Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-05-16 00:00:00

THE QUAKERS AND THE WAR.

THE Society of Friends, or Quakers, have set a
praiseworthy example, in the manner in which they
have memorialised her Majesty's Government in
deprecation of war, at a time when there is so much,
in the state of the Continent, to endanger our
country's peace. Their conduct presents a most
favourable contrast to that of a certain London
Vestry, which we have already remarked upon.
They do not, like the parochial magnates, give
themselves high airs, and prate about "the stern
determination of the people of this country "—thus
presuming to speak in the name of the people of
England, of whose collective wishes or feelings
they know nothing. They spea'c f,pr them-
selvesi and they do so MO 'es,l7 Bid enns'stently..
They ALM *-religious 333:e y, ono of whose tenets

, • ,
is thUt war is irreconcilabld with 'Christianity ; anti
they
,are entitled, therefore, to express themselves
very decidedly on 'such au occasion. We are our-
selves
.of that great majority of Christians who
thipk .that the. Friends- are much mistaken ; .but
we respect their coeseientious scruples, nevertheless.
Dr. PALEY says, that " although war itself be
enumerated among the sorest calamities with which
a land can beivisited, the profession of a soldier is
nowhere forbidden ur condemned." And he reminds
us, that " it was of a Roman centurion that Clia.l-,T
pronounced that retnal.kable. eulogy, ' I have not
found so great faith ;.n ), not in dsrael,'"-that " the
first Gentile convert who was received into the
Christian :Chureh, and to whom the Gospel was
imparted by the immeTate and especial direction of
Heaien, held the same statioh," —and that; "-in the
historvuf this transaction, we discover not the smallest
intimation that CO aNELAUS, on B2C:i ning a Caristian,
quitted the service of. tile Ram m legion, - that • his
profession, was objected to, or his continuance.
Considered as in anywise inconsistent with his new
character." These views as to the emnpatibility of
war with Christianity have ever prevailed, we
believe, in the Caurch Universal; and in our own
motional branch of that' Church, it is decreed in its
Article's, that "it is lawfal for Christian men, at
'the command of the 'M igistrate, to wear weapons,
and to serve in the wars." But the Friends., or
Quakers, differ from all C tristian 4, from its primitive
e mdition until now. They are unique in their '
Cnristian principle). and predilections -as regards
war, and in toy other thing,s. And we are not finding 1'
fault with them, by any means, for so doing. •
But in their Memorial to her Majesty's Govern-
ment, to which we allude, they, with great good
fcel:n; and good taste, refrain from urging very
pointedly their peculiar opinions on war .in the
abstract, and jud:Cloasly emtine themselves to the
duty of religiously refrainin; from it, 7 giving way
to any incitement to' e:iter into the pre,ent Con-
' tinental dispute. "We learn with heartfelt sorrow,"
they observe,- " the -breaking out of war on the
Cm:Lane:lt of Europe, and we would respectfully
address the head. of the Adninistration, and the
other members' of the Giver:um:at, under a deep
sense of the solemn respnnsibdity now resting upon
them." They then go on to declare it is with
thankfulness, how they fin I t h it, amidst the conflict
of contending nations, the leading t-atestnell of this
country, in confonn:ty with the general tone of
public feeling, di;;elaim any Warlike interference on
the part of Great Britain in tic C mtinental struggle ;
and they rejoice that, her M tj2sty's Government
have expresied .their determination to maintain a
strict neutrality. They are not unmindful, they
State, of the difficulties of the position in which the
Government may be plaCed, by sudden and unfore-
seen events. " Yet we are emboldened," they say,
"to express our desire—we may all our fervent
prayer - that they who, in the ordering of Divine
Providence, are intrusted with the reins of Govern-
ment, may be enabled, at this momentous crisis, to
stand firm in the maintenanee of peaceful relations
with other countries, and in abstaining from every
assumption of a warlike attitude, may they fear-
lessly and steadfastly pursue a coarse of pacific
`action, of wise coneiliatinn, and of Christian
,forbearance, avoiding everything which may awaken
the jealousy or apprehension of other nations.
Sanctioned by the authority of the M )st I-Fgh, and
covered by His blessing,- such a course of conduct
would, we cannot doubt,: open the way for the
extension of those friendly oM.:as of mediation
which become' the ruler, of a pro:Ossedly Christian
people.' Now, no one, be his Cnristian denomina-
tion what it may, can well refuse his acquiescence,
on the whole, in such.sentimJuts as these. They do
honour, in the main, alike to the jai; cent andthe
feelings of the Society fro.n wan:n they proceed.
Would that it may be possible for her . Majesty's
Government to act in accordance with them. Lord
DERBY, it is stated, received very kindly and
favourably the deputation of Friends, which was
charged with the presentation of the Memorial; and
we have no doubt that he would give them, to
u iderstand how• cordially he concurred iu its pacific

