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'APRIL 20, 1907
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righteousness, that shall exalt the nation.
"Answer Righteousness is simply doing what
Is right.' What is just is always right; what is
unjust is always wrong; it being the first principle
of justice that men shall not be judges in their own
cause, to refuse to submit to judge or arbitrator
is unjust, hence not right, for tho essence of
righteousness is justice."
"Let us measure the value of those that war
has not taken and then we can obtain some esti
mate of the value of those lives that have gone."
Life he held was sacred and precious, to be
guarded sacredly because created by God as
something worthy and lastiug.
The attainment of peace as seen from the view
point of the .clergy was presented by Archbishop
Ireland. Greater than all other names to consider
in the conception of peace, he held, was the divine
name of Christ
"What we need to prevent wars," tho prelate
declared, "is the expansion of the gospel of
Christ; what wo need is that inner culture of the
soul that will bring out its spiritual nature; thnt
will bring out the divine that is in it bring about
the peace in the family, in society, indeed among
all the nations and peoples of the earth."
Rev. Lyman Abbott in his address exhorted
for concerted action of the world to attain the
ideal of eternal peace.
The resolutions were unanimously adopted
with a few minor changes, although the debate
over them continued more than two hours.
Mrs. Belva A. Loclcwood declared that the
speakers on the platform were trying to have it
all their own way. Dr. Benjamin F. Trueblood,
chairman of the committee on resolutions declared
it had been impossible to incorporate in the brief
expression of the sentiment of the congress all of
the one thousand and one suggestions and ideas
which had come from various' sections of the
country.
Several of the speakers were interrupted from
time to time by other delegates who wished to be
-heard and who thought the speakers were taking
too much time. The debate finally was limited as
to time and when the vote was taken several del
egates were endeavoring to be recognizd.
Among the participants In the debate was Wil
liam J. Bryan. He said:
"So many delegates have not had an opportu
nity to express themselves upon these resolutions "
that I do not think It fair that we who have been
assigned places on the program, should occupj
all the time. I came here to see that the One idea
which I regard as the most important of all was
carried out, and that was that all the disputes,
not subject to arbitrament by diplomacy, should
be referred to international arbitration. This has
been incorporated in the resolutions, just as it was
adopted by the interparliamentary union in Lon
don last July, when twenty-six nations were rep
resented. I regard this as a long step toward
the elimination of war.
"There is one other subject which I would have
been pleased to see incorporated in your resolu
tions, but which the committee has not deemed
wise, and that is 'that thQ time has come when
the lending of money to a belligerent by a neutral
-.state should be regarded as being as objectionable
as the furnishing of powder for the shot ahU shell.
It Is all wrong to say that powder, lead and shell
are contraband and then to allow the money lend
ers to furnish the means of buying the things that
are forbidden It is a wrong principle which al
lows a few money lenders to profit by the dis
tress of nations."
William J. Bryan in his address offered as a ;
substitute for the historic words "liberty or
death," the cry of "liberty and life." This senti
ment was the keynote, of his address. The cost
"of human life he wanted counted and estimated.
The resolutions adopted by the congress follow:
"Whereas, The nations, through the application
of scientific invention and discovery to intercom
munication and travel, have become members of
one body, closely united.aud interdependent with
common commercial, industrial, intellectual and
moral interests, and war in any part of the world
immediately affects, both materially and morally,
all other parts, and undisturbed peace has become
the necessary condition of the proposed well being
and orderly progress of human society; and
"Whereas, The Hague conference in 1899 made
a great and unexpected advance towards the es
tablishment of peace by the creation of a perma
nent court of .arbitration for the judicial settle
ment of international disputes; and
"Whereas, The said court of arbitration, hav
ing adjusted-four controversies, in which nearly
all the prominent powers were participants, has
become a fixed and well recognized means of set
tling international .disputes, though its operation is
only voluntary; and
"Whereas, The principle of international com-
The Commoner.
missions of inquiry, provided for in The Haguo
'SEES11011 as. ,Pr0Jcd Itfic,f onc of cat Poetical
effic ency, as illustrated in the Anglo-Russian
North sea crisis; and
"Whereas, More than forty treaties of obliga
tory arbitration between nations, two and two,
have been concluded, stipulating reference to The
Hague court for five years of all disputes of a
judicial order and those arising in the interpreta
tion of treaties; and
"Whereas, Public opinion in favor of the peace
ful settlement of controversies has made extra
ordinary advance since the first conference at
The Hague, and as recently declared by the Brit
ish prime minister, has attained a practical po
tency and a moral, superiority undreamt of in
1899; and
"Whereas, The states of the western hemisphere,
through the action of the third Pan-American con
gress and the reorganization of the International
bureau of American republics have reached what Is
virtually a permanent union destined henceforth
to wield a mighty influence in behalf of permanent
peace; and
"Whereas, Tlie first Hague conference, though
it failed to solve the question of reduction of arm
aments, for which it was primarily called, unani
mously recommended to the powers tho serloiis
study of the problem with the view of relieving
the people of the vast burdens imposed upon them
by rivalry of armaments.
