Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1918-02-27


that when Germany conceived and
launched its inundation of terror
upon little Belgium, death grapple
Of the moral universe was on. In
this sense, the alignment of Ameri-
ca was inevitable. Evil could never
hope to be more powerfully equipped
for a contemptuous assault upon
good. EVIL was ripening to burst.
turned with all my heart to take my
place in the lineup.
Not Renegade.
A swashbuckler friend Of mine,
who has wanted war with Germany
and Mexico as we'll, has gibed me for
my vigorous recent activity in our
war preparations. He said, laughing
ly: "You have all the zeal of a rene
gade." If have made the impress
sion Of moral somersault, and a
complete abandonment of former
convictions, the impression will Xot
linger long. For l have to say that /
have not reversed a single principle
OF my Christian pacifisEl. On the
other hand, singular as it may be, I
face toward this war against Ger
many from the same platform of
principle on which stood two years
ago opposing the efforts to stir up
the war fever in this country. am
become war-maker precisely on the
grounds which supported my resist
ance to the war-makers. What I have
yielded is really worth talking about,
because Of what I have not yielded
and cannot yield. l am more op-
posed to war than ever before. 1t is
an utterly senseless and loathsome
international stupidity. It is wrong
it is ruinous; it is unworthy Of be-
ings made in the image of God.
How, then, can / consent in my
conscience to this war in Europe? If
| had not answered that question, T
would not have consented. Of course
there are characteristics Of this war
not different from other wars; but,
viewed in its totality, it is not Just a
war in the ordinary acceptation Of
that term. 1t is a moral convulsion |;
it is a change Of front on the part OF
the universe; 1t is war with all the
compounds Of malignity, consummat-
ed in full-orbed ghastliness; it is a
revelation Of wars utmost shame.
of Of ~ ,,
will register humanity's reputation
Of all war. Steadily. in repeated decI
larations Of war aims, America Is TO-
cusing everything into one supreme
war aim-the aim to end war. Lord
Balfour told President Wilson that
every British and French soldier
would leave the trenches in "a hours
If they could not retain the faith that
they are fighting and dying to kill
war. The deepest battle-cry Of all
that hoarse pandemonium in France
is, "Never again! Never again!" 1t
is easy, Of course, to prophesy ac-
cording to ones hopes; but this
prophecy Of Americas moral mission
to swing the world against war is
very clear to me. l have just noticed
that Mr.. Balfour's latest utterance
voices devotion to Woodrow Wilson'S
avowal Of League Of Nations, and
that DR.. John Clifford, In his New
Years address. speaks with passion
ate certainty of the same thing.
No, am not a renegade paciflst;' I
would be glad to die myself, and hon
ored If my son shall die to kill war
in the earth.
Jesus Flung His Body In.
The matter of gravest concern to
me from the outset was the question
Of loyalty to Jesus Christ Over the
issue Of conscientious obedience here
| wrestled long. 1t would not have
been possible for me to have given
sincere sympathy even to my country
IN this war if-an extraordinary light
had not fallen on this problem. That
light came, but it did not come
through the appeal to the proof texts,
Of which | saw so many making a
precarious convenience. 1t came, in
fact. not from anything Jesus Is re-
ported to have said or the Apostles
had written in the New Testament. 1t
came from what Jesus did at Cal
vary.
am convinced as stoutly as was
at the beginning that the New Testa-
ment is the record Of a revelation
antagonistic to the idea
and method Of war It's philosophy Is