THE UNIVERSAL PEACE UNION.
By T.
The Universal Peace Union, through its president, Mr. Love, sent a letter to Sagasta and the queen regent of Spain just as the war between the United States and that country was about to begin. In the interests of peace and humanity Mr. Love asked Spain to make still further concessions, and incidentally stated that the sentiment of the United States was against the war. The Peace Union has its headquarters in Independence Hall, Philadelphia, and the city council of that place is considering a proposition which demands that the Union vacate its present quarters. A despatch says that the resolution to be introduced “denounces the unpatriotic, un-American, and disgraceful expressions of opinion.” It is not in our province to discuss either the patriotism or the unpatriotism of this Peace Union document. But there are one or two good lessons that may be drawn from this occurrence. The Peace Union no doubt had good intentions in writing the letter to Spain, even if it did blunder in the form of expressing those intentions. And now, if we are on the threshold of the millennium of peace so popularly talked about, how is it that the good intentions of a peace society man are so severely snubbed? Suppose he did blunder; the instincts of peace would prompt one to overlook his error and bid him not be discouraged but try again. The mistake lies in supposing that we are approaching an age of peace, when in reality the whole world was never given so much to war. And the war spirit is growing stronger and stronger. “The battle of that great day” lies just ahead of us, and how awful are the preparations now going on! It might be well in passing to suggest to the Peace Union that they are working on wrong methods if they desire to really secure peace. Their purpose of maintaining peace is one of the most laudable, and we wish that we might have hopes of their success. But how can we have such hopes of them when they are working almost wholly among politicians, and consequently along political lines? The ambitions of politicians always have and always will be a serious menace to peace. And that order of things will grow worse and worse, as we are so rapidly approaching the end of time. Hence the one thing to do is to link ourselves purely and wholly with the Prince of Peace Himself, and assist Him in saving as many as possible from this wrecking world. All who throw aside personal ambitions, and become pure and true lovers of peace, will sooner or later find that Satan has banished peace from this world except as men get it from the Lord of life. “These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33. T.