Ernest Crosby, Garrison the non-resistant

“ [44] to know where to begin-whom first to despatch as opportunity might offer. We should have to make clean work of the president and his cabinet” --and he goes on to enumerate various distinguished men who must be considered as accomplices.

We know not where to look for Christianity if not to its Founder, and taking the record of his life and death, of his teaching and example, we can discover nothing which even remotely, under any conceivable circumstances, justifies the use of the sword or rifle on the part of his followers; on the contrary, we find nothing but selfsacrifice, willing martyrdom (if need be), peace and good-will, and the prohibition of all retaliatory feelings enjoined upon all those who would be his disciples. When he said, “Fear not those who kill the body,” he broke every deadly weapon. When he said, “My kingdom is not of this world, else would my servants fight that I should not be delivered to the Jews,” he plainly prohibited war in self-defense and substituted martyrdom therefor. When he said, “Love your enemies,” he did not mean “kill them when they go too far.” When he said, while expiring on the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do,” he did not treat them as a “herd of buffaloes,” but as poor, misguided and lost men. We believe in his philosophy; we accept his instruction; we are thrilled by his example; we rejoice in his fidelity.