New-York tribune., 1916-01-01
To the Editor Of The Tribune.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: The responses to my letter Of Deem
ber have emboldened me TO make one fur
ther appeal TO my fellow coUntrymen, and the
substance OF it is that we should stand firm
and ready to face the consequences of break
with Germany, even If that break, as Bern
storif is said TO have threatened, means war.
There are thousands of high-mnded citi-
zens Of this country who have distinct aver
sion to war because they feel it TO be in prin-
ciple the reputation of that state of peace
which. in their judgment, their Saviour the
Prince Of Peace died to establish. But mere
peace is not thing which, in and for itself
and apart from certain special como .ations,
is either admirable or a blessing. There are
the peace of craven silence in the face OF
wrong, and the pale peace Of death and the
rotten peace of a corrupt conscience at rest
and in harmony with its own wickedncss.
There is also peace which is bought by a
surrender OF moral principle or by spiritual
cowardicc, or by a weak and sensuous love
Of creature ease and comfort. Surely no con-
scientious follower of Jesus could either
conceive or maintain that peace of any one
Of these descriptions is = true Christian
peace. or IT. the issue we're squarely Joined
between some such peace and war that war
would not become sacred duty.
The true peace, ! take it. is the peace
which the men OF good Will enjoy and per
petuate It is the peace which comes Of
righteous effort and of love for ones fellow
mon: tho peace which issues from an undi-
yided will in the service Of truth and justice.
r. then, such n peace demands at certain
crucial stages Of human history the sad arbit-
rament of war, the0 war there must be- In
the interest Of the real salvation Of society
it cannot be avoided To say this, however,
is not TO commend war, as Bernhard and
others do. as a thing morally advantageous
in itself Il is, indeed, true that war devel-
ops given virtues and that military training
entails several good effects; but way remains
for all that an undoubted evil. and the su-
prcmacy OF military power has never been
conducive TO the spread OF either political or
spiritual freedom Moreover. if such be the
case the advocacy of war in times of great
ethical emergency is not to defend the thesis
that men should do evil that good may
come" but rather TO support that other
thesis, that "of two evils we should choose
the icss."
If things come 70 such a pass that war and
war alone can protec, the weak and stay the
brute beast of carual greed from deyouring
the substance OF Naboth's vineyard, then,
hateful as war is and dreadful as are many
Of its consequences. it must and should be
waSed. / things come 10 such a pass that
"a~ and way alone cen preserve the sacred
-as. Al ivulau rign-s and -rea. .ias Tho .raa g
urcs Of art and literature and the still! NOR
sacred treasures Of liberty and religion, then
war mus. b. iEcontinently joined. Ii things
come TO s-ch e pass that q people must
choose between var and the sacrifice not
merely of trade or territory, but of
the essential principles Of manly character
and national integrity. then way may be
Justly hailed as the only possible means of
salvation aad The only gateway into true and
lasting peace.
70 is the failure Of the professional pacihst
10 sQuarely face This dilemma that leads TO
the mavSish talk OF the Chautauqua variety
with which wc have been lately flooded as
well "a 10 the sp!neless and cowardly attitudes
which have been so lgXlriously taken all over
the land. IN view OF this intellectual inverte-
bracy which fails 70 stand erect on a mans
feet and !. consequence OF the myopic vision
tta fails 20 appreciate anything beyond the
immediate environment Of its own trade.
home and happiness. it becomes a matter OF
paramount necessity TO p!ac, the above dilcm-
ma squarey IN the public eye. That eye
ought not TO be allowed 70 blink the fact that
in the very near future the alternative OF
armed conflict or national dishonor may be
presented TO our people.
/ Indeed, am not sure bat tha. We are