The Sun.
London, England, 1839-08-30 00:00:00

PEACE AND WAR SOCIETIES.

(From the United Slates Magazine for March.)
Among the philanthropic enterprises of our time, one
of the most interesting is that which has for its ob-
ject the abolition of war, and the adoption of the peace
principle by nations and individuals, in the settlement of
all differences and disputes of a public and private na-
ture. The manner in which the cause of pence had been
advocated by the Societies expressly formed for its pro-
motion, has led to the discussion of topics of the highest
importance to the intercourse of nations, and the ex-
istence of every Government. The question has been
raised whether war, defensive or offensive, be justifiable
in any case ; whether the taking of human life, and the
resort to physical force, by nations or individuals in self-
defence, and for the redress of injuries, be not absolutely
immoral and opposed to the principles of Christianity ;
and whether a Christian can consistently own allegiance
to any Government that claims the use of coercive
measures for the execution of its laws. It is with the
view to a satisfactory settlement of those great ques-
tions as connected with the present agitation of the
cause of peace in our country, that we offer the follow-
ing considerations

-The history of the peace societies in this country is
remarkable, not so much on acconnt of their increase in
numbers and means, as because, short as it is, it exhi-
bits the growth of principle, which, whether true or
erroneous, is ever the most important part of human
history. An anonymous pamphlet bearing the title of
" A Solemn Review of the Custom of War," published
in Boston in the year 1814, and re-published in England,
called into existence the different societies which
afterwards suited under the name of the American
Peace Society. The pamphlet was the work of a New
England country clergyman, whose fame had hardly
reached beyond the sound of the bell of his village
church, until the periodical of which he became the
editor endeared the name of the Friend of Peace to all
who found in this enterprise a sphere of action united
to their benevolent desires. The Friend of Peace was
followed by the Calumet, and this by the Advocate (f
Peace, which is at present the organ of the Peace So-
cieties. Kindred societies have been formed in Eng-
land, France, and Switzerland. Memorials for the insti-
tution of a congress of nations with a view to a peaceable
adjustment of all international disputes, have been
brought before one of the state legislatures, and before
Congress at its last, and again at its present session. The
committee appointed for the consideration of this subject
by the legislature of Massachussets in 18;37, moved several
resolutions, condemning the " resort to war to settle
questions of national profit or honour," and recommend-
ing " the institution of a Congress or Court of Nations."
The first petition of the New York Peace Society be-
sought Congress to " adopt the principle of reference to
a third Power of such international disputes as cannot
be amicably adjusted by the parties themselves, as an in-
variable rule instead of an occasional one ;" and further,
that in " pursuance of this principle, a proposal be sent
forth by this Government to those of other nations, that
they would unite with it in the establishment of a great
international Board of Arbitration, or a Congress of
Nations, to which to refer international disputes ; and
also for the purpose of digesting and preparing a regular
code of international law, obligatory on such nations as
may afterwards adopt it." This memorial was read and
laid upon the table, in consequence of a very able Re-
port of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, by Mr. Le-
gau of South Carolina.