sp:rit.
Bat with every desire to " stand firm in the
maintenance of peaceful relations with other coun-
tries," it will be difficult, and it • may be impossible,
to "abstain from every assumption of a warlike
attitude." Circumstances may arise to make it
incumbent on the 'Government to assume such an
attitude. There are, it must be remembered,
justifying, is well as unjusti.sble, causes of war. A
really defensive war is a war that can be justified,
and not only so, but that Minister would act most
criminally, and therefore most unjustifiably, who
neglected to defend his country's interests, or to
secure her safety, from any repugnance to, or any
apprehension of war. Any deliberate invasion of
national rights is a justifying cause of war ; and an.

reasonable suspicion of a design to invade national
rights, is a justifying motive for assuming a
warlike attitude. Precaution, defence, or re-
paration may demand, not only a warlike
attitude, but even warlike action, unless
the c )untry's interests are to be sacrificed.
And where is the British Minister that would escape
impeachment, if he neglected either precaution,
"defence; or reparation, whatever warlike attitude, or
warlike action, might be necessary to provide for or
to enforce them ? Those " friendly offices of
mediation which become the rules of a professedly
Christian people," have not been neglected, as we all
know, by her Majesty's Ministers, on the present
occasion. But they have not had the effect of pre-
venting the disputants proceeding to hostilities. The
rational and sober, and therefore pacific policy of the
Government, has so far been successful in keeping
Eagland out of the fray,—and we trust, by a careful
persistence in such a policy, this country will
continue to be kept out of it. To this end, and for
the promotion of peace abroad, as well as at home,
oue may heartily join the Friends in supplicating
" wisdom for every emergency, more especially to
those who guide the counsels of our own beloved
country, and of the other States of Europe, and for
the pouring forth of the reconciliation and peace
among the nations, that bloodshed and desolation
may be stayed." But, at the same time, the country
must be prepared to stand on the defensive, should
occasion for it arise ; and that Government would
act most criminally which neglected to see that the
country was in all respects prepared for any hostile
emergency.

GERMAN NEUTRALITY.
WE believe that the neutrality of Germany, at the
'oat conjuncture of European politics, is one of

the greatest causes of Austria's hnxiety_ . The
nationality of Austria is... German, although she
possesses also an Italian territory. She is, as we
have before shown, a member of the Germanic
Confederation, along with Prussia, and the fifteen
other individual and collective States. And as a
member of this Confederation it is, that she has
evidently been calcUlating upon—not German neu-
trality, but German co-operation, in the conflict upon
which she has entered. It was not unnatural,
perhaps, that Austria should thus have counted upon
what we suppo.se she will call national support ; for
Germany is regardei, in the German mind, as.
a -comprehensive nation, of which every State is a
The alliance of- Prussia, at such a crisis as the
preSent, would have been very important to Austria ;
not only on account of. the material aid that the
:Prussian army itself would have rendered in the
contest, but also because of the influence it would
have had en the minor States, and throu;;lf them, of
course, as a majority, on the Federative Diet. But
it now' appears quite certain, that all Austria's
efforts to draw Prussia into her cause have com-
pletely failed ; and this failure will no" doubt have
the effect of inducing the smaller States also to keep
aloof, from the conflict. Prussia has re-iterated her
resolution, it is understood, to remain neutral, as long
as Austrian influence in Italy is the only question in
diSpute. How long that will be the case, it were at
present impossible to say. But Prussia - and indeed
the whole of Germany - will have to keep a sharp
look out, - just as one, whose next door neighbour's
hduse is on fire, has to be on thc alert, and take
every precaution, lest the flames should extend to
his own. The only portion of Germany from which
any public expression of sympathy, with Auitria, in
her present troubles, has yet came, is Silesia -
which is one of the largest Daehies. It is stated
that the nobility of Silesia have just sent a deputa-
tion, headed by Mgr. FOER:TER, Prince Bishop of
Breslau, to present an allress expressing loyalty
and devotedness to the Emperor FRANCIS JOSEPH.
Another instance, it is true, is that of Prince
NICHOLAS of Nassau having joined the Au.trian
forces. -But althou;h NICHOIAS is of sovereign
!birth, yet he is only a private individual, perfectly
at liberty to enter, like any other young German
noble, the service of Austria. Tie Prince is brother
to D'ake ADOLPHE, now reigning; but they are not'
by the same mother, the late Dake WILLIA:4, their
father, having successively married a Princess of
Saxe Attenburg and a Princess of \Vurtemberg. It
is not. as a Sovereign Prince that NICHOLAS took
leave of the States of Nassm, but as President of
the Diet, a position conferred on lien by the Duke,
his brother.

