tected. Thus the race is not improved, it is deteriorated by warfare as conducted by civilized man. The conclusion, now, is obvious. By the natural warfare the human race has been created. The chivalrous warfare is conducted on principles quite wrong from the doctrine of the survival of the fittest. If, therefore, civilized man now conducts war it is against nature. The human race must pay the penalty. The moral law forbids us to purchase future improvements of the human race at the appalling price demanded by natural warfare. With no less force does the polity of nations demand that chivalrous war must cease, as by its means the human race will infallibly deteriorate. Do you, my friends, suppose that all your five million ancestors were estimable and worthy men of peace, or rather shall we say creatures of peace, diffusing nothing but beneficent love and kindness all around them, creatures who after a long life devoted to the pursuit of every virtue, at last closed their eyes in their beds amid the affectionate sobs of a family circle? Shall I tell you the truth about your ancestors or mine? It is just this: out of every thousand of them, nine hundred and ninety-nine passed their lives in trying to kill other creatures or trying to avoid being killed themselves. Battle and murder, treachery and assassination, sudden and often cruel death cut short their lives. The close of their careers was anything but the beautiful scene I endeavored to indicate. They did not die peaceably in their beds. I cannot indeed say they died in their boots. They did not wear boots. If they had done so, they would have wanted two pairs at the same time. Such was, I have no doubt, the fate of nine hundred and ninety-nine out of every thousand of my ancestors. I have the profoundest respect and admiration for them all, for all, that is to say, except the odd one of the thousand, who was evidently some poor, mean-spirited creature. War by day and war by night has been incessant for all those millions of generations. What has been the result of that war? The result has been the survival of the fittest, the creation of man, rational man himself. No one in this room would have been as intelligent as a jelly-fish if it had not been for that warfare, incessantly waged for hundreds of millions of years. War, stern, ruthless war, war where no quarter is given. War where the weak are exterminated, hideously cruel war. War with no mitigating spark of chivalry-in a word, natural war, which has been essential to the evolution from which man has ascended. Does anyone think that evolution could have done what it has done without that awful natural warfare? Impossible. Remember Tennyson, who says: "Tho' Nature red with tooth and claw, It is the natural warfare which has raised the species, but the moral sense of civilized man will not now tolerate the natural warfare. The warfare of civilized man is conducted according to the principles of chivalry. The non-combatants are not to be slaughtered. Their weakness is their protection. Civilized man for his warfare picks out all his strongest and best men, exposes them to all the risks of conflict, while the weaker man is protected. Thus the race is not improved, it is deteriorated by warfare as conducted by civilized man. The conclusion, now, is obvious. By the natural warfare the human race has been created. The chivalrous warfare is conducted on principles quite wrong from the doctrine of the survival of the fittest. If, therefore, civilized man now conducts war it is against nature. The human race must pay the penalty. The moral law forbids us to purchase future improvement of the human race at the appalling price demanded by natural warfare. With no less force does the polity of nations demand that chivalrous war must cease, as by its means the human race will infallibly deteriorate. (At this point cries of "Bryan" were heard from all parts of the hall.) MR. CARNEGIE: It is not necessary for me to introduce Mr. Bryan to an American audience. He will say a few words to you. MR. BRYAN : MR. CHAIRMAN, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: I am on the program for Wednesday afternoon, and I shall then be able to say what I desire to say to you, therefore I want you to be permitted to listen to some of these distinguished visitors who have come to us from abroad, who have given us the views entertained in their countries. All I want to say to-night before yielding the floor to the gentleman for whom you have shown such partiality, and who is prepared to speak to you again, is this, that it seems we are drawing arguments in favor of peace from every source. We have drawn some to-night from sources that I had not expected. I had hoped we should be able to bring about peace by resting entirely upon the theory that Man is made in the image of his Creator, but I am glad to have peace brought to us even from the theory of man made in the image of the ape. (Applause.) MR. CARNEGIE: The Secretary will read to you a few telegrams which he has received from highly important personages, including some of the kings of Europe. MR. ELY: I am afraid it would overtax your patience if you were asked to listen to all these messages. Perhaps I may tell you the sources from which some of them come and you may hear them on some other occasion. We heard this evening, a moment or two ago, from one representative of Holland in the person of "Maarten Maartens." We have another message from Holland, the Minister of Foreign Affairs at the Hague giving us his good wishes. From Switzerland we have two messages,-one from the President of the Swiss Federation (applause) and the other from the head of the Permanent International Peace Bureau at Berne. We have from Norway two messages; one from the King of Norway and one from the Nobel Committee of the Norwegian Parliament. We have from Sweden a very cordial letter from the International Parliamentary Group in the National Legislature of Sweden. We have a very kind message from the King of Italy, Victor Emmanuel. One of the leaders of the Peace movement in Europe, who would have been with us if he could, is Count Apponyi, the head of the Liberal party in Hungary, and he has written us a letter. President Diaz, who is evincing a most earnest interest in this gathering, has been so kind as to send a special message to be presented at the Banquet on Wednesday evening by the Mexican Ambassador, who is also his special representative at the Congress. There are a great many other messages, with which perhaps your patience ought not to be taxed. Mr. CARNEGIE: The Secretary shows his usual good sense; so, ladies and gentlemen, we will bid you one and all good night. |