Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1836-05-26

do not think that those who feel an
interest in the virtue and the happiness of
the world will regard the animosity Of par
ty & the restlessncss of resentment which
are produced by a war, as trifing evils
If anything be opposite to Christianity it
is retaliation and revenge In the obliga-
ton 10 restrain these dispositions, much Of
the characteristic placability of Christiani-
ty consists The very essence and spirit
Of our religion are abhorrent from resent
ment. The very essence and spirit of war
are promotve Of resentment; and what
then must be their mutual adversness! -,
That war excites these passions, needs not
be proved When war is In contempla-
ton, or when it has been begun, what are
the endeavors of its promotersl They
animate us by every artifce of excitement
10 hatred and luminosity. Pamphlets,
placards, newspapers, caricatures-every
agent is in requisition to irritate us into
malignity. Nay, dreadful as it is, the
pulpit resounds with declarations to slim
ulate our too sluggish resentment and to
invite US to blood And thus the most
unchristlan-like Of all our passions, the
passion which it is most the OBJ ject Of our
religion to repress, is excited and fostered.
Christianity cannot be fourishing under
circumstances like these. The more eff
fectually we are animated to war, the
more near y we extinguish the DISPOSE
tons Of our religion. War and Chris
tianity are like the opposite ends of bal
ance, ofwhlch one is depressed by the
elevation Of the other.
These are the consequences which make
war dreadful to a state. Slaughter and
devastation are sufficiently terrible, but
their collateral evils are their greatest. 1t
is the immoral feeling that war diftuses-
1t is The deportation Of principle, which
forms the mass ofits mischief.
There is one mode of hostility that is
allowed and encouraged by war, which
appears to be distinguished by peculiar
atrocity: | mean privateering. If war
could be shown to be necessary or right,
think this, at least, were indetenslble.-
1t were surely enough that army slaugh-
tered army and that feet destroyed fleet,
without arming individual avarice for prl-
vate plumber, and Iegalizing robbery be-
cause it is not Of our couutrymen. Who
are the victims ofthis plumber, and what
are its effects Does it produce any mis-
chief 10 our enemies but the ruin of those
who perhaps would gladly have been
! friends; Of those who are made enemies
only by the will of their rulers and who
now conduct their commerce with no 9th
er solicitude about the war than how they
may escape the rapine which it sanctions!
Prlyateering can scarcely plead even the
merit public mischief in its favor. An
empire is little injured by the wretched-
ness and starvation of few Of It's citizens
The robbery may, indeed, be carried TO
such extent, and such multitudes may be
plundered, that the ruin of individuals
may lmpart poverty to state. But tor
! this mischief the privateer can seldom
hope: and what is that practice, OF which
the on y topic of defence is the enormry
Of its mischief!
There is yet more dreadful considera
ton; The priVateer is not only a robber
but a murderer If he cannot otherwise
plumber his victim, human life is no obsta
Gle to his rapine Robbery is his object
and his object he will attain. Nor has
ne the ordinary excuses Of slaughter in
; his defence. His government does no
require it of him. He makes no pretex
, OF patriotism, bot robs and murders Of hi
! own choice, and simply for gain. Thu
soldier makes bad apology when HI
= pleads the command of his superiors, Blu
the prlvateer las no command to plead; -
e and with no object but plumber, he DELHI