its having recourse to arms. Accordingly, at the ninth
anniversary of this Society in 1837, the constitution was
amended, so as to declare that all war is contrary to
the spirit of the Gospel.
This change was deprecated by those members of the
Society who approved of defensive war ; and they thought
themselves bound in conscience to dissolve their con-
nection.
The official organ of the Society endeavoured
to persuade them to remain united, although" the re-
vised constitution had recognised for its basis the contra-
riety of all war to the spirit of the Gospel." " Under such
a constitution," it was said, " cannot all the friends of
peace consistently unite ? We do not propose this prin-
ciple as a pledge—we do not enforce it as a text ; we merely
give it as a guarantee that our influence as a Society
shall never go to countenance any form of war." But
this mode of reasoning, while it did not convince the
conscientious believers in the justice of defensive war,
failed, on the other hand, of satisfying those whose oppo-
sition to all war was only the consequence of a more
Radical principle. They reasoned in this way ; and it
is a singular instance of the general tendency of the
times to push abstract principles to impracticable, and
even absurd, extremes in their application : If the Go-
vernment have no right to use and prepare means for
defence against foreign aggressors, how can it be justi-
fied in proceeding forcibly against internal enemies by
threatening and inflicting punishments ? And if
a nation has no right to defend itself against
foreign enemies, or to punish foreign invaders, no
individual possesses that right in his own cause.
The Gospel precepts, " Do not kill," " Resist not
evil," and " Render not evil for evil, but overcome evil
with good," absolutely forbid the taking of human life,
and discountenance the use of force against enemies in
every case, and inculcate an implicit faith in moral
means, in remonstrance and self-sacrificing endurance, as
sufficient to protect the just from the unjust, and to con-
vert enemies into friends. These most zealous advo-
cates of the cause, though disavowed by the official
organ of the Society, found a full expression in the
Peace Convention held in Boston on the 18th, 19th,
and 20th of September last. This convention resulted
in the formation of the New England Non-Resistance
Society, which put forth a declaration of sentiments,
and adopted a constitution, distinct from that of the
American Peace Society.
The second article of the new Society states its objects
in the words following :
" Art. 2. The members of the Society agree in opi-
nion that no man, nor body of men, however constituted,
and by whatever name called, have a right to take the
life of any man as a penalty for trangression ; that no
one who professes to have the spirit of Christ can con-
sistently sue a man at law for injuries, or thrust an evil-
doer into prison, or fill any office in which he would come
under any obligation to execute penal enactments, or
take any part in the military service, or acknowledge alle-
giance to any human government, or justify any man in
fighting in defence of property, liberty, life, or religion ;
that he cannot engage in nor countenance any plot or effort
to revolutionize or change by physical violence, any go-
vernment, however corruptor oppressive ; that he will obey
the powers that be,' except in those cases in which they
bid him violate his conscience, and then, rather than re-
sist, he will meekly submit to the penalty of disobe-
dience ; and that, while he will cheerfully endure all
things for Christ's sake, without cherishing even a de-
sire to inflict injury upon his persecutors, yet he will
be bold and uncompromising for God, in bearing his
testimony against sin, in high places and in low places,
until righteousness and peace shall reign in all the
earth, and there shall be none to molest or make afraid."
Soon after the doings of this convention were made
public the constituted organs of the American Peace
Society published a diSclaimer, in which they declared
that the convention had been called by individuals acting
on their own personal responsibility ; that the Society
did not bold themselves accountable for any of the do-
ings of, or sentiments expressed by the convention ;
that the sole object of the Society, as unalterably laid
down in its constitution, was the peace of nations ; and
that the New England Non-Resistance Society could
not be considered as one of the auxiliaries of the Ame-
rican Peace Society.
We have given this brief sketch of the progress of the
peace cause in our country, partly because, as we have
already observed, we look upon the history of moral
principles, however well or however ill understood, as
the most important part of human history, and partly,
because it is a striking exhibition of the character-
istic spirit and tendency of our time. Every institu-
tion, every law, every custom, every assertion, Is
subjected to the ordeal of an all-searching and un-
compromising scepticism, which rejects everyautho-
rity but that of facts, and discredits every testimony
but that of reason. Neither the opinion of the
world, neither origin, nor age, nor even present and
' past utility, can ensure permanence to any form
of faith or practice. The great question is, whether a
thing be true and right in itself ; every thing else is of
secondary importance. It cannot be w denied that this
spirit of free inquiry has not only its true but its false
prophets also, whose course is marked by a superficial,
capricious, and derogatory desire of change. But even
the sympathy and encouragement which this thoughtless
and reckless love of innovation occasionally meats with,
may be traced to the solid advantages which the cause
of truth and humanity has derived from this nncompro-
mising search after right. Our own political existence
as a free people is grounded upon an attempt of unpre-
cedented boldness in rejecting every historical and
fictitious basis of Government, and reducing it to first
principles—even to the eternal principles of perfect jus-
tice. However inconsistent we may be in many points
of practice, when judged by the perfect laws of liberty
and equality, as laid down in our declaration of inde-
pendence ,who would not prefer to be condemned by
this rather than be justified by a lower standard? We
do not share any of the Conservative tears of many of
our contemporaries either for our religious or political
principles. We see in the scepticism of the age a
striving after a deep foundation for the highest faith,
Instead of crying it down as ultraism, radicalism, in-
, fidelity, or fanaticism, we honour even its aberrations.
We are ready to treat with respect, and meet with no
other weapons than straightforward argument, any at-
tack upon existing opinions and institutions, however
just and beneficial we may think them, if our antago-
nists do but appeal to our reason, and not to our faith,
in the infallibility of the new doctrine, or our patience
to bear supercilious dogmatism.
Entertaining these views, we are not willing to join in
the hue and cry which has been raised in almost every
newspaper we have met with against the principles
contained in the declaration of sentiments and the
constitution of this New England Non-Resistance
Society. Principles which arc essentially the same
as those entertained by the Society of Friends,
have a right at least to be heard, and not to be con-
demned without benefit of reason. It is true they at-
tack that which every hum in government considers as
the indispensable condition of its existence. But it
should never be forgotten that the allegiance of Repub-
licans to their Government rests not so much on the
fact of its existence, and its power to enforce obedience,
but mainly on the conviction of its being founded in
justice. There is great danger in our country lest the
moral foundation of our institutions be overlooked,
partly on account of the unexampled prosperity to which
they have given rise, and which now tempts us to forget
the cause in the effects ; and partly on account of our
political inconsistencies, which, so far as they arc suf-
fered to exist, degrade our Government to the level of
those which have no other support than brute force. It
is on this account that we welcome this peace contro-
versy, and every other discussion which must induce our
citizens to reflect upon the essential moral elements of
our Government.