Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-10-10
COMMERCE NOT A COMPETENT CONSERVATOR OF PEACE
BY Bishop w. A. cANDLEE.

A. CAROAGEss
the causes of the irritation between
france and Germany and the war be-
tween Italy and Turkey. In all these
cases of international strife 1T is not
necessary for the purposes of this arti-
cfe TO say which nation is the wrong
deer and which is in the right. 1t is
sufficient to say that commercial int
terests, are as, likely. to make war as
TO make peace. An If
Why should we suppose otherwise
Are not commercial interests the cause
of all sorts, of strife in our home con-
ditions? If in domestic affairs they
create contentious, why should we ex-
pect them to do better in foreign at
fairs? What means all this war be-
tween capital and labour? What mean
the strikes and Iock-outs recorded daily
in the newspapers? Do all these things
mean war or peace? Now it is not ne
cessary to undertake to apportion the
blame between capital ana labour, to-
say that capital is wrong and labour
right, or to say labour is wrong ana
capital right. 1t is enough to say that
II both parties were disposed to do
right by the other, there would be no
contentious between them. But when
greed inspires either of them, or both
there IS inevitable STRIFE. ii
1t is perfectly clear that we can not
hope for peace at home or abroad in
advance of the spread Of right prin-
ciples. Men must follow the ScripturaI
order, first pure and then peaceable.
We may admire peace and applaud the
peace-makers; but the price or any en-
during peace is righteousness.
1t is ground for congratulation and
hope that men in high political office
are striving for interna tional peace, end
that they are negotiating peace-treat-
les. Their existence and their efforts
show that there Is back ofithem a grow
ing sentiment for peace among the ma
lions. The discussions which they BRING
to pass will deepen and widen this noble
sentiment But we must not be disap-
pointed if the efforts of these high
minded statesmen fail to accomplish
at once what they desire to achieve.
We must not blame them if the results
accomplished fall short of our expecta-
tions. With all their wisdom and d.
plomacy they can not extend the area
of peace beyond the area of righteous
ness among men, and they can not make
the reign of peace go in advance of
the reign of principle. Let every man
VINO wants peace on earth examine
himself and see if he is equally con-
cerned for righteousness on, earth. Let
him ask himself if in all his dealings
with men he is willing to, be righteous
and do. righteously. Let him inquire
of his neart what he is doing to spread
righteousness on the earth. If in his
personal life he is unrighteous, and
does nothing to, further righteousness
among men. mis- desire for peace is a
vain and selfish thing utterly unworthy
of respect
In the consideration of this matter of
International worldwide peace we must
also consider that there must be a world
wide standard of righteousness by which
to judge conduct before there can be
universal disarmament of the nations.
In heather nations there are what are
called treaty ports" which are covered
by extraordinarily clauses" in their
treaties with christian nations which
provide that the citizens of the latter
nations shall not be tried by the courts
of the heather, but by tribunals of the
christian nations. Americans are not
tried by Chinese courts. We have
court of our own in Shanhai, for ex-
ample Such also was the case in Japan
until within recent years. The existence
of these foreign courts in heather lands
means that christian nations refuse to
allow their nationals to be tried by pagan
systems of law and by judges with no
higher standards of morality than pagan
ism can provide In this they are right |
1t may be doubted If Japan with all her
boosted progress is prepared to Judge
by standards of Righteousness high
enough to preserve justice as the chris
,tian nations understand Justice
If civil law thus requires a christian
basis to rest upon, can international law
rest on any basis less elevated and Sc
cure? Hardly. 1t follows, therefore, that
before the nations can have universal
peace throughout the world they must
have universal moral standard. The
christian nations are not going to con-
sent to a heather peace founded on
pagan rules of right and wrong The
christian standard must be set up every
where; and this means that christianity
must be spread to earth's remotest
bounds in order to make way for the !
peace for which the nations groan. The
heather nations must be evangelical and 1
the so called christian nations must be |
more christian and less pagan In their
morality than they are now.
Christian England must not force on I
pagan China the opium traffiek, and
christian America must not try to make |
the nations of the world drink her vile |
intoXicants. 1t is the basest hypocrisy |
in the powerful nations of christendom
when they preach universal peace and |
then seek to pollute the world with their |
immoralties. sS ~-e-,, i
When the war between Italy andl
Turkey comes to an end. will the issues |
between them be settled by christian
standards of right or by Mohammedan I
standards of right? That is a most irn-4
portant and far-reaching question, and It |
suggests the entire line of thought which |
this article is designed to bring into
view.