A Statement to My People on the Eve of War

AStatementtoMyPeopleontheEveofWar•Patriotismisthewillingnesstokillandbekilledfortrivialreasons.(Russell)BackgroundInformation•JohnHaynesHolmes(1879–1964)•aprominentministerandpacifistWWI(1914-1918)•theAllies(theUnitedKingdom,FranceandRussia)V.S.theCentralPowers(Germany,Austria-HungaryandItaly)•morethan70millionmilitarypersonnel,including60millionEuropeans•Morethan9millioncombatantswerekilled•theUnitedStatesintheWWI•apolicyofnon-intervention,avoidingconflictwhiletryingtobrokerapeace•aGermanU-boatsanktheBritishlinerLusitaniaon7May1915with128Americansamongthedead,PresidentWoodrowWilsoninsistedthatAmericaistooproudtofightbutdemandedanendtoattacksonpassengerships•GermanyinvitedMexicotojointhewarasGermany'sallyagainsttheUnitedStates.Inreturn,theGermanswouldfinanceMexico'swarandhelpitrecovertheterritoriesofTexas,NewMexico,andArizona.•thesinkingofsevenU.S.merchantshipsbysubmarines•theU.S.Congressdeclaredon6April1917DetailedStudyPara1•Ineithercase,thedestiniesofthisnationwillbeimmediatelyandirretrievablycommittedtotheoperationoftheforces(whichhavelongsincepassedbeyondthecontrolofthosewhofirstreleasedthem.)eitheraffirmthatthiscountryisinastateofwar,orwilldothe…thingofissuingadeclarationofwaragainstGermanygetinvolvedinthewartheforceswhicharesostrongthateventhosewhofirststarteditwillhavelostcontrolofthem•TosaythatwearefacingthemostfatefulmomentthatAmericawilleverknow,thoughascoreofcenturiesbeaddedtoherpresentspanofyears,isonlytostateafactasobviousasitisawful.Tosaythat…isonlytostateafact.thatwearefacingthemostfatefulmoment(thatAmericawilleverknow)evenifanother2000yearswereaddedtothehistoryoftheU.S.Thefactisobviousandawful•MainideasinPara1•Anassemblyinspecialsession,mattersofgravemoment,themostfateful•Consequencetriumph/disaster,civilization/barbarism,forbetter/forworse,damage/glorifythehigherinterestsofhumanityThecharacterofourRepublicwillbefundamentallyaltered;nothingwillbeeverthesame;thecurrentsofhumandestinywillbechangedtheextraordinarysignificanceoftheeventfacingtheaudienceWordsandExpressions•proclamationn.（Line2,Para1）theactofproclaiming;anofficialpublicstatementproclaimv.(fml)tomake(especiallynewsofnationalimportance)knownpublicly;declareofficially•impendingadj.（LastLine,Page160）(usuallyofsomethingunpleasant)abouttohappenimpendv.(over)•bringdownupon（1stLine,Page161）to(causesomethingbad)tohappento•beyond/outside/outofone’sken（3rdLine,Page161）(sometimeshumorous)outsidethelimitofone’sknowledgein/withinone’sken•forbearv.(forbore,forborne)(7thLine,Page161)(fml)toholdoneselfbackfromdoingsomething,especiallywithaneffortofself-controlforbearingadj.能忍耐的；宽容的forbearancen.Para2•thestructureofthe1stsentenceItisin…andin…thatIhavechosenthismorningto……inanticipationoftheworld-shakingevents(whichaweekofadaymaybringuponusinthiscountry)…infulfillmentoftheduty(whichIconceivetheseprobableeventsimposeuponmeasareligiousteacher)Ihavechosenthismorningtolayasidemysermonandspeaktoyou…•…thatallwhocaredmightseeitsinnermostrecessesofconviction;andIdonotproposethateventheterrorofthishorrorshallbarthatthresholdfromthepublicgaze.thedeepestpartwherefaithdwellstheterribleandhorriblewar(notto)preventmyheartfromthepublicgazeImustinformthepublicofmyconceptionofthewar•…howeasyitwouldhavebeenforme…tillhappiertimesshouldcomeagaintoearth.Itwouldhavebeenveryeasyformetokeepsilent,avoidthequestions…andsustaintherelationship…thequestions(whicharetodaysettingtheson“atvarianceagainsthisfather,thedaughteragainsthermother,thedaughter-in-lawagainsthermother-in-law”)thequestionsarousingcontroversybetweentheyoungergenerationandtheparents’generationWhycanIstillsustaintherelationshipunbroken?trusttothekindlysentimentsofpersonalaffection,(conceived,nourishedandmaturedthroughtenyearsoflaborinthisparish)Mysilenceaboutmyattitudetowardthewarwillnotendangermygoodpersonalrelationshipwithyou,asithasbeenestablishedandcultivatedthroughmyworkinghereasachurchmanfortenyears.•Jesustellshistwelvedisciples,“DonotthinkthatIhavecometobringpeacetotheearth;Ihavenotcometobringpeace,butasword.ForIhavecometosetamanagainsthisfather,andadaughteragainsthermother,andadaughter-in-lawagainsthermother-in-law;andone’sfoeswillbemembersofone’sownhousehold.Whoeverlovesfatherormothermorethanmeisnotworthyofme;andwhoeverlovessonordaughtermorethanmeisnotworthyofme;andwhoeverdoesnottakeupthecrossandfollowmeisnotworthyofme.Thosewhofindtheirlifewillloseit,andthosewholosetheirlifeformysakewillfindit.”(Matthew10:34,theBible)•Theeasiestway,however,inthisinstanceasinallinstances,wouldhavebeendishonorable,and,inthelongrun,disastrous.Inthelongrun,peoplewouldlosetheirtrustinmeandthenlosetheirfaithinGod.•themainideasinPara2•myjobasaministerMyinfluencewillbelimited:whatIsayherewillnotinfluencepublicaffairs.Itismyobligation:tospeakouttruthasIseeit;tobeopentothefollowersIamnottoargueorpersuade,nottoexhortorplead,nottoinstruct,butsimplytospeakmyattitudesonthecrisis.toprovethesincerityofthespeaker’sbehaviorWordsandExpressions:•severancen.(Line4,Para2)severv.:todivide,toseparate;tobreak