4oo POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



The Buddhist commandment, six hundred years before our era, is 

 " Love all mankind equally/ 



' To those of a noble disposition, the whole world is but one family/ 

 says the Hindu. 



Coming to the Romans, Cicero (106-43 B. C.) says: "War should 

 only be undertaken by a highly civilized state to preserve either its 

 religion or its existence." " There are two ways of ending a dispute — 

 discussion and force: the latter manner is simply that of the brute 

 beasts; the former is proper to beings gifted with reason." He also 

 reminds the senate, " For in this assembly, before the matter was 

 decided, I said many things in favor of peace, and even while war was 

 going on I retained the same opinions, even at the risk of my own 

 life." No better proof of the true patriot and leader can be given 

 than this — a lesson much needed in our day. 



Sallust (86-34 B. C.) recounts, "But after the Senate learned of 

 the war between them, three young men were chosen to go out to 

 Africa to both Kings, and in the words of the Senate, and of the 

 people, announce to them that it was their will and advice that they 

 lay down their arms and ' settle their disputes by arbitration rather 

 than by the sword ; since to act thus would be to the honor both of the 

 Romans and themselves/" (' Jugurtha/ XXI., 4.) 



Virgil (70-19 B. C.) laments that " The love of arms and the mad 

 wickedness of war are raging. ... As for me, just come from war 

 and reeking with fresh slaughter, it would be criminal for me to 

 touch the gods till I shall have washed the pollution in the running 

 stream." 



From Seneca (4 B. C.-65 A. D.) we have this outburst: "We 

 punish murders and massacres among private persons; what do we 

 respecting wars, and the glorious crime of murdering whole nations?" 

 ..." The love of a conquest is a murderess. Conquerors are scourges 

 not less harmful to humanity than floods and earthquakes." 



Tacitus shrewdly observes, " To be sure every wicked man has the 

 greatest power in stirring up tumult and discord ; peace and quiet need 

 the qualities of good men." (' Historic, IV.. 1.) This is why the 

 demagogue comes to the surface, to inflame the passions of the multi- 

 tude, that he may ride to power upon them. Beware of the man who 

 leads you into war. 



Josephus, born only thirty-eight years after Christ, writes : " David 

 said, ' I was willing to build God a temple myself, but he prohibited me, 

 because I was polluted with blood and wars/ " 



Plutarch, born 46 A. D., holds that " There is no war among men 

 not born of wickedness ; some are aroused by desire of pleasures, others 

 by too great eagerness for influence and power." 



Such are a few examples from the testimony of the ancients. 



