Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-12-21
N GEEaNl Gasa N 1890

religion. When Christ was urged by.
His disciples to call down fire upon those.
who rejected Him. He uttered rebui>e ,
that has been too little needed by his
followers: "Ye know not what mannets
of spirit ye are OF. For the Son OF Man
is not come To destroy mems lives, but TO
save them" Example. not force. is the,
formula that has been given MS for the !.
spread of all that is good. Let Your liSht !.
so shine before men that they see your
good works and glorify your Father
which is in heaven.
IL is a simple plan and ought TO be
easily followed. and Yet il seems SO slow
TO convert the world Icy simpl. doing
right. 1t is SO human to want TO compel
people to do things instead of showing
them how. The employment of force also
has tendency to infiame ones self-im-
portance and il seems. to require so much
less sacrifice. To overcome EVIL with good
is to move in harmony with the divine
plan; il requires regeneration OF the
heart to do this. but individual regenera-
ton lies at the basis oi social improve
ment-and society is improving.
Ii the individual must reform his Eel
lows by example. must the nation. Ii
is as impossible for a nation as for an
individual to promote good by the doing
of evil. Our nation is fortunately sit
uated 10 be the leader Of the peace move
ment 1t has every incentive that any
other nation has. and is free from the
dangers which many other nations Tear. :
No people have stronger faith than ours
in the doctrine that righteousness exait-
eth a nation. and what nation can more
safely put Gods truth TO the test?
=
| am convinced that the American
people are heartily in accord with the
effort to justify our nations claim to
primacy i'm all that tends to substitute
reason for force in the settlement OF
international disputes. If | were asked
10 picture our nations future, l would
not change the language which l en-
ployed thirteen years ago in describing
the ideal republic:
Il can conceive Of a national destiny
surprising the g.ories of the present ana
the pasta destiny which meets the re-
sponsibilities of today and measures up
to the possibilities OF the future. Be
hold a republic. resting securely upon the
foundation stones quarried by rcvolu-
tionary patriots from the mountains OF
eternal truth-a republic applying IN
practice and procla.ming TO the world
the self-evident propositions that all men
are created equal: that they are endowed
by their Creator with iIialienable rights:
that governments are instituted among
mon to secure these rights, and that
governments derive their just powers
from the consent of the governed Be-
hold a republic i'm which civil and re-
ligious liberty stimulate all TO earnest
endeavor and In which the law restraints
every hand uplifted for a neighbor
injury-a republic in which every citi-
zen is a sovereign, but in which no one
cares or dares to wear crown. Be
hold republic standing erect while en-
pires all around are bowed beneath the
weight of their own armaments-a re-
public whose flag is loved while other
flags are only feared. Behold a republic
increasing i'll population, in wealth. IN
strength and i'm influence, solving the
problems of civilization and Fastening
the coming of a universal brotherhood
"A republic which shakes thrones and dis
solves aristocracies by its silent exam :
pie and gives Light and inspiration to
those who sit in darkness. Behold n
republic gradually but surely becoming
the supreme moral factor in the worlds
progress and the accepted arbter OF the
worlds d'snutes-a repub fc whose his
tory, like the path of the just, is as the
shining light that shineth more and more
unto the perfect day.