The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-04-09
President Expresses Belief
That Spiritual Forces Will
Be Felt at End Of War
Enlighten Judgment
of Humankind
Great Blind Material Forces,
Long Held in Leash. Have
Been Released for Time.
High Ideals | Underneath

Will assert themselves AT the eun
q the war to ez,lighten the judg-
mcnt and steady the spirits of
mankind, was expressed by Pres
ldent Wilson In an address Of we'd
,onac he delivered Mt the Mary
land annual conference OF the
Methodist Protestant Church here
tonight. The President mt the
outset expressed tho opinion that
there In no fundamental differ
mcc between the work that the
church conferenccs are trying u
do and the work that Congress Is
trying to do. Back OF the pur-
poses Of Congress, ne said, lie the
eternal principles Of justice and
righteousness which are derived
frsun the same source from which
great church derives its inspira-
ton and authority.
These are days OF very great per-
plexity," said the President. when n
great cloud of trouble hangs and
broods over the greater part of the
world 1t seems as IL great blind ma
teria1 forces had been released which
had fer long been held ia leash and
restraint. And yet, underneath that.
you can see the strong impulses OF
great i'd sails. 1t would be impossible,
ladies' and gentlemen. for men 10 go
through what men are going through
on tho ba.tlefcids of Europe and strug-
gle through the present dark night of
their terrible struggle IL ii We're not
that they saw, .r thought that they
saw. the broadening of light where the
morning should como up aud believed
that they were standing each on his
side of the contest for some eternal
principle for right. Then. all about
them. all about rs. there sits the stlerl.
waiting tribunal which is gong 10
utter tire ultimate judgment upon this
struggle the great tribunal of the
opinion OF the world; and fancy !
see, hope that ] see. pray that It
may he that ! do truly see. great
spiritual forces lying waiting for the
outcome of this thing TO assert them
selves. and asserting themselves even
now 10 enlighten our Judgment and
steady our spiritC. No man is wise
enough To pronounce judgment, bat
We can aii hold OUR spirit in readiness
10 accept the truth when i dawns on
us and is revealed to as In the OUT
come of this titanic struggle.
Pushing Forward Humanity.
LAS 1t Ia OF infinite benefit that iG
assemhlages like this. and in every
sort of assemblages, We should con-
stantly go back to the sources OF our
moral inspiration and question our
selves as TO what principle it Is that
we are acting on Whittier are We
bound? What do we wish Ia see
triumph? And II we wish To see GER
tain things triumph. why do We wish
to see them triumph? What is there
I'm them that Is for the lasting hene-
fit of mankind? We are here TO push
the whole sluggish mass forward in
some particular direction. and unless
you know the direction in which you
want to go. your force is of no avail
p you love righteousness is what
each ON Of us ought to ask himself
And II you love Righteousness are
YOU ready 20 translate righteousness
into action. and he ashamed and
afraid before no mans
eft seems to me. therefore. that /,
Is worth suggesting to YOU that you
are not sitting here merely to transact
the business and express the ideals OF
great church as represented in the
State of Maryland. but you are here
also as part OF the assize of humanity.
to remind yourselves Of the things
that are permanent and eternal.
which If we do not translate into
action, we have failed in the runca-
mental things of our lives.
No Man Has the Key.
You will see that II Is only in such
general terms that one can speak in
the midst Of confused world, be-
cause, as have already said. no man
has the key TO this confusion. No
man can see the outcome. but every
man can keep his own spirit prepared
the outcome displays itself"