The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1844-05-23

paganism. And are there no startlingdacts
before US which imperiously demand r.
form? Why should such works as Vat3l,
full of dead mems bones and all unclehn-
ness be retained as text books in outcol-
leges OF why the classics be taught by
means of ancient story waiting military
fame above the reach of praise and casting
all other glory in the shade? Why should
the sanctioning hand of our eminent D. DIS
first introduce 10 our incipient civilians,
statesmen and divnes these subtle poisons?
Why should military glory with its song
and its eclat lead and direct our elections
without rebuke? Why the obsequious null
titude offer their suffrage at its shrine, and
reward its deeds with the richest honors in
the gift of man? Why should national
treasure throughout christendom be lavish
ed on the system of war, leaving scarce a
tythe for civil and diplomatic purposes r
Why should christian nations, including
our own, detached as we are from church
and state combinations, make declaration of
war as an appeal TO heaven. Commence it
with religious fasting, and close with reli-
gious thanksgiving? (See records OF our
last war; Why should the office of chap
lain come in to make up the complement of
military dignitares ? Why should the
name of God, and his holy book, be made
use of to sanction the promise of military
servility? Such facts betray our blindness
to those faults we have received from papal
tradition. Even our liberties says the
Edinburgh Review, have tinge received
from the chivalrous ages And while we
are far from being exempt, it is eminently
so with christian Britain Her recent his
tory exhibits, in the same coronation service,
a gospel sermon, and bravado challenge
with drawn sword in hand But after all,
it is objected TO this view, that the laws and
customs of war are continually changing,
and adapt themselves to the refinements Of
the age. That as we live in a civilized
age, our rules and customs confne us TO
civilized warfare This is not true. There
is far more truth in the remark of Marius,
The customs of nations are always one or
TWO centuries behind their refnements,'
{that is, their received principes.) And as
TO civilized and refined war, it is an absur
dity. We may as we'll talk of refined pol
luton or civilized barbarity If the descrip
ton we have already given of war be just,
and it is sustained by the law of nations,
then war is wrong and only wrong, barbar-
Gus, and only barbarous. Only evil and
that continually and has remained, and
must from the nature of the case remain
essentially the same from the days of Cain
downward, while it shall exist among men.
But it will be urged that civilization and
refinement have done away perfidy in war,
have abolished the practice of poisoned ar
rows, poisoning fountains &c. Have put
an end TO legalized piracy, and taught re-
spect for individual property, and recognized !
the rights of prisoners of war.* But though !
civilization and the influence of the gospel
have done all this, yet this is crtaitment,
not refinement of war. BY the civilzing
influence of the gospel, this system Of de-
struction has been narrowed down in the
sphere OF its operations and 10 this we
have demonstration of the efficacy of the
gospel entirely to do it away. And why
should it be longer retained? Among all
the vile practices Of the papal power among
all the horrors that paganism has tolerated
among all the demonstrations of depravity
into which daboical delusion has led infat-
uated man none stands out so prominent
as the practice of war. And yet it has
found place in every cline. It's record runs
through the whole history of man its lines
are every where seen, drawn Id blood. If
the tree be known by its fruit, war stands
bold contrast-a supplanter of the tree of
life, yielding its twelve manner Of deadly
fruits, and its leaves and odor are more de-
structive than the 'Upas.' 1t stands alike a
contrast to the law of God-the gospel of
Christ and the principles and supremacy of
civil law and of civil and religious liberty.
Why then should it be last to yield 10 the
gospel? For our next. B.
IL was in such amelioration and refinement
of war originated slavery, giving the CAPTURED