The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1906-12-15

conference neid az Genev last summer,
and the subjects which naturally would
come before The Hague conference m11c
it apparent that IL was desirable 10 have
the work OF the Red Cross conference
completed and considered by the different
powers before the meeting at The Hague.
The Red Cross conference ended its Ia
bOrs on the 9th day Of July, and the re-
vised and amended convention, Whlcn was
signed by the American delegates, wall
be promptly laid before the senate.
BY the special and highly appreciated
courtesy of the governments OF RUSSIA
and the Netherlands, a proposal 10 can
The Hague conference together at a time
which would conflict with the conference
OF the American republics at ho de
Janeiro in August was laid aside. NO
other date has yet been suggested. A
tentative program for the conference has
been PROPOSED by the government OF
Russia, n the subjects which II enumer-
etes are undergoing careful examination
and consideration in preparation Tor the
conference.
1t must ever be kept in mind that war
is not merely iustliable, but Imperative,
upon honorable men, upon an honorable
nation, where peace can only be Cd
tained by the sacrifice OF CONSCIENTIOUS
conviction or Of national welfare. Peace
Is normally a great good, and normally
II comedies with righteousness; but II Is
righteousness and not peace which should
bin the conscience OF a nation as u
should bind the conscience OF an inoiVio-
ual, and neither O. nation nor an indiVld-
ual can surrender conscience TO another.s
keeping. Neither can a nation, which Is
an entity, n which does not ole as IN
dividuals die, refrain from taking thought
for the. interest Of the generations that
are to come, no less than for the interest
OF the generation of to-day; and no public
men rave a right, whether from short
si~ghtedness, from selfish Indifference, or
from sentimentality, to sacrifice national
fpAarauNg wrht,h nra rfNa1 IN oh - nfnT A
just war is in the long run far better for
4 nations soul than the most prosperous
peace obtained by acqule5cence in wrong
or injustice. Moreover, tho II Is criminal
Tor a nation not to prepare for war, so
that it may escape the dreadful conse-
Quenoes of being defeated in war, yet II
must always be remembered that even to
be defeated in war may be lar better
han not TO have fought at all. As has
been well and finely said, a beaten nation
is not necessarily a disgraced nation; but
the nation or man Is disgTaced II the obli-
CATION to defend night is shirked.
We should as a nation do everything In
our power for the cause of honorable
peace 1t is morally as indeten1ible for a
nation TO commit a wrong upon another
nation, strong or weak, as FOR an individ-
ual thus to wrong his fellows. We should
do an In our power to hasten the day
when there shall be peace among the ma
tions-a peace based upon justice and not
upon cowardly submission to wrong. We
can accomplish a good deal in this direc-
ton, but We can not accomplish every
thing, n the penalty Of attempting to
do too much would almost inevitably be
to do worse than nothing; for it must be
remembered that fantastic extremists are
not in reality leaders of the causes which
they espouse but are ordinarily those
who do most to hamper the real leaders
Of the cause and to damage the cause tt
self. As yet there is no likelihood of
establishing any kline of international
power, of whatever sort, which can effec-
lively check ~wrongdoing. and in these et=
cumstances it would be both a foolish and
an evil thing for a great and free nation
to deprive itself Of the power to protect
Its own rights and even in exceptional
cases to stand up for the rights Of others.
Nothing would more promote iniquity,
nothing would further defer the reign
upon earth Of peace and righteousness,
than for the free and enlightened peoples
which, tho with much stumbling and
many shortcomings, nevertheless strive
toward justice. deliberately to render
themselves powerless while leaving every
despotism and barbarism armed and able
to work their wicked will. The chance
for the settlement Of disputes peacefully,
by arbitration, now depends mainly upon
the possession by the nations thai mean
to do right of sufficient armed strength
to make their purpose effective.