The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-09-21

opened Paris, at ST. Cecilias Hail. the object Of
whose assembling 10 deliberate upon means TO Sc.
cure peace among all the nations OF the world
M. Victor Hugo. Representative OF the people, came
forward and took the chair The honorable gentleman
was received with loud applause. On his left was NJ
Coquerel, representative OF the people, and Protestant
clergyman, and on the right M. Deguerry, cure OF
the Madeline After moments pause, he rose and de-
livered the following address
| GENTLEMEN: Many of you have come from The most
distant points OF the globe your hearts full OF holy and
religious feelings You count your ranks men OF letters
philosophers, ministers Of the Christian religion writers
OF emnence, and public men justly popular for ther tall
ents YOU gentleman, have wished 10 adopt Paris the
centre OF this meeting whose sympathies full of gravity
and reflection % not merely apply TO one nation but %
still superor-of more august-kind 10 those that now
direct statesmen rulers, and legislators You turn over
imposes peace the children Of the same God and in
this capital which has as yet only decreed fraternity
among citizens. You are about % proclaim the
fraternity OF men. Welcome, then, to us Gentlemen
this religious idea, universal peace, all nations bound TO-
gether in common bond the gospel for their supreme
law, meditation substituted for war-this religious idea,
ask you, is IT praccables Can be rcalized? Many
practical men, many public men grown old in the manage
ment OF affairs answer in the negative. But answer
with YOU and answer without hesitation. Yes, (Brayol
bravo y and shall shortly prove il toyou go still
further. DO merely say is capable OF being,pu
into practice, but add that it is inevitable, and its exc
cution is only question Of time, and may be FASTENED
different from the law Of God But the divine law is moi
one Of ,war--it is peace. (Applause.) Men have
menced in conflict, the creation did in chaos (Brayo y
Whence do they proceed? From wars-that is evident
But whittier do they go To peacetha is equally evi.
dent When you enunciate those sublime truths, it is
quite simple that your assertion should be met by mega
ye it easy 10 understand that faith is encountered BY
ncreduy ii is evident that in this period Of trouble and
OF discussion the idea OF universal peace surprise
and shock almost like something impossible, and only
ideal is quite clear that all will talk OF Uopas; bu,
for me, who but obscure laborer in this grea,
work OF the 10Th century, | accept this resistance
without being asonished or dismayed Is il possible
that you turn aside your head and shut your eyes,
If in bewilderment, when in the midst of the darkness
which as yet envelopes yon Bravo you suddenly open
the door that lets in the light OF the future Gentlemen,
If four centuries ago. at the period when made
by district against the other, between Cities and be-
tween provincesf say some one had dared to predict
TO Lorraine, TO Provence, TO Dauphny, to Burgundy,
l day shall come when you will longer one
against the other-a day shall when il will not be
said that the Normans are attacking the Pcardians
the people Of Lorraine are repusing the Bugundians
you will still have many disputes to settle interests TO
contend for, difficulties to resolves but do you know
whom you will select instead OF armed men, instead OF
cavalry and infantry, Of cannon, Of alnets ances pixies
swords You will select instead OF all this destructive
array small box OF wood, which you will term
ballot. box, and from which shall issue-whats An
assembly-an assembly in which you shall all live-an
assembly which shall be, it were, the soul Of ALA
supreme and popular council, which shall decde judge,
resolve eveyhing-which shall make the sword fall from
every hand and excite the love of justice in every heart
which shall say 10 EACH Here terminates your right
there your duty Lay down your (Great
applause And in that day you will all have COM
mon thought, common interests common destiny you
will embrace each Other and recognise each other
children OF the same blood, and OF the same race that
day you shall no longer be hostile trbesyou will be
peoples you will no Longer be merely Burgundy, Nor.
mandy, Brittany, PIovence-you will be France. bravo
You will no longer make appeals to war-you will do so
TO civzaon"-[grea applausel if al the period speak
and positive character, all prudent and cautious men
all the great politicians OF the period, would have cried
Out, "What dreamer what fantastic dream How
little this pretended prophet is acquainted with the hu.
man heart What ridiculous folly what absurdiyi"
Yet, gentlemen, time has gone and and we lind
that this dream. this folly this absurdy, has been real.
lied! (Bravo1 And | insist upon this, that the man
who would have dared 10 utter sublime prophecy
would have been pronounced mailman for having dared
pry into the designs OF the Deity bravo Well, them
you al this moment say-and say il with you've who
are assembled here say 10 France 10 England 10 Prus
sa to Austria TO Spain, 10 Italy, 10 Russiawe say TO
them, ga day will come when from your hands also the
arms they have graspcd shall fall day will when
shall appear impossible, and will be impossible
between Paris and London between II. Peersburgh and
Burn, between Vienna and Turln as II now Is between
Rouen and Amiens, Between Boston and Philadelphia
[AppIause A day will come when you, France-you,
Russia--you, ltaly-you, England-you, Germany-all
OF you, nations OF the continent, shall, without losing
your distinctive qualities and your glorious individuality,
be blended into superior unity and shall constitute an
European fraternity, Just Normandy, Brittany Bur.
gundy, Lorraine Alsace have been blended into France
A day will come when the only battlefield shall
be the market open 10 commerce, and the mind
opening to new ideas. day will come when bul.
let's and shells shall be replaced by yoies-by the
| universal suffrage OF natons-by the venerable ar
btration OF great sovereign senate which shall be TO
Europe what the Parliament is TO England what the Diet
is TO Germany, what the Legislative Assembly Is TO
France. [Applause.] day will come when cannon
shall be exhibited in public museums just as an insiru-
men OF torture is Laughter and applause and peo
pie shall be astonished how such a thing could have
been. day will come when those two immense
grouJs-the United States OF America and the United
States OF Europesba be seen placed In presence OF
ocean, exchanging their produce, their commerce. their
industry, their arts their genius, clearing the earth peo
ping the deserts meiorang creation under the eyes OF
the Creator and uniting, for the good OF all these Two E
resistibe and infinite powershe fraternity OF men, ana
the power OF God tAppause Nor Is II necessary that
live in rapid peodin the most impetuous current oil
events and IDEAS which has borne away humanity
and at the period in which ive wear sufces TO do
the work Of century, But French, English, Germans,
Russians Scaves, Europeans, Americans, what have we
to do order TO hasten the great day To love each other
[Appause To love each other Is this immense labor oil
pachcaiion the best OF aiding God God desires
that this object should be accomplished And TO arrive at IT,
you yourselves witnesses OF what the Deity does on
all sides See what discoveries are every day issuing
from human geniusdsco yefies which all tend to The
| same oblect--peace What immense progress! What
i smpfcationl How nature is allowing herself TO be
more and more subjugated by man How she every day
becomes stll more the haadmad OF intellect and tht
auxiliary OF civizatoni How the causes Of war van
sh with the causes OF suffering How people far sepa
rated from each other so lately now almost touch How
distances become less and less and this RAPID approach
what is IL but the commencement OF fraternity LAP
plausel Thanks TO railroads. Europe will soon oe no
Of more extent than France was in the middle ayes
Thanks 10 steamships, we traverse the mghy ocea'
al.