Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-06
SUNDAY MORNING TALK.
Those Blessed Peacemakers


Who wouldn't be a fly on the wall or .be
room In which the peace commissioners
hoid their sessions? 1t would be worth
SUFFERING considerable physical inconyen.
renee 10 witness the ceremonies OF presen.
'a1lon and Introduction, and then IN watch
the building OF the treaty dav nv day
VINO would have thought ten years ago
that the eyes Of Christendom would no
concentrated on this spot on the New Eng
iand seacoast, where Representatives of two
nations far removed from one another in
space at the close of a bloody war shake
iiahos ana try to devise a way of living
peacefully together IN coming time?
This quartet of International celebr,,ia.
entering upon their work at Portsmouth
with the world awaiting breathIessIv the
outcome OF their negotiations, reminds us
that. AFTER all, peacemaking is the greatest
work in the world. Sometimes we thInr
.ild' wars, campaigns, discovery explora.
non, scientific investigation, commerce In.
uustry represent the most important work
OF the world; but the noblest work that ts
belng done anywhere In the world today
Is work in the interests OF peace To he
sure, II is not the easiest work in the
world Almost anybody can kindle a COM
llasration. inname brutal natures. fomene
strlie between individuals and classes but
1t takes large-minded, brave, considerable
tactful and Self-controlled man to bring
peace out OF strife.
H.
terests of peace than ever before A little
group or men and women are striving per-
sistently In behalf of International peace
ana they are beginning 10 get a hearing
tooay where few years ago they were
looked upon as cranks During the next
rev weeks three important International
gatherings will be held in Europe at which
peace Will be the main tonic of discussion
rev men are working constantly and
wisely, too, for peace in the Industrial
world They are often misunderstood by
both capital and labor. but they keep pa
uently at their task, and public sentiment
is growing in their direction. Meanwhile
the role of the individual peacemaker is
open to any rightminded man today and
he will find ample opportunity in the cir
cles in which he moves.
Blessed are the community peacemakers
who go to divided town or city and fuse
together warning elements, promoting a
sense OF pride in the local traditions and
common purpose to lift the moral life OF
the community. In a southern city the
other day l met a quiet lawyer of whom
citizens generally said that he had done
more for II than any other ten men in the
way of developing public spirit and bring
ing about a unity of feeling where there
had been dissension.
Blessed are the peacemakers In any neigh.
borhood or on any single street They can
often remove the bad name which a local.
ity gets, as they stand for the rights of all.
as with kind and firm hand they seek
to put an end to Drawings and riotings
and to get people who live side by side to
treat one another decently.
Most blessed are the peacemakers 81 the
home-some modest member OF the family
who knows how at the right moment to oil
the machinery. to put a steadying hand on
parent or child and stop the flood OF angry,
impatient words and forfend the deeds that
annoy and wound. Sometimes the peace
maker in the home is a sweet-faced grand
mother, whose very presence radiates quiz
etness and love: sometimes 1t is a wee
child. whose innocent prattle and warm
kisses shame the father and mother out OF
their pickering and bring them back again
to their proper attitude toward one an
other.
Blessed are the peacemakers-the inter-
national, community. neghborhood and
home peacemakers. Don't we want to be
in this company of blessed peacemakers,
whose presence on the earth means the re-
pairing of desolate places the blossoming
OF the barren wilderness and the sweeten.
ing and ennobing of all the relationships
which men bear to one another? BLESSED
are such peacemakers indeed. FOR they
shall be called the children of God-ayc.
children of that God who Is the author OF
peace and lover of concord. and who In
tends that ultimately all his children sham
dwell together in love and amfty.
THE PARSON.