Potosi journal. (Potosi, Mo.) 1894-1929, 1910-12-28
So Milton sang, in his hymn on
the nativity of Christ:

So Milton sang, in his hymn OF
the nativity of Christ:
Nor war nor battle sound
Was heard the world around.
If the nations had temple O.
Janus, it would be closed in thi,
year 1910. CHANGING over the
worlds map. we might imagine
that the prophecy of Isaiah was
about to be fulfilled: The nations
shall beat their swords into
plowshareS. and their spears in
to pruning hooks; nation shall
not lift up sword against nation
neither shall they learn war any
more"
So far as actual movements
are concerned, we have no war
but the last part of the prophecy
neither shall they learn wal
any more" is far from it's fulfill
ment. farther than at any time
in the history of the world
Never were there such large
standing al1mies-not undisci
plined hordeS such as the armies
of the past-but thoroughly
trained, officered. equipped,
ready to move at express speed
on a telegraphic order. Never
were there such powerful battle
ships. nor SO many of them.
Never were so many thousands
of men employed'in mining coal
and iron and in building these
mighty engines of desolation;
and all in a time of perfect peace
as between nations; and this in
Christian nations protesting to
be governed by the maxims of
the Prince of Peace, and who are
manifesting their sincerity by
spending millions annually as
free-will offerings to convert
heather nations to the doctrines
of this Prince of Peace,
1t is strange paradox, but
not so strange as that uttered by
the Prince of Peace himself:
Think not that I came to send
peace on the earth; [ came not
to send peace, but a sword, "
to set men at variance with each
other. For lasting peace can
come only with righteousness:
and the attempt to establish
righteousness by law and to exc
cute that law arouses the bitter
opposition of the unrighteous,
and at once there is war, and at
the first victory is usually with
the unrighteOus. Therefore,
while there is peace as between
nations, there is war between
parties and factions and classes
in every civilized nation under
the sun. These wars are now
more bitter than at any time in
the preceding history of the
world; and the singular thing is
that they all turn on some ques-
ton of human rights.
These strifes within the ma
tions are not limited to Christian
nations, nor to any hemisphere
or continent. The young Turks
have exiled their sultan and es,
tablished a wonderful measure
of civil liberty. Young Egypt is
demanding larger privileges and
rights, England has wisely con
ceded to young India a larger
measure of self-government
Hoary China is moved by the
same spirit. The stolid Russian
is fighting for a real douma. an6
will in time succeed in getting it
Portugal by a bloodless revolu
ton has become a republic
Spain will soon follow. The peo
pie of Germany no longer con
cede the doctrine of divine righ
to the last example of the type O
the ancient kings. England i:
moved as never before; and tn
people of the United States hav'
been moved as by common i'm
pulse from ocean to ocean ant
from the lakes to the gulf,
! Everywhere the question at is
sue is one of human rights. Eng
land will no longer tolerate
government by a landed aristoc
racy. The United States will n
longer tolerate a government b,
combined and conso Ida e,
wealth. It would seem as if tn
yeast was working among tn
common people all the worl