The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1920-07-01
TIMELY ADVICE TO YOUNG
PEOPLE

winch we are passing is cHdllenSe
to faith and hope. In the face of the
horrors of Verdun; the bleaching
bones of thousands of men, women
and children; of five million wounded
men in hospitals in Europe-yes,
after sixty generations of Christian
opportunity, how shall we keep heart
in view of all this?
We are told that the ideals upon
which We relied to save the world
have failed. Christianity is failure.
If that is so, then education is a
failure; so is commerce.
We thought they would prevent
war. International law is also a
failure. 1t guaranteed the neutrality
of Belgium. 1t failed. What did
Militarism care for Christianity or
law?
But Christianity has not failed.
Wars have always been with US. In
three thousand years we have had
about two hundred and twenty-seven
years of peace. Force shall not al
ways prevail. There are limitations
to force. Guns and battleships and
airplanes and submarines cannot do
it all. Force has limits and is futile
to attain the higher ends of life. War
is surgical operation to cut off the
alien growth, but it does not cure. We
need to attack the unchristian inter-
national relationships of which war is
the expression.
Talk of the glory of war! At an
officers mess there was laughter at
the story of a man who had used his
said, "hand me down your spade,
Milo - o1,I of tho nat
round the end of a transverse he
split their skulls open. That is war.
A Y. M. C. A. secretary, feeling his
way in the darkness of No Mans
Land, reached into the skulls of the
wounded men lying about and felt
their throbbing brains. War! An
officer said, "a mine exploded and
buried our brigade. 1t killed many,
but some We're not much hurt, so we
dug them out and used them over
again." That's war for you! War is
dropping bombs from airplanes;
shooting by phone orders at places
miles away; numbering travellers on
ships with torpedoes; launching out
clouds of poisonous gases; it is days
and nights of pain and agony for the
wounded in No Mans Land; jaws
gone; arms missing; sight destroyed;
minds blank; bodies tossed into the
incinerators that follow in the wake
of battles; it is poisons, gangrene and
lingering death. 1t is broken hearted
mothers looking for letters from loved
ones at the front, and children longing
for footsteps they will never hear.
"It's heroisms are glancing sunlight
on sea of blood and tears" and yet
they say it is glorious! He is mad
who says so. Walt Whitman says,
WARS are hellish business-all wars
any honest man says so-hates
wars, fighting, blood-letting." Our
responsibility is great. The three
great scourges of the world are fam
inc, pestilence and war But commerce
killed famine, science killed pesti-
lence and religion must kill war!
| would have you, my friends, study
the conditions in which we now are
The burden of meeting and remedying
them will fall largely upon this pres
ent generation.
Be ready to face duty. That duty
is expressed by Paul in Rom. 14:7:
"None of US liveth to himself and none
of us dieth to himself" We should
live for others. Each one, however,
is centre The first circle that sur
rounds you is home; the next is your
friends; the next citizens and then
the world at large The sphere of duty
is infinite in every station. Obedi-
ence to duty, at all cost, is the essence
of the highest civilized life. Great
deeds must be hoped for, worked for,
died for.
We are apt to connect the idea of
duty with the soldiers, and so we love
to recall the fate of one at Pompeii
who would not forsake his post, and
as the result was buried by the ashes
from Vesuvius Obedience is the first
lesson to be learned. Duty, however,
is not mere fearlessness; it is self
devoted. The gladiator never forgot
self or his prizes. Pizarro had hardi-
hood, but he was actuated by love Of
gold in the midst of all his hardships.
Augustine says: "Do you wish to be
great, then begin by being little"
If you are to erect a lofty building
you must go down deep for the foun-
datin.
Humility is the foundation of all
true greatness. The best duty is done
out of sight. First. there is the abid-
ing sense of duty to God; then follows
duty to others, as family, etc. We
can be worthy or worthless. No one
can destroy your soul. 1t cannot per-
ish but by your own act. 1t will not
do to neglect duty until the end comes
and then try to right the past or
make up for former neglect.
An eclipse of the sun once occurred
in New England People thought the
day Of judgment had come. The leg
islature of Connecticut was in session
when it was moved to adjourn, then
an old Puritan member rose and said:
IF the last day is come, | desire to
be found at my post" and so moved
that candles be bought. He was right.
We owe a duty to ourselves, to our
persons, that they be properly dressed
and fed, and have good manners and
morals. You are largely the architect
of your own fortunes.
Then there is our duty to others.
We must recognize their rights and
not invade them. Help the needy,
relieve the distressed. A delicate man
did much in visiting the sick and
needy. Friends expostulated with
him. He would take their disease.
He replied, 81 attend to business for
the sake of my family, but mans
duty is to help the needy" Cato