Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-13

fro from shore to shore the fruits of indus
try and messages Of love and friendship.
war between two great nations would De
horrible TO conceive. 1t would inhict on the
commercial. as well as on the moral world
shock greater than an earthquake, famine
and pestiience.
Fourth-We are living practically under
the same form of government, though DIT
fering in manner. England is ruled by a
constitutional monarchy; we are ruled by
q constitutional republic. The head of the
English nation is king; the head of our re-
public is President. 1 believe, though we
have a republican form of government, that
our President yields larger powers than
England's king. In both nations the cit-
Zens enjoy the inestimable blessings of civil
and religious liberty. Our respective gov
ernments hold over us the egls of their pro-
lection without interfering with us in the
God-given rights Of conscience.
What more striking illustrations of the
blessings of arbitration than that which is
furnished us by the recent convention of
British and American statesmen in Eng
land. who met for the purpose Of determin-
ing the Alaskan boundary? Our distin-
guished friend and fellow-citizen. Mr..
John w. Foster, has returned from Eng
land laden with honors. His brow is en-
circled with the laures Of victory. He was,
leagues But II his modesty would permit
he could apply to himself the words of
Aeneas, speaking of the Trojan war: Quo
rum magma pars full
What Arbitration Proves.
What does the result of this successful
arbitration prove? 1t proves that peace
hath her victories no less renowned than
war" aye, victories more substantial and
enduring. 1t proves that all schemes con-
ceived in ambition and fomented by passion
are destined like the mountain torrent, to
carry ruin before them and leave desolation
after them; while the counsels of men as
sembled in the name of peace and under the
inspiration of heaven, like the gentle dew
of heaven, silently shed their blessings
around them and bring forth fruit in due
season.
Let US cherish the hope that the reign of
the Prince of Peace is not far off when the
spirit of the gospel will so far influence the
MINDS and hearts of rulers that national
disputes will be decided, not by standing
armies. but by courts of arbitration; that
they will be adjusted. not in the battlefield,
but in the halls of legislation. and settled
not by the sword, but by the pen, especially
when the pen will be held and controlled by
upright and enlightened statesmen. inspired
by love of peace, and laboring in the in
terests of Christian civilization.
Cardinal Gibbons spoke with earnestness
and his remarks were received with fire.
quent and hearty applause. Following him
came the late commanding officer of the
United States army, his reception being
one of those spontaneous and iattering
exhibitions of general esteem which mark
receptions of magnetic leaders. Gen Miles
said:
General Miles Address.
Il esteem it an honor to join this distin-
guished company in it's consideration of a
most important subject. Few words will
be expected from me. The subject Is in
safe hands, for on the program there is
but one representative of the profession OF
arms where there are three holy men Of
peace; The principle of arbitration is in
spired by the noblest motives that prompt
the human heart, Is founded deep in the
eternal verities of Justice, and is as old as
the spirit of truth and honor. Serious con-
roVersies between men are adjusted by
civil tribunals, or by courts of arbitration.
There is every reason why governments,
which are of human creation liberation,
should be controlled by the same code Of
morals that governs individuals. Arbitra-
ton has double purpose, and its results
are doubly beneficial to mankind.
1T assures impartial justice to nations
and peoples, and suspends or avoids the
horrors of war. Neither tongue nor pen
can picture the terrors, the gloom, the
sufferings or the sacrifices of war. In this
enlightened age of progress and intelligent,
refined civilization we would be glad TO
believe that the burdens and dangers of
war have been lessened yet, strange it
may seem, there never has been a time in
the worlds history when so much wealth
was squandered In preparation for war,
nor when SO many millions Of trained, skill
ed and disciplined men, armed with the
most destructive weapons, were taken from
the avenues of peaceful industry as at the
present time. Formerly military forces
were kept for national defense, but II we
shall have reached the time when they
are to be used to overrun foreign countries
and Cypress and place in subsection de-
fenseless people, then the spirit of arbitra-
ton has not appeared any too soon and
cannot be too strongly advocated.
Possibly we have reached time when
the great have found IT
agreeable and less expensive to hunt in
concert than to hunt each other. If that
be true, then liberty may well veil her
fsce. and the sovereign rights of man, in
dependence and justice, are in imminent
danger. The enormous expense of war and
the burdens it imposes upon the industries
OF the people Of many countries will be
borne until discontinued by revolution, or
until reason and Justice shall prevail
through International arbitration. One OF
the most gratifying events of modern times
occurred when the imperial head of a
mighty nation of 13OVDO,0OO Of strong
people-the autocrat of all the Russias-
called a worlds peace congress and ad-
vocated the reduction Of the burdens of
war and the adjustment of controversies
between nations in a way that would tend
to promote the universal peace of the
world.
when man controlling the most power
fui army on earth has advocated such
wise measure. there Is every reason why
should be most earnest and active in their
efforts to promote the humane and glorious
principles Of arbitration. For more than
a hundred years our fathers and comrades
have demonstrated on the red fields of war
an unparalleled record Of fortitude. hero
ism and sacrifice. We stand among the
first nations of the world In wealth and
power; and yet we possess a far greater
power than mere wealth or physical force
and that Is in the grand moral principle Of
our democratic government and the record
and character Of our great republic.
TT is this that inspires the loyalty ana
purest patriotism of our own people, the
respect and confidence of our sister re-
publics OF the western hemisphere, and the
high regard and laudation Of all lovers Of
liberty and justice In every quarter Of the
globe. Great physical power rightly used
10 a pillar of strength to the nation. To
mold control and effectively use such
power requires experience. wisdom and emil
nent ability; yet 1t were far grander and
nobler to control this power that 1t will
never be used except az a last resort, or in
the defense Of righteous cause, or when
the demands Of national necessity are i'm
perative. 1t Ia much better to avoid war
than to precipitate 1t. and nations. like in
dividuals. should never engage In mortal
combat If 1t can possibly be avoided. The
surest way to avoid such national misfor-
time ia an apDeal to reason and the eX-