"Resolved, By tho national arbitration and
peace congress, composed of delegates from thirty
six states, that the government of tho United
States be requested, through its representatives
to the second nague conference, to urge upon that
body the formation of a more permanent and more
comprehensive international union for the purpose
of insuring the eilicieut co-operation of the nations
in the development and application of interna
tional law and the maintenance of the peace of
the world.
"Resolved, That to tills end it Is the judgment
of this congress that the governments should pro
vide that The Hague conference shall hereafter be
a permanent institution, with representative na
tions meeting periodically for the regular and sys
tematic consideration of the international
problems constantly arising in the intercourse of
the nations, and that we Invite our goyernment
to Instruct its delegates to the coming conference
to secure, if possible, action in this direction.
"Resolved, That as a logical sequence of the
first Hague conference, The Hague court shall be
open to all the nations of the world.
"Resolved, That a general treaty of arbitration
for ratification by all the nations should be drafted
by the coming conference, providing for the ref
erence to The Hague court of international dis
putes which may hereafter arise, which cannot
be adjusted by diplomacy.
"Resolved, That the congress records Its in
dorsement of the resolution adopted by the inter
parliamentary union at its conference in London
last July, that in case of disputes arising between
nations which it may not be possible to embrace
within the terms of an arbitration convention, the
disputing parties before resorting to force shall
always invoke the services of an internation il
commission of inquiry or the mediation of one or
more" friendly powers.
"Resolved, That our government be required
to urge upon the coming Hague conference the
adoption of the proposition, long advocated by our
country, to extend to private properly at sea the
same Immunity from capture in war as now
" shelters private property on land.
"Resolved, That the time has arrived for de
. cided action towards the limitation of the burdens
of armaments, which have enormously Increased
since 1899, and the government of the United
States Is respectfully requested and urged to in
struct its delegates to the coming nague confer
ence to support with the full weight of our na
tional Influence the proposition of the British gov
ernment, as announced by the prime minister, to
have, if possible, the subject of armaments consid
ered by the conference.
"Resolved, That the congress highly appreciates
tho eminent services of President Roosevelt in
bringing The Hague court into successful opera
tion, in exercising his good offices for restoring
peace between Russia andvJapan, preventing, in
co-operation with Mexico, a threatened war in
Central America, and in initiating, at the request
of the interparliamentary union, the assembling
of a second international peace conference at The
Hague. It congratulates him upon,th reception
of the Nobel prize as a just recognition of his effi
cient services for peace.
"Resolved, That the distinguished services of
the Hon. Elihu Root, secretary of state, to the
cause of international peace and good will during
his recent visits to the South American capitalg
and to Canada he accorded tho grateful rccognl
tion of tills coiuivss.
"Resolved, Taut wo t'lnnk tho prime minister
of Great Britain, Sir Henry CnrapbclMJanncrroaa
for the noble sttnl wihth he has taken in favor
of a settled poliey of pence among the nations, and
of a limitation and reduction of tho military and
naval burdens now willing upon the world.
"Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be
sent by a commlttceOo this congress, to be chosen
by the president of the congress, to President
Roosevelt, to Secretary Root and to each of tho
United States delegates to the forthcoming Hague
conference"
William .T. Bryan was the last speaker of the
afternoon session. When he was introduced the
audience applauded wildly. In part ho said:
"This body Is not official. We represent no gov
ernment, therefore wo can bo more free in our
expression than an official body could be. A man
Is easier In speaking for himself than for millions
ho represents. We understand Germany keeps a
great army for fear France will attack her. Yet
we need not be surprised when we hoar from
Baron do Constant that his nation waula peace
and would lead In tho peace movement. Yet, too,
wo need not be surprised to hear thnt Germany's
so-called war lord is a friend and advocate. of
peace.
"England, we know, has a groat and fearsome
navy, and yet we should not be surprised to hear
that King Edward Is peace-loving and peace-seeking.
"Other nations may be surprised to hoar that
wo have doubled our army and navy In ten years.
That wo spend millions upon millions more crtch
year in their support Is known, yet our president
is called tho agent of peace and we aro a peace
loving nation. There are some seeming Inconsist
encies always. However, they aro not ours alone."
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