The St. Joseph observer. [volume] (St. Joseph, Mo.) 1906-1932, 1917-08-25
WAR EXPRESSIONS
FROM QUAKERS AND
OTHER PACIFISTS

In the great trying-out that has
come upon the spirit OF Americans In
the issue of peace and war, foreign
war, a war calling for the invasion of
Europe by American troops. the pa
cfsm of this country has experienced
a heart searching that is producing
some remarkable results We find,
for example. the organ OF pacifism in
the United States. 'The Advocate OF
Peace" defending itself against an ac-
cusation by the Rev Chas. II. Dole
that 1t belongs to those false pacifists
who uphold war whenever their gov
ernment declares war" The Advocate
of Peace replies that it abhors war
and abhors the present war and prays
for peace at the earliest opportunity.
But 1t stands by the issues of Ameri-
canism in this war, and 1t stands by
the American war as the best hope of
eventual peace and the salvation of
democracy against a Power that hates
democracy and has rallied every force
II can reach I'm the world to destroy
democracy. Then we find several ar
ticles written by representatives and
responsible Friends defending the at
titude of the United States in the war.
Notwithstanding that a fundamental
principle of the Quaker religion for
bids bearing arms. Many lewding
spokesmen of the Society of Friends
have gone on record since Last April
stating that the Society of Friends
subscribes uncompromisingly to the
statement of the war issues which the
President has made from time to time
since war was entered upon. And
leading Friends go on record stating
that IL young men of Quaker families
feel it a duty to enlist or volunteer
no fault can be found with them, not
withstanding the principles of the
church They rRcnl that the OIiAkpT9
stood by Lincoln because of their ha-
tired of human slavery, and some
branches of the Quaker church actu-
ally were said to have contributed
more volunteers than any other de-
nomination in the Civil War. Today
also they hold that America fights for
human liberties in all the world. and
the Quaker heart can not but respond
to such challenge. Further, we
find the preacher. by many held to
be the most powerful in the country
in any denomination, DR.. Chas. Il. JEFF
ferson, of New York, Congregation
alist who was extreme in his denun-
citation of war on Christian grounds
and who lost considerable of his fol-
lowing because OF the pronounced
views against war which he declared,
now asserting that the statement of
President Wilson OF April 2, made IL
clear that a righteous course was taxi
ell Ill war dRdlnSl III Is unpTlnCtpleu
and well nigh irresistible Prussian oil
garchy." 1t was supposed that DIR.
jefferson would throw his Influence
and voice against the war. but such
is not the fact. He quotes from the
Presidents speech of April 2, which
he declares to be "on the whole the
most notable state paper in American
history since the days of Washington.
Nothing comparable to 1t has been
read by our people since Abraham
Lincoln's End inaugural address. 1t
Is by all odds the ablest state paper
that the war has produced In any land.
II is noble, moving. mastery. Possibly
the world may wait 1000 years before
1t produces anything equal to 1t. That
one speech converted probably mil
lions of Americans into advocates of
war" DR.. jefferson says: Before the
declaration of war / could see at least
20 reasons why We ought not to go
into the war. But l am Interested In
those reasons no longer. We are in
the war. We are going to stay in"
And for his own part he adds: "It Is
foolish. therefore. as 1t seems to me, to
denounce Christians who favor the
war and to taunt them with having
surrendered the fundamental doctrines
or the Christian faith. pity the man
who can not feel the force of the argu-
ment which can be urged In justifica-
ton OF our participation In this war"
These are expressions from a represen-
tative of the Christian religion. which
Is above everything the religion of
peace, who has been a pacifist leader
and still is. Such utterances from
many like quarters show how paci-
fists, holding still to their belief. new
ertheless reconcile themselves to war,
because war has been forced upon
the nation and the whole world by the
determined enemy of religion, NOR
alifN nhnrtn, nd ni.