The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1914-09-04


derstandings between men are always
injuries are done and insults
are given; but we try to exercise pa
tience and forebearance and to pre-
serve the peace. And where differences
are ir-reconcilable for ourselves, we
arbitrate them, and as last resort we
submit them to the arbitrament OF
the court. Civilization cannot exist
where every man is law unto him
self and rushes into fight with every
man who opposes or Injuries him. Our
honor cannot be preserved by striking
a man who insults us. That Is the
way we lose our honor. In the opin-
ion of some people man is always
justified in striking man who has
called him a liar But he has not
disproved the epithet by knocking the
other man down, nor has he preserved
his honor He has lost his self respect
and put himself down to the level OF
the man who insulted him. Common
sense and Christian judgment have as
serted themselves in the relations be-
tween man and man. The days OF
dueling are past. But the same prin-
ciples that govern us in our relations
as individuals ought to govern ma
tions in their relations to each other.
There ought to be and, believe, there
will be in the future an international
Court to settle difficulties between
Nations. And the United States ought
to take the lead in creating a sentl-
ment for such an international Court
We have had great Peace Confer
ences at the Hague in Holland. Ap-
parently all of our efforts to advance
the cause of peace have failed. But
the seed there sown will yet bring
forth fruit. 1t may be, because Of the
weakness and folly of men, that war
could not be abolished except by this
war, that in no other way could the
world be brought to see the folly and
the wickedness of war, and that this
world catastrophe will open the eyes
of men to the fact that war is simply
wholesale murder.
But do not blessings follow war:
Yes, they follow everything. Bless
ings follow famine, pestilence, calam-
ity and crime. This is due to the
overfiowing goodness of God. He
the wrath of man to praise
him, but the wrath is not therefore
justified. If this city would be burn
ed to ashes, the catastrophe would be
followed by blessings. What an i'm
provement in our buildings! Think Of
the men who would secure work. II
a pestilence should lay half of ouI
population dead, blessings would fol
low. What sympathy in the outside
world! What a mellowing of the
hearts of those who might be spared
How pride and prejudice and enemity
would be driven out OF mems hearts
But do we want fire and pestilence
in order to get these blessings
Cannot the blessings be gotten
without fire and pestilence
We know they can be gotten and we
have but to open our hearts and
minds to receive them. Yes, such is
the goodness and power of God thai
wars may be overruled for good
War is followed by blessings. But il
brings with it direful and immeasur.
able curses. 1t drags man down tc
the level of the brute. 1t stiles al
his God like feelings and thoughts
and opens the flood gates to the mos
beastly and devilish emotions. Wal
is never justified, no matter what
blessings may follow it, unless 1t bt
a war for self preservation, where the
very life of a nation is in jeopardy.
In the conflict now raging we have
declared our neutrality. The great
address of our President to the Ameri
can people in which he counsels and
advises us to remain absolutely neu.
by us all. Our sympathy ought to &C
ntrf ~ al hn crrffnrfnU nnd mis- cyrrfdnr
people who are lead by blind rulers
and by their own passions and preju.
dices. We will not only suffer with
them in our hearts but we will share
with them the consequences and re.
suits of this awful conflict. Our pa,
pers are full of the opportunities fol
commercial expansion and the stimu.
lus to the development of our resour.
ces which this war will give us. But
we will also share the loss. You
cannot destroy billions Of dollars
worth of property, the accumulated
results of many generations of work
and thrift without making every man
woman and child poorer, without
making life harder and living dearel
all over the world. This is not the
only loss. The greatest loss Is the
lives of men in the prime of theil
strength and manhood, in the check
which is given to the development oi
the arts and sciences and the pursuit
OF the studies that enrich the world
and lift men up to a higher civiliza.
tion. When we think that the coun-
tries now at war have laid the founda.
tion on which modern civilization is
built and have, up to the present time
been among the greatest contributors
to the temple Of civilization we can
see that this war is a world calamity
The United States is yet SO young that
its attention has been given Of neces-
sity to development of its material
resources. In the arts Of music
painting, sculpture and architecture,
i'm the sciences, in education and
philosophy and theology, we have
been and are still in the large meas
ure dependent upon Europe. There
can be no question but that this war
will for a long time check the prog
ress and development of the world in
those things which enrich and ennoble
mans nature and are our greatest
blessings. Our faith in the power
and goodness OF God makes Us believe
that in some way this war will be
over-ruled for good. Our hope Ii that
we may profit by the lesson and seek
to live at peace with all the world.
Let US promote peace by preparing
for it. Our Father wanted to live at
peace with our neighbors to the North
in Canada and SO they prepared for it.
They abolished forts and Notifications
along the Northern Boundary, and de-
clared that the Great Lakes should be
a highway for commerce and not sta