Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1849-12-08

PEACE CONGRESS-.

Victor Hugo's address TO the Peace
Congress which assembled not long since
in Paris, and of which he was President
has been commended very generally, as a
masterpiece Of eloquence. The columen-
dation seems to be deserved. 1t is grand
and beautiful picture which he draws of
the expected result of civilization in its
harmonlzing and assimiIating influence
upon nations. Looking back over the
history of Christendom for the last eigh-
teen hundred years. one might conclude
that the progress Of peaceful tendencies
had not been very encouraging, and that
the efforts of those and such as those who
assembled III Congress III Paris, were d.
rected in pursuit of an Elusive vision.
Nevertheless the views and conclusions
presented in the following extract from
Victor Hugo's address are not without an
impressive interest:
Gentlemen, if four centuries ago, at the
period when war was made by one dis
uIct against the other, between cities, and
between provinces-if | say, some one
had dared 10 predict 10 Lorraine, to Prov
ence, 10 Dauphiny, "a day shall come
when you will no longer arm men, one
against the other-a day shall come when
II shall not be said that the Normans are
attacking the Picardians, or the people of
Lorraine are repulsing the Burgundans
You will still have many disputes to settle,
interests TO contend for, difficulties to re-
solve; but do YOU know whom YOU will
select instead of armed men, instead of
cavalry and infantry, of cannon. bayoncts,
lances, pixies. swords You will select
instead OF tins destructive array, small
box of wood, which YOU will term bal
lot-boX. and from which shall issue
what! An AssembIy-an assembly in
which you shall all live-an assembly
which shall be, as il were, the soul of all
a supreme and popular Council which
shall decide, Judge, resolve everything
winch shall make the sword fall from
every hand, and excite the love of Justice
III every heart-which shall say to each,
Here terminates your right. there com
menccs your duty. Lay down your arms =
(Grcat applause And i'll that day YOU
will all have one common thought, com
mon interests, a common destiny; YOU
Will embrace each other, and recognize
each other as children of the same blood.
and OF the same race that day YOU shall
no longer be hostile tribes-you will be
people ; YOU will no longer be merely Bur
gundy, Normandy, Brittany, Provence
YOU will be France. (Bravo.) You will
no longer make appeals TO war-you will
do SO 10 civilization Great appleause,)
If at the period | speak of, some one
had uttered these words all men of a Sc
rious and positive character, all prudent
and cautious men, all the great politicians
of the period, would have cried out, What
a dreamer what fantastic dream How
little this pretended prophet is acquainted
with the human heart What ridiculous
folly ! what absurdity.' Yet, gentlemen,
Tune has gone on, and we find that this
dream, this folly, this absurdity, has been
realized bravo y And | insist upon
tins, that the man who would have dared
to utter SO sublime prophecy would have
been pronounced mailman for having
dared to pry into the designs of the Deity.
bravo , Well then, YOU at the moment
say-and | say it with You've who are
assembled here say to France, to England,
to Prussia, to Austria, to Spain, to Italy,
TO Russla-we say to them day will
come when from your hands also the arms
they have grasped shall fall. A day will
come when war shall appear as imposs-
bic, and will he impossible, between Paris
and London, between St. Petersburg and
Berlin, between Vienna and Turin, as it is
now between Rouen and Amiens, between
Boston and Philadelphia. (Applause.)
A day will come when you, France-you,
Russia-you, Italy-you, England-you,
Germany-all of you, nations of the con
tinent, shall without losing your distinctive
qualities, and your glorious individuality, |
be blended into i superior unity, and shall |