Mennonites in the World War: Non-Resistance Under Test - Jonas Smucker Hartzler

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evil to enjoy the liberty of their conscience.

      The advice to those who do not find freedom of conscience to take up arms, that hey ought to be helpful to those who are in need and distressed circumstances, we receive with cheerfulness towards all men of what station they may be it being our principle to feed the hungry and give the thirsty drink; we have dedicated ourselves to serve all men in everything that we can be helpful to the preservation of men's lives, but we find no freedom in giving or doing, or assisting in any thing by which men's lives are destroyed or hurt. We beg the patience of all those who believe we err in this point."

      Records are still extant, giving the names with their respective amounts paid in money fines to be freed from military service on the above basis.

      The war spirit ran high. Mob violence was not uncommon even in communities where the practices of the Church should have been well known. Government protests did little good as the parties who carried them on did them in the name of loyalty, not realizing that they were encouraging an archy instead of good citizenship.

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      There were some Mennonites who objected to paying fines, war taxes, and practically all of them objected to taking the new oath of allegiance. They objected to the last one, not because they were disloyal but because they objected to the oath under any circumstances. Finally an agreement was reached between them and government which was fairly satisfactory to both, but many people could not (or at least would not) understand why any concession should be made because of What to them seemed like a mere whim.

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      While government was in need of good meats for the army, many of these prosperous farmers had fat cattle and were offered very high prices for them but were not willing to accept continental money because it had depreciated so much and no one knew how soon it might be absolutely worthless. Not any one of these things was responsible for the feelings against the Mennonites, but all of them together. Mobs took away horses and cattle with seemingly no intent of ever returning them, and in many cases never did. Another condition which meant loss and suffering was, that some of the bat tles were fought in Mennonite communities. Smith's "The Mennonites of America" says, "The little stone church at Germantown which had been built just a few years before occupied the very center of the battle-field in the battle of Germantown. The winter quarters at Valley Forge, made famous be cause of the intense hardships endured by the Amer ican troops, was in a Mennonite community. Some Mennonites were compelled to do hauling for the army during that time. The adage that trials nev er come single handed seemed to be verified a- mong the Mennonites in Southeastern Pennsylvania, but as is always the case, those who bore them in the right way and with the right spirit were made the better for them. They drove the victims closer to Him who bears our griefs and carries our sor rows, and who promised, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. "

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      A large majority of the Mennonites and Amish in the colonies were in sympathy with the ends sought by this country in the war, but not with the means used to attain them. However, there were those who questioned; First, the right to take away British territory even if England did the wrong thing in oppressing the colonists; and, Second, the advantages of any other form of government over that of a kingdom. Many of those who held to the latter idea and had prospered under King George decided that they would not forsake him at. that time, even if they could not figtfit for him; hence they moved to Canada, where they might still live under his reign.

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      The war of 1812, sometimes called the Second War for Independence, the war of 1848, known as the Mexican War, and the war of 1898, known as the Spanish-American War, were all fought by volunteers so that there were no serious trials for those who could not take part in them.

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      For many years the slavery question in some form was discussed in every congress, and many people believed that the matter would some time lead to war. That time came When Abraham Lin coln was elected president of the United States, in the fall of 1860. He took the oath of office on the fourth of March, following, but before that time seven of the southern states had called conventions and seceded from the union. Others followed after that date. April 12, 1861, Fort Sumpter was taken and the war begun.

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      Before the Civil War, in some of the southern states, especially in Virginia, the military laws reg istered all able-bodied young men as belonging to the militia and required them to drill at certain times of the year or pay a fine for each absence. This seemed very easy and the Mennonites paid their fines without complaint ; but when the Con federate government called for all the militia to come to the front and take up arms, it included Mennonites as well as others. A few went, but a far greater number went into hiding in the moun tains and forests, and some remained at home and decided to simply await the results. Some of those who remained on the farm were taken into the ranks under protest, and it was understood between them that none of them would do any fighting. Al though they were soon in battle, they remained true to their pledge. The officers in command threat ened them with court-martial and death, but the threat was never carried out.

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      Among those who passed through some of these trials was Christian Good, later a faithful minister of the Gospel and bishop in the Mennonite Church, but now gone to his reward. He had promised his widowed mother that he would never fire a gun at any one. In the first battle he was discovered and reported to the higher officer and charged with disobedience to orders. He was sent back with a court-martial and death threat hanging over him if the act was repeated. Battles followed in rapid succession but he would not shoot. Others seeing his courage also withheld fire. He was again brought before the officers with the charge of not firing his gun when commanded to do so. He told the officers that his gun would never be fired at his fellowmen, even if his position cost him his own life; that his widowed mother expected him to be true to his promise. He was later exempted on the payment of five hundred dollars. Quite a number of others had similar experiences. The Church paid these exemptions, but Brother Good worked two years on the farm to pay his part back.

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      In the spring of 1862 the call came for every able-bodied man betwen the ages of eighteen and forty-five to take up arms. Again a number went into hiding. Some seventy of them, Mennonites and Dunkards, made an effort to escape to the northern states, but were captured and finally landed in the dreaded Libby Prison. Two of them escaped and reported the matter to the home Church. That was

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