a war of defence. In 1916
the Mexican war occurred. Our terri
bic 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
campaign our Imagination revels in the
contemplation of the heroic achieve
ments of famous generals. We listen
with rapture to the clash of arms, the
shouts of the vctors and the sound of
martial music. We seem to catch the
spirit of enthusiasm by which the COM
batants were animated.
But we take no note of the shrieks
and agonies of the soldiers wetering in
their blood on the battlefields. We have
no thought of the sick and wounded ly-
ing in hospitals and prisons. We are
unmindful of sorrowing wives and
mothers weeping and signing for the
loved ones far away.
1T is subject of great concern to
the friends of the gospel of peace that
Christian Europe presents today the
spectacle of huge military camp.
May God so guide our Legislators and
statesmen that they may never be be-
trayed into initiating European govern
ments by the establishment of formida-
BILE standing armies. God forbid that
we ourselves, flushed with recent VIC
tories should ever become intoxicated
with the wine of imperialism, of militia
rism, but may we always follow the
traditions of the fathers of the republic
Hitherto we have presented to the
world beautiful spectacle Europeans
accustomed at home to meet a soldier
or gendarme at every street corner, on
arriving in this country have been fill
ed with surprise and admiration that a
nation Of so vast an extent and with
such an immense population contains
an army of only $4,000 men. They have
been forcibly impressed with the fact
that they can travel from Maine to
California without meeting a single
soldier. They see that every citizen of
the United States is a soldier without
uniform, engaged in the active pursuits
or life and ready at a moments notice
to defend his country. They would feel
that we are strong nation because we
cheerfully bow to the majesty of the
law, and are not confronted and intimi-
dated by military satraps. May this
fair picture never be defaced.
God grant that the new century
which has just dawned upon us may
lnaurate new era of peace"