The San Francisco call., 1904-10-04

John Hay, representing the United
States of America, spoke the word of
welcome this afternoon to the dele
gates to the International Peace Con-
gress, who have assem- bled here for the
thirteenth annual convention.
The meeting was held I'm fremont
Temple. Edwin d. Mead, chairman of
the committee on organization of the
Peace Congress, after calling the meet
ing to order, spoke briefly Mayor Col
Inns said that no word of his was nee
essary to welcome peace delegates to
Boston, for Boston was the home of
peace. He said If he were to para
phrase a Bible text to suit the occa-
sion 1t would be this: Blessed are the
peacemakers, for they shall see God;
damned be the warmakers, for they
shall see the devil"
Right Rev. John Percival Bishop of
Hereford, said that the European ma
tions looked to the United States to
lead in the movement for peace; that
the presence of Secretary of State Hay
In itself gave new character to the
gathering. Our hope for peace, the
speaker said, is fixed upon the policy
Of the United States in the years to
come" Mr.. Lund Of the Norwegian
Parliament presented the greetings of
his country. Secretary Hay spoke as
follows:
1 esteem It a 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 and
hitting for this gathering of parliament Of
peace than to-day, wheE at the other end OF
the world the thunder Of a destructive and san
culinary war is deafening the nations while
here we are preparing to settle the question Of
a vast transfer of power by appeal TO
reason and orderly procedure under the sane
of a fiv epfA nv aiahf
millions of people, No 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 terminated in the
Western world. To bid you welcome to the
home Of Vane, of Winthrop and of Adams, or
Claiming and Emerson, is to give you the
freedom of no mean city, to make you par
takers OF spiritual inheritance without which,
with all our opulence, we should be poor
indeed.
II is true that this great commonwealth
has sought. with the sword peace under liberty
We confess that many have left their
traces in the pages Of its history and it's
literature: art has adorned the public places
heroic sons. But the dominant note of its
highest culture, its most persistent spirit has
been that righteousness which exalteth a ma
tion. that obedience to the inner light which
leads along the paths of peace.
GREATEST MEN FOR PEACE.
And the policy OF the nation at large. which
owes so much of its civic spirit to the found
Of New England, has been in the main
policy OF peace. During the hundred and
twenty years Of our independent existence we
have had but three wars with the outside
world, though we have had grievous
and dolorous struggle with people.
We have had, think, greater relative i'm
munity from war than any OF neighbors-
All our greatest have been earnest ad-
vocates OF peace. The very men who founded
our liberties with the mailed hand detested
and abhorred war the most futile ard fe-
rocious OF human follies. Franklin and Jeffer-
son repeatedly denounced 1.-THE with all
the energy of his rhetoric, the other with the
lambent fire of his wit.
But not our philosophers alone-our fight
in: men have seen at close quarters how
hideous is the face OF war. Washington said
My first wish is to this plague to man
kind banished from the earth; and again he
said, I'VE have experienced enough of Its
evils in this country to know that 1t should
upon" There is discordant note in the
utterances of our most eminent soldiers on
this subject. The most famous utterance OF
General Grant-the one which will linger long
est in the memories OF men-was the prayer
of his war-weary heart. Let US have peace"
Sherman reached the acme of his marvellous
gift of epigram when he said War is hell"
And Abraham Lincoln. after the four terrible
years in which he had directed vast armies
and navies. uttered the threshold of eter-
nifty the fervent and touching aspiration that
1.-The mighty scourge OF war might speedily
pass away"
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