The independent., 1903-04-23
HARDYs COLUMN
JUSTICE VERSUS WAR.

was dependent upon lIiulNiuudl uiuo~
cu1ar strength. The war club, battle
axe, sword, spear, bow and sling were
the chief implements of war. Late
years victory is more dependent upon
guns and accurate aim. The more
deadly the implements of war the less
frequent come wars and less numer-
GUS are battles, and both of shorter
duration A large proportion OF an
cient history is filled with the account
OF wars and battles. Wars were
heightened out to a half score of
years and battles occupied days.
Deadly gases may be discovered that
when dropped from a balloon or
thrown in a shell may cause hun
dred times more deaths than a can
non ball, thus wars and battles may
be still further shortened.
There is now no need OF the sun
and moon standing still that battle
may be completed for they seldom last
more than an hour or two. Really the
Bible does not say that the sun and
moon ever did stand still. 1t was Sc
written in the book of Jasher, but
who Jasher was no one knows. He
may have been a newspaper reporter
and they are--quite likely to stretch
facts.
Self-defense seems universal law
in all grades of animal life and to
some extent in vegetable life. Not
only the euadrupeds, but birds, rep
tiles, fishes and insects manifest the
quality of self-defense. In vegetables
the corn husk, walnut shucks, the
burrs and thorns are all means OF
self-defense and self-protection.
There are two sides to every war
uuestion-the defensive and the ag-
gressive, the just and the unjust, bet
terment and degradation.
Even self-defense was not sane
toned in the human race to it's full
extent by our Savior. Instinct seems
to sanction attack and defense in the
animal, but in the human reason and
Judgment should dwarf that feeling,
and crush it out. The methods and
fruits of Christian bearing may be
seen in the life of William Penn. Even
the North American Indians recog-
nized and respected the Christian
principles he represented. AS ma
tional sample of today we would cite
Switzerland. She has no standing
army, no navy and no arsenals OF any
account. Her people are among the
most intelligent. Not native man or
woman can be found who cannot read.
Justice between nations is of the
same color and stamp as between in
dividua1s. The idea that nations and
acorporations have no soul and under
no moral obligation is all wrong.
The dove and lamb were chosen to
represent Christianized humanity. The
tiger and the hawk would represent
the war spirit, Animals meet and
test each others strength without the
least motive, good or bad. Nations
usually have selfish motives, either
good or bad.
The Israelites may have been mis-
taken in interpreting Gods war or"
ders. The best of men are sometimes
mistaken. If Christ had been theit
leader in place of Moses and Joshua
we have faith to believe there would
have been less fighting. We are la
BILE to twist our selfishness and our
-coveteusness tc represent Gods will,
If Christ had been at the Brook
Kishon, in person, We doubt whether
he would have sanctioned the murde:.
of those $50 prophets of Baal. Elijah
may have been mistaken; if he had
been sure he was right he never would
have run and hid from Jezebel in
fear. For God could have thwarted
her as easily as he burned the Offer
ing. Christ ordered Peter to put up
his sword and yet the men whom
Peter intended to smite were meaner
than the prophets of Baal.
The standard of justice varies; it
is becoming more elevated and more
refined A few years ago it was con-
sidered just and right for man to
correct his wife by whipping. Della
ware provided that he should not use
a whip thicker than mans thumb.
So it was considered just for master
to whip his slave Or sell him. There
is a growing sentiment against one
race of people ruling another race.
Many things we sanction today may
be outlawed in a hundred years.
War and justice seldom go hand in
hand. Injustice as a rule is the foun-
dation and motive power of war. Let
us take Queen Victoria's wars and
our own for samples. Her first war