Excerpt from The Open Court, Vol. 29: A Monthly Magazine Devoted to the Science of Religion, the Religion of Science and the Extension of the Religious Parliament Idea; September 1915

It is very lamentable and terribly significant how widespread and genuine a persuasion has got abroad, even among the good people, that this Concert Of the Powers was a sort Of a sacred thing.

Colors Of the vulpine do Often succeed in deceiving as they wittingly propose; and a righteous indignation at the vulpine, when their true motives are disclosed, may be justified. But the concurrent belauding as holy a base policy whereof the motives have been correctly announced augurs a pravity which, if it come to know truth, can have no title to be indignant, must rather confess its own guilt. Yet even here, however stern a man's recognition of the sin, he knows the too commonly irresistible influence Of a general concensus in perverting those of a bias truly virtuous. Some six teen years, Or so, ago, one time when reports Of Turkish atrocities in Armenia were causing such emotion in England that many were crying for armed intervention, I remember being urged to read a speech of Lord Roseberry's. A judicious wet cloth, Of course, but equally of course, since by British Liberal Statesman Of this epoch, not a speech astutely contrived to simply dissuade from enterprise inconvenient for Ministry occupied in concerns privately more profitable for its members; on the contrary, the sincere utterance Of a man self-sympathizing with the emotion, wishful for the Turks' correction, yet arguing: Husht! Dread sequel if we stir alone; in the Concert solely is there safety and salvation. And, with such unction did he perorate, the Public, in awakened sense, holily restrained' its rage for its salvation's sake, - and possibly the Turk's, not quite the Armenian's. I refused at the moment to look at the thing, pained with emotions Of another kind; so far as the urger knew, never looked at it; yet did, as you see, after wards read, in resolute suppression, and for more exact knowl edge Of its guessed tenor, You should read that, my son; that is a speech everybody ought to read. About the same time the same woman said to me, upon laying down a book entitled Fire and Sword in the Soudan, I suppose he could not help himself, but I cannot feel any respect or sympathy for that man, the author, one Slaten, to wit. Very gently said, but she couldn't; yet thought the Roseberry address delivered in right spirit for the pulpit. How many have met the like! How many have thought the like! Too many that have innocently drunk in a belief this Concert was a sacred thing.

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