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Show AN IMPOSSIBLE MERCY. Mr. Stead, so the wires say, preached on.Sunday night in Henry "Ward Beecher's old Plymouth church on the expediency t sending an array of great nen and devoted women from this country to pick up more in England and France and Germany, to petition peti-tion The Hague congress to move for a definite and . immediate declaration in the interest of universal peace. The motive is a most humane and noble one; it holds within its hope the coming of a, time when por men shall no longer be slaughtered to satisfy the avarice of covetous nations; when the pen shall be proved to be mightier than the sword, and men and nations shall be enlightened enough to submit their differences to the laws. ' , But the thing is impossible, for has it not recently been establish that a petition to a great lawmaking lawma-king body when it has the adjustment of a case under un-der consideration is aslmuch an impertinence as it would be to petition the Supreme court to decide a case pending between Brown and 'Smith, where 11000 was it stake, in favor of Brown t Our Senate Is but the creation of State Legislatures who in turn are created by the people or by the high priest of some church. If men whose offices are so created ire above the public sentiment of a free people, how manifestly more improper it would be for people to flare approach The Hague congress with a petition? A congress every member of which bears the commission commis-sion of some crowned or uncrowned king and. who are to consider the problems of a world, why should a body so august be disturbed by the clamors of out-aiders out-aiders t . No matter how high 5f soul those outsiders may be ; no matter what certificates of character they . may offer as proof of their worthiness, they would Be, in the eyes of that" congress merely pestiferous ' lobbyists, who would if they could (against all reason) rea-son) persuade that exalted tribunal to bend and hear " the prayerof a sorrowing world that wars should be abolished. ' If the people of a republic may not approach their own lawmakers with a prayer that the laws , may be enforced and the sanctity of the home be pre-; pre-; aerved, what impertinence it must be to think of ipeaking for mercy and peace to the austere lawmakers law-makers at The Hague. |