The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1915-08-27
Heroisrn, War and Great Warriors
Continued from first page.)

SCdntIy turbulent IMAM now. LII IHe
primitive ages, the law of force
alone was recognized and wars,
which resulted in slavery or death
to the conquered, were almost inces-
SAINT. But mans condition in the
world, under the influence of grow
| ing civilization and enlightenment
and moral and religious principles,
has gradually been pushing toward
more settled state. The present
upheavel in Europe, l believe, will
be extremely short and perhaps UNI
important compared to the Crusades.
The force that animates the world
of man, I believe, is closely related
to that which belongs to this globe
upon which he lives, and is, per-
haps, governed largely by the same
laws. Mans nature is rooted deep
in universal nature and the
race, like the terraqueons world, lis
moving, l am persuaded, toward a
more settled state of peace; where
mans higher powers can more free
ly act and his glory be more fully
evinced.
Most wars have been caused by
ambition, avarice, injustice and in
humanity-by a brutal disposition in
man to trample on his fellows. But
with respect to wars" says Mr.. Glad
stone, "they are the direct and uni
versal consequence of the unrestrict-
ed, too commonly unbridled, passions
and lusts of men, Wars however
have often resulted, either directly
or indirectly, in breaking up of old
90 fn1 r.n-
ligious restrictions and oppression,
and giving to the people fuller and
freer life, materially, Intellectually
and morally. Sometimes, therefore,
wars have been great stepping stones
by which the race has mounted to
higher destinies-but such stepping
stones as have been lifted from a sad
Golgotha or a terrible Gehenna.
But war is far more often not step
ping stone at all, but only Tarpian
rock, over which thousands are
dashed to death--only frightful
lesson of ruin and destruction. War
has always grown out of the folly
and wickedness of mems minds and
hearts; and all that has ever been
gained by war, with all its horror
and destruction, had the world been
wise and just, could have been OBJ
tanned far more easily by peaceful
means.
The world is coming more and
more to understand that war is but
the ebulition of ruthless, unrestrain-
ed, brute force, resulting in devasta-
ton, ruin and death, that always
does violence to, or discredits at
least on the aggravating or initiative
side, the worlds wisdom, morality
and religion. Hence, the world, not
withstanding the present European
conflict, under the influence of
growing sense of justice, and, be-
lieve, of providence, is inclining the
scale of all national and information
al transactions and relations toward
the golden mean of peace, good will
and Christian equity. If that is not
true, the worlds progress, as set
forth by the scientific facts of evolu-
ton, is reversed and we are moving
backward instead of forward; and
God, it would seem, has ceased to be
dominant or will never be dominant
in the world of his creation; which
conclusion / am not yet ready to ac-
cept or believe. If God and truth
shall finally triumph in the affairs
of men, as l believe they shall, the
time must come when there will be
no more war.
CTo be continued.)