New-York tribune., 1918-03-28

liberation. 1t is in matters of individual
conflict, however, rathnr than in national
wrongs, that these principles have proved
effective. Many distinguished Friends IN
The past have realized that in cases of great
collective oppression mere submission on'y
renders the objects of the opprcssor more
easily attained
Prohting by Experience
It is; we'll for us TO profit by the oxpe-
rience and judgment OF those of proved at
tainmcnts and acknowledged usefulness in
the community, rather than by the views Of
those who have not these qualities. Thus
may we'll consider the experience and
iudgment Of William Penn. James Logan,
John Dickinson, Nathaniel Greene, Israel
Whclen, Thomas Miflin, Jacob Brown
John Bright, John G.. Whittier and a num-
Der of Friends living to-day of similar dis
tinction and experience in the facts of life.
Our foundation principle and the excuse
for our separate corporate existence is
belief in the Divine Immanence or direct
communion with God. The object of our
society therefore is to awaken every one
to a consciousness Of "that of God" within
him which will "speak to his condition.
Any particular testimony as to outward
affairs must then be the statement merely
of a particular person or group within the
society, unless approved by it.
We believe that tho majority Of Friends
are as earnestly opposed any one 10 the
enthrallnent of the word by d military
caste, to the human slavery and slaughter
imposed upon Belgium. Poland Armenia
and other countries, to the wholesale do
struction> Of innocent, non-combatant wom-
en- and children. to unparalleled atrocities
and to the spread of organized barbarism
We think that q decent respect for the
opinions of mankind makes it incumbent
upon the Society of Friends to make such
statement. The principal thing which
George Fox did was to break away bravcly
from the bondage of traditional dogma and
point from the slavery of the formal
Church Discipline to the Authority Within.
Elias Hicks followed this principle in pro-
claiming that no book or dogma should De
adhered to unless it met the Witness for
Truth in the individual heart.
We do not agree with those who would
utter sentimental platitudcs while mad
dog is running amuck biting women and
children with those who would stand idly
by quoting some isolated passage of Script
ure while an insane man murdered him,
ravishcd his wife, bayoneted his babies or
crucfied his friends; with any person who
would discuss with some we'll and con-
tented stranger the merits of various fire
eXtingushcrs while his wife and children
arc calling to him from the flames of his
burning house.
Compromise
We believe that wrong is relative and
has degrees, that there are greater things
than human life and worse things than war
There is a difference between peace as an
end and peace as means to an end. We
do not want peace with dishonor or a tenn
porary peace with evil. We will not euuivo
cate with honor or compromise with wick
edness. We must not only seek to save
ourselves from war, but posterity as we'll.
and we must not mistake pictures or names
of things for the things themselves. |.
takes two to make peace, but only one to
make war.
believing that il is not enough at this
time to be neutral and that the views of
the Society of Friends have not been ado
quately represented by the official state
ments of its executives nor by the utter
ances of many of its public speakers we feel
that we should follow the course of orr
prethren IN England, who both now and in
their past history have realized that there
are unusual and extraordinary circumstnn
ccs of infreouent occurrence which ,,nnn+
be rigldly or fully met by anv monmad,
church discipline. We therefore deem il
consistent with our Quaker faith to act ac
cording to the dictates of our own con.
sciences and proclaim unity with tho
teachings of Jesus Christ and the messages
OF the President Of our country.
AS to the former. we believe tho Mostor
TO nave been II religious teacher in normal
times whose words were addressed to ;nd;.
vidunls living in those times. We cannot
think that He would have remained neutr,I
against organized snvagery. In the politi-
cal affairs of nation we are to "rende,
unto Cnsnr the things that are Cmsar's."