Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-10-04


non sine gloria. Even Milton, in that
sublime sonnet where he said Peace
hath her victories no less than those of
war" also mentioned among the godly
trophies Of Cromwell ''DarWents
! stream with blood of Scots imbrued."
/ In almost every sermon and hymn we
| hear in our churches the imagery Of
war ana battle is used We are charged
to fight the good fight of faith we are
to sail through bloody seas to win the
| prize. The Christian soldier is con-
st'ntiy marshaled to war. Not only in
our habits ana customs, but in our
daily speech and in our Utmost
( thoughts we are bcset by the obession
Of conflict ana mutual destruction. 1t
is like the law of sin in the members TO
which the greatest of the Apostles re-
frrs; 'Who shall deliver us from the
body of this dcath?"
| am Speaking to those who rccOg-
niZe the lamentable state of things
and who Yet do not accept it. or submit
to it. ana who hope that through the
shadow Of this night we shall sweep
into a younger day. How is this great
dcliVercncc to b" accomplished?
We have all rec emily read that Won
dcrful sermon on war by Count Tostoi,
in which Il spirit Of marvellous lucidity
and frr. absolutely detached from geo
graphical or political conditions. speaks
the Word rs it has been given him to
speak it, ana as no other living man
c"uld have done. As you read. with an
aching heart. his terrible arraignment
Of war, feeling that as Il man yau are
partly responsible for all human atroc-
tiles. you wait with Impotence for the
remedy he shall propose. and you find
it S-Rtligion. Yes. that is the rene
dy. Ii all would do right. nobody
would do Wrong-nothing is palmer. 1t
is counsel of perfection. satisfactory
to prophets and saints. to be reached
in Gni'S good time. Eut You are here
to consult together to see whether the
generation now alive may not do some
thing to hasten the coming of the ac-
c"rtuhlr day, the appearance on earth
Of the h,uutfic vision. If we can not
ut once make peace and good Will the
universal rule and practice of nations.
what can we do to approximate this
condition. What measures can we now
take which may lead us at least lit
tie distance toward the WiShcd-fOr
goal.
| | have not come to advise you: 7
have no such ambitious pretcnsions. T,
do not even aspire to take part in your
deliberations. 1:ut | am authorized to
assure yrn that the American govern
mnnt extends to YOU a cordial and
sympathetic welcome. and shares to
the utmost the spirit and purpose in
which you hay" met. The President,
50 long as h remains in power, hns no
thought Of departing from the tradi
tons bcqucathed us by the great sol
dicrs and statesmen of our early his
tory which hay" been strictly followed
during the last seven years. We shall /
continue to advocate and to carry mtOl
effect. as far as practicable. the prin-
ciplc of the arbitration of such ques-
tionS as may not be settled through
diplomatic negotiations. We have al
ready done much in this direction: we
shall hope to do much more The Pres
ident Is NOW considering the negotia
ton of treaties of arbitration With such
! of the European powers as desire them. !
and hopes to lay them before the Sen !
ate. next winter, ana finally, the Pres
idcnt has only few days ago. prom |
, is"d i'm response to the request of the
, terParliamcntary Union to invite
the nations to a second conference at
, TIL" Hague to continue the beneficient
work of the conference Of 1S99.'
, Unhappily We cannot fOresee in the
immediate future the cessation Of wars
urnn the earth. We ought therefore
; to labor constantly for the mitigation |
of tn" horrors of war. especially to do
, what we can to lesser the sufferinSs
, Of thos" who have no pant in the stru-
/ gle. This has been one Of the most
warmly cherished wishes Of the last
f, two administrations. I make no apol
, oGy fer reading YOU Z para graph from
| the messlG" which ProSi lent Roosevelt
) sent to Congress. last December:
=. ''Thorn seems good ground for the
! belief that there has been Il real growth
: among the civilized nations Of senti- |
| ment which viii permit gradual sub
: stitution If other methods than the
method Of war in the settlement Of dis
| pntrS. 1t is not pretended that as yet
. We are near q position in which it VIII
: be POSSIBLE wholly to prevent war. or
: that a just regard for national interest
| and honor will in I'LL cases permit. or
! the settlement Of international dis
!, prtrs by arhtra:i"n; but by 4 mixture.
@ of prudence ana firmn"ss with wisdom
: we think it is possible tn 10 away with
+ much of the propagation ana excuse for
1 war, ana II Least in many cases to SIM
stItut" some other and more rntiora,
o m"th"d for the settlement of disputes.
i The Hague court offers 50 good An ex-
> ampl" Of What can be done in tn, dir"c-
N tion Of such settlement that it should
i be encCura ged in every WY.
f Further steps should be taken. In
i IT. 81 lent Mckinl-y's annual message
/ of Do. 1NqS he f,,,Ia tbo