Presbyterian College - Pac Sac Yearbook (Clinton, SC)

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THE COLLEGIAN. 7 up arms when thousands of men are involved. Let us notice the difference. Here are two men. One has been offended by the other. They are angry and each wants vengeanc. Conse- quently they attempt to secure justice by fighting. In the con- flict one of the men is killed. Then the other man is arrested and carried before a court of justice, where he is tried for his life. The court finds him guilty of breaking the sixth com- mandment and sentences him to die upon the gallows. On the other hand, here are two nations. Gne has been offended by the other. They go to War in order to secure justice. In the battle almost every man in one army is killed. What is done with the other army? Are the victorious soldiers carried be- fore a court of justice and tried for their lives? Instead of this, they are crowned with laurels of honorg revered because they have won for themselves fame by taking the lives of their fellowmen. They are proclaimed heroes, and are set up before the youth of the land as examples of perfect manhood. To the thinking man justice is so obscure in such cases that it cannot be seen. Settling disputes by war is not in keeping with the example that the Prince of Peace set while he was walking upon the earth. I-Ie resorted to neither spear nor swordg he had no standing army with which to- conquer the world. And when God said, Thou shalt not kill, it is not for us to imagine that he made any mental reservation for men collectively. Oh nations, open your eyes! Become masters of your senses! Realize how absurd it is to spend your billions in preparing to conquer foes that are yet to be and to withdraw your liberality while disease is leading an army that is gaining victories every day throughout the world. The army of disease is the most cruel army that has ever ravaged any country. It kills from the cradle to the grave. It pitches no tents at nightg it halts at no Rubicon to considerg it conquers amid the burning plains of the South where the army of Alexander halted in mutinyg it conquers amid the snovvdrifts of the North where the army of Napoleon found its winding sheet. Illiteracy, poverty, and crime are other foes that hold civili- zation in check. Let America look into some of the homes of

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6 THE COLLEGIAN. - I' would see the actual cost of war, go upon a battle-field while the battle is raging. See that dense cloud of smoke which hovers over the battle-field, as if it is trying to hide from the face of the Prince of Peace the cruel and barbarous acts of mang watch the lines that are made up of the nation's bravest men, as they are constantly being broken by the dropping out of wounded meng watch the noble youths as they stagger and fallg watch men gasping and struggling for breath, dying a horrible death for they know not whatg listen to the boom of the can- nonadeg listen to the command of the general who drives his men into the teeth of death itself g smell the burning powder mixed with the odor of fresh human bloodg feel the warm blood as it trickles from the wound as you attempt to stanch its flow. ,Now wait until the battle is over, until the sun is setg wait for the melancholy of the twilight. Then go upon that same battle-field, which has been painted red with the precious blood of men. See that a calmness now spreads its Wings over the battle-field, as if it is attempting to shelter suffering hu- manity. See the pale faces upturned in the moonlightg note the thousands of eyes that have been glazed by death. Listen! The stillness is constanly broken by the groans and moans of dying men. Listen to the moaning prayers of strong men in agony. Such is the scene upon every battle-field. It is true that war costs a nation an immense number of the lives of her best and noblest men, and makes a once prosperous nation poor. But there is another horrible cost of war. Wall: into a home that has been made destitute by war, a home that has been robbed of its rightful protector and provider. Look into those little faces pinched with hungerg watch those little bodies shuddering from cold because they have no one to pro- vide them with raiment. Look at the mother whose face is furrowed with sorrow, whose hair has been whitened because of grief, whose form is stooped because of hard labor. This cost alone should be sufficient to make all lovers of humanity cry, Away with war! Peace forever ! To the thinking man it seems absurd to prohibit duels in which only two men are engaged and to allow nations to take

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8 THE COLLEGIAN. her people and see poverty as it exists at her own doors. Think of the thousands of both her natives and her immigrants who have not where to lay their heads. Let all nations look into the slums of their cities and see crime, disgrace, shame, and cfegradation standing with their feet upon the necks of right- eousness and purity and declaring themselves supreme. Let them note the thousands of their young men and Women who are growing into manhood and Womanhood ignorant of every- thing save the indulgence and frivolity that their liberty affords. They are destined to live worthless lives because they have not the means to demand a higher standard of living and to educate themselves. These considerations should be sufficient to make all nations cry with one accord, Away with armies! Away with navies! Let all disputed questions be settled by cool-headed and un- biased men! Let us educate an army of doctors to conquer the cruel army of disease! Let us cleanse the slums of our cities, dethrone crime, disgrace, shame, and degradation and place upon the throne virtue, purity, and righteousness. For centuries poets have dreamed that there would come a millenium when the foolish expenditure of money and the use- less shedding of blood would cease. Let us hope that it is not very far distant, for the brotherhood of man is advancing hand in hand with civilization. Some say that such a millenium will never be, but remember that We are living in a progressive age. Men have harnessed electricity and made it their servant 5 made the air their stroll- ing groundg all but communicated with the distant planets. There is no end to man's achievement. Then do you not think that people of such an age as this are capable of establishing one common court Where all international differences can be settled, thus giving justice, not to the mighty, but to Whom justice is due? Universal peace has been advancing ever' since the time when the duel began to replace murder and assassination and when the court began to replace the duel. But today the sentiment and progress of the times lead rapidly to peace. Commerce and industry have demanded a closer