Letters June 29, 1907 Issue

LETTERS TO OUR LEADER

with contributions from Hayne Davis, Elizabeth Kellogg Wither, Rosa L. Hannan, Minnie Moreno Sledge, Mary Fort Thomas, H. E. Baldwin, Sarah E. Bone, J. W. Houch, Kathrine J. Bone, Alice G. Sayward, Ella M. Bourne

New York, N. Y., May 29, 1907.

Beloved Leader:—The holding of the Memorial service of the E. E. Sturtevant Post in your church could in no way be detrimental to the work of our Association for International Conciliation. It was my privilege during the recent Arbitration and Peace Congress to secure the cooperation, on the same committee, of the presidents of all the patriotic societies which sprang up in the wake of the Revolutionary War, and of a number of those which resulted from the Civil War—the Grand Army of the Republic, the United Daughters of the Confederacy, the United Confederate Veterans, and others. Those who are guiding the action of our Association understand not only the conditions which we wish to change, but the better condition which we wish to substitute therefor, and the way to accomplish the desired result. Therefore we honor and respect the soldier for doing the duty to which his country sends him, while at the same time we know that he would prefer to have the right rule, and justice done, without any resort to force. In proof of the truth of this, you may be interested to know that, upon my motion, Captain William F. Robertson, of the Wilmington Light Infantry, was recently elected Vice President of the North Carolina Peace Society, of which I am President. He demurred, fearing that the two positions were inconsistent. I asked him whether his promise to the State that he would obey her in making war, should interfere with his working to prevent the happening of those things which would make war necessary? He saw from this question that we gave him an opportunity to do good work in the cause of peace, which would decrease the danger of his having to engage in war. So he consented to serve as an officer of our society.

The question which perplexed him is one which many people have not yet solved; many of our peace advocates differ on it. But it seems very plain to me that it is merely a question of meeting conditions as they exist, while working continually to improve them, and in due time everything is destroyed that is contrary to God. I abide in the faith that the time foreseen by the prophets will come, when men shall learn war no more, and I am deeply grateful to you for enabling me to work effectively for the hastening of that day. I am ever conscious of the fact, however, that I cannot wisely work for this while I either despise or neglect those things which we must suffer to be so now, or while I suffer that to remain which ought now to be destroyed. I am endeavoring to do all the duties of to-day, on the journey from "sense to Soul," looking and working for the destruction of all error, when we shall attain to the perfect understanding of Principle which overcomes even death. You, dear Leader, are approaching that hour, and your faithful ones will follow; and on the way your peace motive, and your incessant prayer and labor for the good of others, make your sense unerring.

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