Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-05-09
WARNS AGAINST SOFTNESS
OF UNHE RO|C LIVES
Roy. H. d. c. Maclachlan, in Memo
rial Address. Says There Arc
Things Worse Than War.
Says THE is NO pACIFICIsT
Exercises in lakewood Cemetery in
Memory Of Dead Heroes Prove I'm
usually Strilling-GOvernor, May.
or and Others Among Participants.
In making tho annual address u, tn

In making tho annual address IT the
memorial exercises In Oawood Gene
terry yesterday afternoon. Rev. II. u. c.
Maclachlan, ID. D., gave a war tinEc TO
his remarks that led some OF his
hearers TO conclude shat he had in
mind the sinking OF the Lus,ania-
That there were those IN the audience
who. assuming that such was his cHin-
ion. were of the same conviction, was
indicated by the applause which this
portion OF the address elected. But.
as a matter OF fact. the speaker. he
afterwards explained was talking in
general terms and prepared the ad-
dress before the Lusitana was sent 10
the bottom by German torpedoes. He
was asked, subsequcntly. If he thought
that the conditions which made 4 war
the only alternative to dishonor had
arisen in this country, and replied.
Not at all" He did not regard the
sinking of tho big liner as casus belh,
but he thought II would Justify stern
remonstrance from this country.
NO ADVOCATE OF WAR,
ALSO NO PACIFICIST
DR.. Macla chlan's reference 10 the
conditions which can Justify war was
made in applying the lesson OF the
War Between the States. He said our
enemies OF the present day were not
. enemies of flesh and blood. but the far
more dangerous enemies OF the weak,
piping times of peace" selfshness,
cowardtce and the softness OF un-
heroic lives. He thought there was
danger OF a people giving itself up to
the SNUG complacency of ignoble lives.
and in this connection said:
II am no advocate of war. but, on the
other hand, ] am no pacifcist. There
are things worse than war-iniustice.
dishonor, falsity and the SNUG com
placency of !gnoble minds. 1t may be
true that they that take the sword
shall perish by the sword but what
If the sword be forced into our hands?
War may he an evil. but. as between
war and dishonor. who worthy of the
name of man. would hesitate TO choose?
II war is not exactly as Bernardo says.
"a biological necessity 1t is ut times
a necessity of our moral natures-the
strong, stern protest Of all that Is
within us against wrongs that have
passed the limit OF argument. and will
not be settled save by the arbitrament
of the sword.
SOME WARS HAVE BEEN
ORGANIZED MURDER
a There have been wars that were
3prEanized murder but there have also
Ssoeen wars that were birth throes of
GALL that we hold most dear. of liberty,
Of truth, OF justice, of human brother
hood. Wars of that kind liberate. en-
noble. Justify. sanctify. They purge
the gold from the dross. They call
forth all the nobility and capacity for
sacrifice in a people. and raise them
permanently to higher levels OF ma
tional thought and action.
You remember what Tennyson says
about that in Maud? Thinking OF the
corruption and material!sm of his day
its low ideals, its selfish CONNIE ella lisn.
its dishonesty in high places and in
low-he is driven TO voice the wish
that foreign foe might threaten the
shores of England. so that in its de-
Tense some heroic quality might be
struck from the soul OF his people rs
the steel strikes the spark from the
flint:
Peace sitting under her olive, and
slurrng the days gone by.
When the poor are hoveled and
hustled together each sex like
swine.
When only the ledger lives and whcr
only not all men lie;
Peace in her vineyard, yes, but q
company forgesIhe wine.
When a Manmonte mother kills hel
babe for burial fee,
And Tamour- Mammon grins on Dill,
of children's bones
is II peace or war? Better war. lout
war. by land or by sea;
War with thousand battles, ant
shaking n thousand thrones,
For l trust II an cnemys feet cam,
yonder round by the hill
And the rushing battle bolt can.
from the decker out OF the foam
That the smooth faced, snub-nosc,
rogue would leap from the coun
ter and iii
And strike If he could. were Il bu
with his cheating yard wan,
home