The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-04
PEACE OUR NATIONAL HOPE.
SECRETARY HAY OPENS THE
BOSTON CONGRESS-.
welcomes the Delegates TO the Inter.
national MectinS-Our History Tends
Toward Peace, He Declares-Roose-
Welt working Ardently to This End.

national MectlnB-Our history lcDui
Toward Peace, He Declares-Roose.
Welt working Ardently to This End
BosToN. Oct S.-The International Peace
Congress- the thirteenth OF its kind, began
formally in fremont Temple this afternoon
with words Of greeting from Representatives
OF the nation. State and city. More thar
100 delegates have been registered. making
this congress the largest ever held.
The chief speaker to-day was the Hon
John Hay, Secretary Of State, who brought
the greetings of the President and wei.
coined the delegates in the name OF the
Government. The hall was crowded and
many persons were unable to obtain en-.
trance Residents OF this city knew the
limitations of the auditorium better than
did the delegates from abroad, and as a
result local people were first on hand and
secured the best seats. Not a few of the
distinguished visitors from the other side
found seats with difficulty. There was
much complaint over that.
The Temple was well decorated. Ropes
Of laurel outlined the galleries, festooned
about shields bearing the names of noted
peace workers of this and former genera
tons. High up on the organ loft was a
portrait of Senator Hoar. his name leading
all the rest, second only to the blazoned
sign of peace backed by white flags.
After a solo with chorus accompaniment,
Edwin d. Mead, who was chairman of the
meeting, introduced Secretary Hay.
Secretary Hay said;
esteem 1T d great honor and privilege to
be allowed to extend TO you the welcome
OF the Government and the people OF the
United States OF America on this memorable
more fitting for this gathering OF ii parliament
OF peace than to-day, when at the other end
OF the world the thunder OF destructive and
sanguinary war Is deaiening the nations
while here we are preparing to settle the
question of a vast transfer OF power by an
appeal to reason and orderly procedure.
cepted by so,oooooo Of people 81 place
could be more suitable than this high-hearted
city, which has been for nearly 800 years the
birthplace and the home of every idea OF
progress and enlightenment which has germi-
mated in the Western World.
To bid you welcome to the home OF Vane,
Of Winthrop. and of Adams. OF Claiming and
Emerson. is to give you the freedom OF no
mean city. to make you partakers Of spirit
opulence. we should be poor indeed: 1t is
true that this great Commonwealth has
sought. with the sword, peace under liberty:
traces in the pages OF its history and its liter.
ature; art has adorned the public. places Of
this stately town with the statues Of its heroic
sons But the dominant note OF its highest
culture, its most persistent spirit. has been
that righteousness which eTalteth q nation.
that obedience to the inner light which leads
along the paths of peace.
PEACE OUR NATIONAL POLICY.
And the policy of the nation at large, which
so Of It's civic sPb to the
of peace. During the. hundred and twenty
years of our independent existence we have
though we have had a most grievous and
dolorous struggle with our own people. We
have had, think. a greater relative immunity
our greatest men have been earnest adyo-
Gates of peace. The very men who founded
our liberties with the mailed hand detested
Jefferson repeatedly denounced 1.-THE one
with the lambent fire Of his wit.
But not our philosophers alone-our fight
ns is haG Se see at Of hS
said, My first wish is to see this plague TO
mankind banis sh, from the earth: and
Should not BE- s Wantonly or r annscesssrily
note in the utteranoes of our most eminent
soldiers on this subject, The most famous
utterances Of Gen Grant--the one which will
was the prayer Of his war-weary heart. Let
us have peace. Sherman. reached the
# Rs be A T q sasn
after the four terrible years In which he had
directed our vast armies and navies, uttered
that mighty
of war might speedily pass away"
ROOSEVELT A. FRIEND OF PEACE.
There has been no solution Of continuity
subject UP to this day; Mckinley deploreed
with every pulse Of bis honest and kindly
e m SfTs OF shs KS d xhsh he ahS
hailed the earliest moment for making peace
and President Roosevelt has the same tire
displayed when he sought peace and ensued
1t on the field OF battle. No Presidents In
our history have been so faithful and so
Of "' drerences / mention them together
because their, work has been harmonious
NV We hailed with Joy the generous initiative
Of the Russian EMPEROR and sent to the con;
in our civic and military life. When, the
Hague Court lsy T.. apparently wrecked , At
was the American Government which gave
II. the breath Of life by inviting the Republic
d % I'M second S nase @ w benre
il was at the instance OF Mr., Roosevelt who
declined in its favor the high honor Of arbi-
trating an affair OF worldwide Importance.
OUR RECENT USES OF ARMS.
beg you to believe 1t is not by way OF
Boosting that I recall these incidents to your
minds l. is Eather as profession Of faith
has deeply at heart that ask you to remem-
her in the deliberations upon which you are
entering the course to which the American
Government is pledged and which IL has
steadily pursued for the last seven wears
II is true that In those years we have had
hundred DAYS OF war-but they put an end
forever to bloodshed which had lasted gem
Grafton. We landed few platoons of ma
rines on the Isthmus last year: but that act
closed without n shot n sanRuinarv success
sion Of trivial wars. We marched u little
army 10 Pekin: but IL was to save, not only
the belea puered legations, but great inn |
perilled civilization. Fly mingled gentle |
meas and energy. to which most of the world
beyond our borders has done Justice we have !
given to the Philippines, IL not peace. at least
n nearer approach to Ii than they have had
within the memory OF men.
orr ARMY AT ITS MINIMUM.
II our example Ia worth anything to the !
world we have given 1t In the vital matter |
of disarmament. We have BROUGHT awny |
from the Far East So. 900 soldiers whose work |
was done, and have sent them back to the !
fields Of peaceful activity. We have re- |
duced our army TO its minimum OF CO. 900 |
men; in fact. we may say we have no army,
but in place OF one nucleus for drill and |
discipline. We have three-fourthe OF one
soldier for every thousand Of the popula-
tion--a proportion which. u adopted by other
Powers, would at once eliminate wars and
rumors Of wars from the, daily thoughts Of
the CHANGER es OF the world.
But fixed ne our tradition is, clear as Is
our purpose in the direction Of peace. no
country is permanently immune to war so
n h. tn atr at,I . ,aV