Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1918-04-11
The Supreme Achievement
Sermon BY ReY.AG CSWhite

"A Sermon BY |
Sunday morning 1T the FIRST Meth
odist Episcopal church the Rev. Gay
g. White preached on the subject,
The Supreme Achievement q q
large audience
MIR. White said, Id part
We have this morning Two contrast
ing texts: HE that is slow to anger
IS better than the mighty: and he
that ruleth his spiritsthan he that
taketh city, Proverbs 1922. and
He that hath nc ~ruls@over his "
spirit is like a city#that Isl broken
down, and without walls, Proverbs
Conquest is not Identical with
achievement. Conquest is an ancient.
fighting word, born insthe sturdy soul
Of primitive Rome, meaning toSsseek
and to secure, to gain the victory.
Achievement. by along and ~circuitous
route acr0ss the centuries Of Old
English and Old French life, signifes
he perfecting of a task. Conquest is
of the military; achievement lis of the
scientific, artistic and religious. Con
quest is the goal of many wars, and
of commerce. all TOO often; achieve
ment is for the good of all.
Conquest Defined.
Conquest is, therefore. a cruel word.
1t brings to mind the conquest OF an
Gent Peru by Pizzaro, b massacre
of an innocent people, the murder of
he Inca, the bl0tting out Of won
derful civilization that fourished in
the New World while the Old World
was yet a savage waste. Conquest.
recalls to mind the invasion of Mex
leo by Cortez, the a~nnihilation of the
M-ontezumas, the robbery of the peo-
pie and the piracy upon the high seas.
Conquest pictures the unhappy lot of
Belgium, whose fate has been more
unfortunate than that of either Mex
leo or Peru. Conquest is the word
that has made kings to become fools
and murderers. rayagers of cities, de-
stroyers of nations. We recall the
stories Of Roman c~onquerors, return
ing from distant wars, at the head OF
long professions Of booty-laden wag-
IONS slaves n prisoners of war.
Caesar must be known as a CON
Queror by captive kings and queens
and fair maidens following his chariot
through the streets of the Eternal
City. Let us not forget that Wilhelm,
the Bloody, is a kaiser, which lis the
modern word for Caesar!
Conquest is, of course, a selfish
word. Another man or group Of men.
has something you desire. You want
~ StaNt< ~ Arafnvrn NE Il, F& ~ Ag~-A
strength to go out and take it. Armed
force then provides the only supreme
court among nations o. individuals
that has the power to enforce its de-
cisions. In society, commerce, indus
come highway robbers. A dress suit
ter the essential facts. The deed may
be accomplished on Wall Street or an
the plains of Picardy,-conquest is q
selfish word In either case.
Conquest is a pagan word. 1t has
nothing to do with religion and art
and science that shall bless mankind,
but rather it has to do with tyranny
and injustice, heather practices and
s~o-called civilized practices that are
worse than heather. The Sepoy re-
bellion and the massacre at Gavin
pore are not to be compared for cruel
ty and ~far-reaching frighffulness with
the dark deeds Of Germany and Tur-
key in the present war. Conquest is
q tendal word and being q feudal word
no Christian environment q make 1t
Christian, for fendalism is always
pagan.
Conquest is ! costly word Con-
quest is prodigaief life Rivers Of
blood dow across the pathway ofsthe
years, marking the ruthless advance
OF the ccnquerors. But yDu have per
haps noticed this. that the Caesars of
earth are very free Nth the other
fellows fMe. Kings have 4 most prl-
dent habit Of taking care of their own
skins, and Of their OWN flesh and
blood. The Kaiser'ss sDns have not
risked the supreme sacridee. but mil
lions OF faithful subjects are nothing
to d Hohenzollern as compared with
the conquest of Europe and Of the
world.
Achievement Defined.
Achievement, on the other hand, is
Il kindly, cooperative word. Brains
are sanctified to noble cause. The
surgeon the astronomer, the artist,
the poet, the statesman, the prophet,
become the bene6cent discoveries 0f
those things that make for the more
abundant. democratic welfare of all
Ne AeIan oil ali.sess -.
place of Caesar, Pasteur instead OF
Napoleon, Edison instead of Wilhelm.
Achievement is tile accomplishment
of noble objective.