Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1846-02-26
Peace or War? Commerce. or the
Sword !
Appeal to the Merchants Of the Realm

FRIENDS AND FELLOW -COUNTRYMEN That wal
with America would be direful clamy that would
utterly blast your prosperity would, in fact annlhiate
commerce, will attempt to deny. As little like
y will be not to acknowledge that with such
full contingency before us, L" England expects every
man to do his duty"
And what is your duty In the first place to think
that is, to think seriously what war is and secondly
whether you have it not in your power to avert dire
full a calamity. am perfectly persuaded that you
have-that it is IN your power to maintain peace be-
tween us and our American BRETHREN without and com
promise of national honor, without any sacrifice OF
right principle, without any loss of dignity, and with
out the most remote charge of puslanimty.
Wars generally have been commenced, not for the
benefit of the people, but for the supposed benefit of
class whose interests have by been dentlfi-
ed with the peoples interests Happily however, for
this country and for the world at large another arts
tocracy has arisen, merchant aristocracy who are
identified with the people; whose very existence de-
ponds on the maintenance Of peace and who are dcs-
tined thus to be honorably instrumental in banishng
the demon war. Let them exert their intuencc--let
the Merchant princes of the realm speak-le it be fell
that another arstocracy has arisen which on command
an audence-let them insist upon it that the dispute
be ad justed in rational manner.
If two sensible people quarrel they agree to an ar
bitraton. And there is no reason whatever why two
sensible nations should not do the same. 1t involves
compromise of principle, no compromise Of honor
If we arbitrate, both nations will be gamers if we
fight (which pray we never again may do, both ma
tons will be losers and the people of the two
tries are so intimately related that must hire men
to be murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers
Atthe present juncture the free traderS have grave
duty to perform Without the blessing, the unspeak-
able blessing of peace, free trade were but name
Recent events clearly show that this patriotic struggle
is all but terminated. war 9th America would in
definitely retard the final consumaton, and the peace
full battle must Their be fought again. Could the
Free Traders be induced to originate movement the
peaceful, powerful cry Of btrute, drbGte, would be
heard throughout the land, with a strength anda clear
ness that would force a responsive echo even from the
walls of st. James's. America could not--Engand
would not-refuse
Up, then, and be doing. Let the Merchants of En-
gland address the Merchants Of .4necn; and as fellow
citizens of the world, mutually dependent the up
on the other men, and as brethren, let them dcprc-
cate dire calamity war; and entreat their
atlantic friends to urge upon the American Govern
ment, that the dispute be adjusted by arbitration; and
let them say that they have urged the upon their
own Government The novelty of such proceeding
is no argument against it.
The merchants of the two nations keep too much
aloof. Neither patriotism nor religion requires that
they should stand still and see themselves annhilated
No, but the love Of their country the love Of their
common religion require that they bestr themselves
The cementing influence of one such address as
have proposed, may be more easily imagined than des-
cribed, and it would strengthen the hands of both
Governments, in resorting to arbitration What then
would be the effect of hundred such addresses They
would prevent a war.
Think of these things; Danish war from your very
thoughts and let your peaceful watchword be, on all
occasions and for all ofences-mbitrte arbtGte, a.
bbae You will thus find that you will have to maks
NO COMPROMISE
P.S.--Should public meetings be unadvsablo (which
cannot think signatures might easily be obtained to
such address in any other Of the customary modes.
1t would gladden. the hearts of thousands both sides
of the Atlantic, to see friendly addresses of this kind
from the Merchants of this Kingdom to the Merchants
of the United States Of America.