LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
HAVE QUAKERS ABANDONED PEACE PRINCIPLES P
[TO TER EDITOR OF THR "SrEcrrror.."3
SIR,—Where is the man of peace that his voice is silent in these troublous times? Is it that he has neither eyes to see the signs nor ears to hear the sounds of coming strife in Ireland ? One cannot understand the apathy of the Society of Friends in England at present towards their much-vaunted peace principles. How generally when war is threatened they have been foremost in publicly and officially protesting and endeavouring to assist in averting it 1 For instance, before the Crimean War they sent a deputation to St. Petersburg, to plead with the Emperor Nicholas to settle the Eastern ques- tion amicably. On other occasions they have loudly pro- claimed the necessity for reference to the Hague Tribunal. But now when we, their fellow-members, and other fellow-Protes- tants in Ireland, have for more than a year been threatened with that most dreadful of contests, civil war, not a single voice has been publicly raised or effort made by one of the English Friends against this "unrighteous war "—to quote one of their own phrases, "all war is unrighteous." Is, then, peace still one of their avowed principles, or only so when it snits them politically ? If Home Rule is forced on Ulster, the stronghold of loyalty, Protestantism, and religious free- dom for all denominations, it is plain to unprejudiced observers that she will resist to the death to maintain her inalienable birthright to be ruled directly by the Imperial Parliament. Looking at the matter from an Irish point of view, Home Rule is vitally a religious question. Let me quote from the Catholic Times of January 21st, 1910: "As a matter of fact, the Home Rule question is a religious question. We have said this many a time before, and we repeat it again." Finally, let me ask pointedly, Is Great Britain so secure in her religious freedom that she fancies it can never again be taken from her? Will not the English members of the Society of Friends sink their polities for the nonce, to preserve the
heritage of religions liberty for which their and our fore- fathers cheerfully suffered and died P—I am, Sir, &a, IRISH FRIEND. [Surely this appeal will not fall on deaf ears. The whole Society of Friends cannot have adopted the principle of those Friends who think it right to condemn betting as demoralizing, and yet own a daily newspaper which lives by publishing public incitements to betting.—En. Spectator.]
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