Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-08-09
A COSMOPOLITAN ACE NEEDS A
UNIVERSAL FAITH TO SAVE 1T

More than fifty years ago Ralph Waldo
Emerson wrote in his book entitled
English Traits a Paragraph which ran
on this wise: The wise. versatile, all
giving machinery makes chisels, roads,
locomotives, .telegraphs. Whitworth di-
vides a bar to a millionth of an inch.
Steam twines huge cannon into wreaths,
as easily as it braids straw, and vies
with the volcanic forces which twisted
the strata. 1t can clothe single noun
tains with ship oaks, make sword blades
that will cut gun-barrels in two. In
Egypt it can plant forests. and bring
rain after three thousand years. AL
ready it is ruddering the balloon, and
the next war will be fought in the air.
''' BY these new agents our social
systems are moulded. BY dint of steam
and money, war and commerce are
changed. Nations have lost their old
omnipotence; the patriotic tie does not
hold. Nations are getting obsolete"
His words are a trife extravagant,
perhaps; nations do count still. and they
will ever count. Patriotism is not the
passing passion of the periods when
nations were exclusive. Just as domestic
affection is not superseded by the friend
ships of social life, so love Of ones
country can not be displaced by the
love Of all mankind.
But there is a truth in Mr.. Emerson's
words-a great truth. The day Of ethnic
antagonisms and national provinclalism
is gone, and every hour its strident tones
will sound more distant and indistinct,
together. and international bonds are
more close with every passing year. The
whole world is becoming one great neigh
borhood. Pekin, China. is to all intents
and purposes nearer to New York than
was London when Emerson wrote the
words which are quoted above. The
race of man is in motion. There is
much running to and fro. and the knowl-
edge of the nations concerning one an
other is greatly increased. Growth of
knowledge brings decrease of prejudices
and softening of asperities. AS the
horizon of men is lifted their vision is
more clear as we'll as more extended;
they see things with fairer perspective
and in more just proportions.
Governmental policies will be forced to
conform to these facts; and most i'm
portant of all the moral systems of the
nations will be affected by them. These
worldwide relations can not be regu-
lated without a code and a conscience
commensurate with them.
In the ages of national isolation, ethnic
ct 20
regulated the restricted relations which
obtained among men. Buddhism could
do something, and really did something,
for the hermit nations among which 1t
prevailed. So also Mohammedanism hld
it's value in Arabia, as did Confucianism
in China. But in this cosmopolitan age
those creeds are too cramped and con-
fined; they can not retain their posi-
ton much longer even among the ma
tions in which they have been current.
II they were not affected by the eff
forts OF christian missionaries by which
they are undermined, they would totter
TO their fall Of their own weight in the
near future. They can not stand the at
mosphere OF the modern world. Adobe
huts will stand where there is little or
no rainfall; but they melt in a freshet.
So these pagan cults are dissolving in
the moist air OF modern life. No power
on eartn can stay the CTuInDhIlg OF then.
They are doomed.
But mankind can not endure faith
less world. The time has come when
the race must begin to look about for a
religion Provincial gods can
not rule universal men. National del
ties can not dominate international deal
ings. We already have world-politics
and world-commerce; we must have a
world-religion. In default of such faith.