Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-05-31

OF records OF historians run
meth not to the contrary, wars of ma
tons against nations, states against
states, provinces and colonies against
imperial mothers, drearily fill pages
Of all history; indeed, only as 1t were
yesterday one of the greatest and most
destructive wars known to all history
was waged and in its destruction OF
life and property, stupendous beyond
conception; and today all the civilized
nations of the old world are taking
millions upon millions from the tolls
and earnings of their people, and
spending the same in military defences
or harbors and coasts, and offensive
and defensive military armament, and
in the support of standing armies,
numbering in men hundreds of thou
sands upon hundreds of thousands, all
In anticipation of war, all expected to
! be used in the killing or wounding of
innocent men and the destruction of
property created by the toll of patient
and unrequited working people. All
occasioned by the jealousy, lust and
ambitions of rulers.
This Cause Of Wars.
"1t is idle to ask why men made in
the image of God. who is love, will
continue to go to war with each other
and why they have not devised means
and established institutions of world
wide force that will effectually bar all
wars. 1t seems folly to ask if men
will ever beat their swords into pillow
shares and their spears into pruning
hooks. For through all time it has
been war upon war, and war
after war, continuously some
place in what should be
the civilized world; and indeed, my
friends, doubt not it will so continue
down to the final crack of doom; at
least so long as kings, emperors, auto
Gratis and other hereditary rulers Of
the people are tolerated and allowed
to occupy their thrones, and continue
to wickedly lust for enlargement of
power, dominion and empire, and GOV.
ct things and territories belonging to
others. And 1t must be conceded that
civilization, even Christian civilization,
has In no manner effectually or radi-
cally changed the nature of hereditary
rulers from what it has been during
all time. And we can see no prospect
Of an early or even ultimate change
therein.
Indeed the greater portion Of all the
wars In the world have had their orr
gin In lust for power, dominion and
empire. One ruler, lusting for an en-
largement of his empire, has waged
war upon another ruler for the purpose
OF taking territory from such other
ruler, or, for the purpose of reducing
him to the condition Of a tributart
vassal. And even so-called republics
have waged war against each other,
based on no higher reason. You will
observe said 'so-called republics I
did not say simple republics for with
In the high and perfect meaning of the
term republic there never was but
one In the world, and that is the re.
pubic under whose flag we are today
assembled
Rome wanted to rule Carthage.
Carthage wanted to rule Rome-hence
the Punic wars, the final, absolute and
utter destruction of Carthage.
Yes. there is the terrible war lust
closed between Russia and Japan. In
that war tens of thousands of lives,
yes, hundreds of thousands of lives,
we're sacrificed; hundreds of thousands
OF physically perfect men, not being
killed outright, were MANNED and
crippled for life: and widows and or
phans were made by the hundreds of
thousands and property of multiplied
millions of dollars in value were de-
stroyed that had been created and
brought about by the laborious and I'M
requited patient toll of honest plain
people. All brought about by the lust
full ambition Of the hereditary auto
crat of all the Russias, running coun-
ter to the ambition of Japan's Mikado.
Cause Of Civil War.
1--WE might give thousand instances
OF wars inspired and brought about
alone by and through unholy lust and
ambition for power and dominion. But,
my friends, your service in the union
armies during our civil war was not
30 inspired, either on your part, or
on the part of your great leaders. 1t
is uncomfortable that the great Lin
coin. Seward, Grant or Sherman could
be induced to wage war, except as in
fluenced and forced by the highest and
most holy consideration of a godly
conscience.
At one time, yes, continuously from
the beginning of that war down to
few recent years, l felt, believed AMI
talked that 1t was forced upon us by
unholy, lustful, greedy and treason
able desires and passions on the part
OF the southern people, especially the
southern leaders. But l now, in the
widened perspective that has come to
me in increasing years, have changed
my mind, and readily concede that in
that war, the southern people as
whole, were actuated alone by con-
science and not by any unholy pas
sions or purposes except as their pur-
pose to perpetuate and extend human
slavery was unholy; and in that pur-
pose ! concede they were actuated
by conscience, but conscience that
had been warped by environments and
conditions and surroundings, to which
we of the north had never been sub
jected, and of which we had no actual
knowledge or experience, and hence
did not know the force.
"And in this liberal, will not say
charitable, view. I am not alone for