Toe Paris papers have manifested considerable
anxiety as to the cause which the Germanic Con-
federation would adopt; and their Io pce3ns have
been souaded exultingly, since it has become certain
that a German neutrality will be maintained. They
have charged upon Austria, that in order to rally
that Confederation, she had accused France of being
actuated by a spirit of conquest and aggression.
Austria, undoubtedly, might not be very wrong in
such an apprehension Everything will depend
upon the success of the French in Austrian-Italy
first, and then in German-Austria. It is notorious
that France covets the extension of her territory to
the Rhine; and if there s!tould be an opportunity of
making a dash for that, and Rhenish-Prussia should
be shorn of any of her present proportions, who will
be the first then to cry out against " conquest and
aggression ?" Bat, say the • French journalists,
"she will scarcely succeed in dragging Germany
into a war which does not concern-her." And then
they proceed to argue the question, as one of impro-
bability, thus, -" The Kin; of Denmark, • who, as
Duke of Holstein, is a member of the Confederation,
had some differences with the Republic of St.
Domingo, about an embargo put on Danish vessels.;
but did the C rafederation interfere ? If the
King of Holland, who is connected with
the Confederation by his possession of
Luxembourg, were to have a dispute with
any Power, would the Confederation assist
him ? More than this, Austria was in 1848 on the
brink of ruin c Lombardy drove out her troops ;
Hungary was in insurrection; and Venice sustained
a siege which will render the names of MAN'S and
ULLO.I famous in story ; but the Germanic Con-
federation never thought of taking the part of the .
house of H tpsburg. If CILIRLES Anzgr, who
combated Austria in Lamhardy, had been the
conqueror if Lombardy, Venetia, and Hungary had
proclaimed their independence,—we are convinced
that the G ?r.n laic Coafeleration would not have
stirred.. What natives then can it now have for
going to war ?" Well, the motives would be those
that might arise from the apprehension that France
was really animated by a spirit of conquest and
aggression. Louts NAPOLEON disclaims his being
animated by any such spirit. But is bis disclaimer
to be relied upon, should an opportunity happen to.
be presented for conquest and aggression ? If the
Germanic Confederation think so, all well and
good. Oar earnest hope is, that they may not be
disappointed.
There has lately been circulated, we arc aware, in •
the circles of the Opposition, and through their
organs of the press, a report that her Majesty's
! Government had a private understanding with
Prussia respecting this war. If it were so, it would
be evident, we think, that its object had been to
secure the neutrality of Germany, —and most of our
countrymen, probably, would feel disposed to say,
there was no great harm in this. But the Ministerial
journal, the Horning Herald, evidently speaking
from authority, has given the most unqualified denial
to that report. " England," it has declared, "has no
understanding, no arrangement, no agreement what-
ever, written or verbal, expressed or implied, with
Prussia, or any other country, respecting any
eventualities whatever which may result from the
present war. We affirm this," it emphatically adds,
" with an absolute knowledge of facts; and should
the reverse be again asserted, we shall not repeat our
denial, because we shall then know that the invention
is made for an unworthy purpose." This were
surely conclusive enough. Bat even supposing it
were true, nothing could well come of it that was at I
all unfavourable to the interests of peace, so long as
there was German neutrality, as well as English,
maintained.

ST. ANNE'S DISPENSARY AND EYE AND EAR INSTITV-
TON, 13, Rose Hill. New patients entered on the hooks
last week, viz :—Relieved at the institute rt. 217 ; relieved
at their own dwellings, 54 ; total, 271. Vi4itors--Messr3.
E. 'Watts, and G. Jordan. Hon. secretary and treasurer,
Joseph Kitchen, Esq.