Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-02-04

the annual interest on il nothing | saw is palmer
than that in those States reputation must take
place before the people can rise
The remark is very common at this time that
Europe needs revolution. She does need q revo-
luton, but she needs reputation more. However,
there never will be wholesome revolution in Eu-
rope until it is followed by repudiation; and the
fact that revolution is not thus followed will
stamp il with spuriousncss To say that the people
OF England and Holland, where the war debt is SO
great as to amount, on an average to two OF three
hundred dollars to each person.
,Mr. ORR (interruptiug.) l rise to a question
OF order l desire to know whether the point
which the gentleman is now making ABOUT the debt
OF England and Holland, is in order?
! Several MEMBERS. "Certainlyl" Certainly ~
Mr.. SMITH. am insisting that where war is
carried on there will be war dcbts and that where
there are war debts, there will be the termination
land temptation which should be yielded to) to
repudiate them.
The SPEAKER. The bill before the House is to
meet tho expenses of the West Point Military
Academy. The gentleman from New York is dis
posed to strangle, If | may the expression, the
supplies for that purpose. The bill brings up the
whole character of the thing, as connected with
war matters. The Chair thinks the gentlcman's 8
remarks are in order.
MIR. SMITH, (resuming) To say that the pco-
pie of England and Holland, where the war debt
IS SO great rs to amount, on an average, to two or
three hundred dollars to each individual are NOR
=
produce by other forms of toll the means of paying
the interest upon that debt is absurd. They are
morally bound to refuse to pay both interest and
principal. They are morally bound to break loose
from this load and to determine to drag IL no longer
For until they do So they cannot exercise the rights
OF manhood, nor enjoy the blessings nor fulfil the
high purposes of human existence Is IL said that
the Goyornment, for whose wars they are now pay
ing, would have been overthrown, but for these
wars l answer, that the Government which in
voyed its subjects in those wars was their greatest
curse.
! do not deny that there might be n rare case in
which generation would be morally bound to as
sumo the debt created by its predecessor but even
IN such case, that generation must be the sole
Judge OF its obligation to assume the debt. Were
'he cholera raging over the length and breadth OF
our land, and sweeping of millions of our people.
and were foreign nation to minister to our relief
by lending us money, if could not ourselves re-
| pay the loan, our successors should and such a
loan they would repay.
would incidentally remark, that the nations of
the earth can never, so long as they continue the
practice OF war, have honest or frugal Governments
say So for the reason that the means necessary to
carry on wars, or to pay war debts cannot be OBJ
tanned by direct taxation. The people will not
consent to their being obtained by any others sys-
tcm than that of indirect taxation; and such n
system is utterly incompatible with either n frugal
or an honest Government
asked who could comprehend the yastness Of
the loss OF life and property in war7-of life that
is so precious-of property that is so indispensable
to the enjoyment and usefulness of life? / add
the inquiry, who can estimate the unspeoknblv
greater loss which is chargeable war, in the dam
age that It does to morals and religion? All need
say on this point is that the power of war to de-
moralze the world. and to corrupt the purest re-
liglon in the world, is abundanuy manifest in the
TACT, that the moral aud religious sense Of even
good men is not shocked by war The strongest
arnumput which NVn ron hrinrr .,o
fact of its power to conform the morals and religion
of the world to war.
1t is not however, the low and perverted state of
the moral and religious sense, be that state pro-
duced by war or aught ese which can alone ac-
count Tor the continuance of war. Ii is also that
the world, and even the best part of the world has
sunk down so deep in the delusion that war is a
necessity. Whether it is or is not true tina
better state of the moral and religious sense
would have entirely saved from this delusion it
is nevertheless true that this dcusion goes far to
account Tor the continuance of the curse of war
If we need a fresh baptism of wisdom and good
ness nevertheless we do not need to be born again
70 be convinced that it is a delusiOn that war is
necessity, and to be aroused to efforts for putting
an end to war. Were we to apply to the subject Of
war no more than our present stock of good sense
and good ieellng-no more than our mental and
moral faculties. as they now are-it is probable
that war would not long withstand such applica-
ton.
The doctrine that is necessity, is the gross
est OF all hbels on man. The confidence which, in
private life, we manifest in each other proves that
| il is such a libel We walk the streets unarmed.
We go to bed without fear, and with unlocked doors
and we thus prove that we regard our fellow men
us our friends, and not our foes--as disposed to
protect and not to harm us. It is true that there
is here and there one who would rob us; and nt
very lar wider intervals, one who would kill us.
But we are at rest in the consciousness that where
there is one who would assail u.s. there are hun
dred who would defend us. Indeed society would
not be held together it not true that the gene
rality OF men are swayed by love and confidence
and generosity existing either in their own hearts
OF IN the hearts OF Others or in the hearts Of both
The men who are swayed by distrust and hatred
constitute the exceptional cases.
! Have /, then, an evil minded neighbor? need
not fight with him. | may under God, rely upon
the mass OF my neighbors to protect me against
him. So, too, if there is here and there malici
GUS American, and here and there malicious
Englishman, who would be guilty of involving their
countries In war with each other nevertheless the
mass of Americans and Englishmen prefer inter
national amity to international quarrels, and ough
to be relied ON to .preserye the peace; and they
would preserve it II so relied on IL is in thii
point of view, therefore, that the nation which il
determined to keep out of war will never find itse
involved in war and that nothing is hazarded by
adopting the peace policy. add that, as il is no
in human nature, under its ordinary influences and
{ in its ordinary circumstances, to fall upon un
armed and unressting man, so the nation which
puts its trust, not in weapons Of war, but in the
iraternal affections of the human heart and in the
God who planted those affections there, will FIND
this trust an efFectual shield from the horrors Of
/, war Such shield did the good men who founded
the State of Pennsylvania find this trust During
the seventy years of this trust there was no BLOOD
shed in that province. Those good men subduet
even the savage heart simply by trusting that heart
Those good men, by refusing to carry deadly wea
carrying of them. And were America now to dis
arm herself, even to the extent Of abandoning thu
policy aud practice Of war, and were she to cas-
herself for protection on the worlds heart sht
would find that heart worthy of being so trusted
Not only would the other nations of the earth b'
ashamed to take advantage Of her disarmament