The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-12-24
Visions of Peace.


eleventh chapter Of the book of his
prophecies and which panoramically pre-
sents the brute creation in a state Of alb
solute harmony. the human element being
represented by little child who shall
lead them and control them, IS yet far
away from rehabilitation. Yet ever and
again the world returns to the conternpla
ton Of the vision Of the little child fond
ling the adder and dominating the beasts
of prey. who, forget in the innocent pres
ence, their instructive ferooity and preda-
tory impulses. The spirit Of the time is
the spirit Of peace, and grass grows over
the path which leads to the door Of the
Janus temple, for, theoretically at least,
the worshippers bring no votive offerings
into the temple during the Christmas
! tide. 'a
Would that it were so actually! In the
octave of the Christmas festival Chris
tendon should contemplate the vision of
peace with it's central figure Of little
child leading the dooile world powers,
represented by members of the brute
creation naturally in perpetual warfare
spirit of peace. Yet where is the peace?
All Christendom bristles with bayonets
and the sea is plowed by the keels of
ever multiplying fighting machines and
the weaker nations are still preyed upon
by the. stronger. Great Britain, whose
e statesmen declared forty years ago that
she had abandoned all schemes Of con-
nd S,,%a~ T..
tanning peace between the civilized ma
tons. has only recently emerged from a
three-years' bloody war of conquest, and
is Strengthening both army and navy to
maintain her position as world power.
There Is no diminution Of ornaments and
the czar's rescript of peace has been rele-
gated to the limbo of autocratical pre-
lenses. while the Hohenzollern and the
Frenchman keep up the military and
naval strain, and the Turk. suspicious OF
his protested European friends, is scrap
ing together his ultimate piasters ia
strengthen himself against possible sur.
prises.
Yet there Is a distinct tendency tc
avoid war If possible. Indeed, the inter.
national tribunal Of arbitration at The
Hague, near. the waters Of the German
ocean. Is complemental of the statue O,
Liberty Enlightening the World in the
harbor of New York on the opposite shore
Of the Atlantic. The town clerk Of Ephe
sus told Demetrius and his fellow silver.
smiths, who had resolved themselves int
a mob. that ''the courts are open ant
there fn lat
resort" The arbitration court at The
Hague stands a continual and blisterine
reproof to the nations who organized i
voluntarily but who continue to arm ant
prepare for war Just as If they wer,
ashamed that they ever met together IL
the interest of International peace. Ye
it is not fair to assign to them such s
spirit and temper The Hague tribuna
IS a silent and eloquent reproof, which
has already begun to be needed. It re-
fleets the vision Of the little child leading
the docile and reconciled world-powers
It speaks with an eloquence which mus
be needed. It Is an advance in the prog
ress Of International law which is tn
law Of the PROCESS OF civilization itself
It is the expression of the principles O
eternal morality and Justice. Whethe
the Venezuela embodiment is settled b,
The Hague tribunal or by President Roose
welt as arbitrator it will be triumph o
the principles underlying the determine
tions of the peace congress at The Hague
which brought into existence the tribuna
of arbitration. The day is past when tn
spirit of the more ancient Romans cal
maintain a footing. In the old Latin tn
term hosts expressed both a strange
and an enemy and the old Romans live,
in perpetual war with their neighbors.
We may not look for the millennium a
an early date. We may not look for an
realization Of Golden Rule Jones' socia
state. wherein avoided as murder
for some wars are unavoidable, as TIL
war for our independence of Great Britai
and the war for the preservation of tn
union. We may, however look for deepe
studiousness on the part of the world
powers how to compose international dis
putes without war and by peaceful arbi
trament. We may look for a greater will
ingness on the part Of these powers 70