The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-02-25
THE CATHOLIC BULLETIN, FEBRUARY IS, 1911
CONTINUED from page -
HONOR TO THE SOLDIER.

HONSH ~ t6E 9OEOIETs
Cancellation and arbitration do not
count in the interior life of the COM
monwealth. Rulers there must be;
and rulers must hold in hand the
sword. I may quote Scripture: Primo
es,'' writes st. Paul, "are not terror
to the good work, but to the evil
For he is Gods minister to
thee for good. But If thou do that
which is evil, fear: for he beareth not
the sword in vain. For he is Gods
minister. an avenger to execute wrath
upon him that doeth evil"
TIL sword-bearer is necessary
man who under proper conditions
takes the life of brother-man-and Of
fers in sacrifice his own life call him
what you policeman or soldier
| rise to the higher planes, where
war is accorded the fullness of it's
name; the soldier, the fullness of his
burthen-I should say the fullness OF
his glory. I speak of war between
nations, or, as once it was in America,
between large sections of the one
people.
We are told that war is unneces-
sary, and consequently wrong; that the
soldier, the symbol, the agent Of war,
merits no praise, no honor. War is
unnecessary: arbitration should be in
voked to settle all contentious, to
guard forever against appeals to the
sword
Arbitration Most Desirable.
Arbitration welcome it; all low
ers of men and of nations welcome it.
1t is entering, as never before, into
the thought of the world: may it be
more and more the dominating princi-
pie amid powers and principalities, un-
til comes the blessed day.. if ever it
does come, when through it's pacific
solutions war shall be but memory
of other ages! The Tribunal of the
Hague is the glory of the Twentieth
Century civilization: Andrew Carne-
gle, whose golden hand places unlim-
tied millions upon the affairs of arbl-
tration, ranks among the noblest bene-
factors of humanity. Already much
good has resulted from arbitration:
not a few contentious that, in other
epochs, would have begot war, have
been quietly avoided, and much more,
no doubt, will be done in future years,
as the principle gains in ascendancy.
But has the day come of such emf
nent prepotency of the principle of
arbitration that "a great nation, such
as the United States of America, may
safely turn all it's swords into plough
shares and all it's spears into sickles? ?
No one will make the affirmation.
War at Times Unavoidable.
No, the day of assured and lasting
international peace has not arrived
if ever ambitions and pride of nations
permit it to arrive. Today the nation
that dismantles it's ships or war and
disbands it's soldiery puts itself in
danger of gross humiliation, if not of
fatal disaster. Today America is re-
spected by it's sister nations-it is re-
spected, because, also, it is feared. It's
shores are safe from invaders, because
| it will be prompt to repel them: it's
mandates are hardened to, because it's
warships are ready to follow in their
wake. And the more the fear of Am
erica travels far and wide, the more
certain it is that it's honor shall remain
unsullied, it's territory intact, it's COM
merce free and prosperous. Peace Am
erica invokes: but to be the more sure
of peace, America must be ready at a
moments notice to summon to it's de-
tense an army and navy to- whom de-
feat is impossible. This the just pur-
pose of readiness for war-as of war
itself-Pacis imponere morem-to en-
force and strengthen the reign of
peace.
The shedding of human blood is hor-
rid-but other things are still more
horrid-the destruction of social Sc
curity, the disruption of the nation, it's
enslavement to foreign power, the rob-
berry of its territory, the possible low.
ering through disgrace abetted by cow
ardice, of the starry flag from today S
triumphant fight across oceans and
continents. Human life is precious:
but it must be taken if it stands in the
way of the supreme right of people
Human life is precious: but it must
pour out in glad oblation when country
calls: it is precious, but it's highest
value is it's power of self-sacrifice OF
behalf of great and meaningful causes
The country is in peril unless the
soldier is nearby to defend it. Hon
or, then, to the soldier!
The Dignity of the Soldier.
How thrill our hearts as the flag Of
America rises into the air, spreading
over us it's protecting folds, bidding
us be without fear or alarm in oul
most sacred interests, bidding us have