M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1855-03-02
Kossuth aud the Nunkers.

The Society OF Friends in Great
Britain having sent to the Hungarian
patriot 'Chriatian appeal, pleading
ieace at any price, not because they
|hold the present war unnecessary, inn
kelitic, or directed to q wrong issue,
bht because they held sll war to be
unlawful under the Gospel dispensa-
tlon,' the Magyar replies to their argu,
Iksnts, and quotes sundry Bible texts
to show war to be righteous if waged
in a righteous cause. His letter is IN
tnswerable, according to the prevail
ing morality OF the present, and Of all
past ages. He even corrects, as we
doubt not he has sufficient learning to
enable him to do, the translation Of one
or two passages OF Scripture, upon
which tile universal and unconditional
peace party invariably rely for the con-
dehnation Of national bloodshed. For
instance, the passage, GLORY TO God in
the highest, peace on earth, good will
iofards man. lie reads, 'Glory to God
in .lie highest, end peace on earth to
gdod- williag men, { Gloria IN ecccI.
Sis. l DO, ct par in terra hOminibus,
bos@ VotuRtas.) We submit the Lat
Iia 10 scholars, who may decide between
Aosarth and King James uninspired
Itpnslators,
| The Hungarian Ex-Governor holds
that, properly interpreted, the Holy
| Word in no case condemns a resort 10
the sword to free a nation or people
Irsm oppression; and that as despOtiSm
rests alone upon force, and not upon
consent, SO it never will be overthrow
by its own consent, so it never will b.
oveHhrown by its own consent, but it
downfall! must be effected by force. |
looks logical, il we were lei. to infer
encs from the probabilities of humal
nature; but We have proof in an unbro
keucurrent OF historical facts. Vol
unlary reformation in tyrant, we can
not Row remember ever having hear!
Of. Seae only abdicalion greatly ceIe
brated in history, was that Of Charlie
v, and that did not occur until hi
power had been sorely tested by tn
mary yeIous prowess of Maurice OF Sax
ony, aud when the hoary oppresSor hai
become so gouIy that, like Swiit's phi
osopher, he was "a misery to himeel
and his friends So that in deducinJ
the aeceSSity OF war from the deprGvet
tendencies Of mankind, KoSsuth un
doubtedly has the advantage of tn
knork-down argument.
But there must be standard of ab
stract right. There is such a thing
alter all, as naked truth, though onl,
ideal. 1t will not do TO deny their ex
istence, and to undertake to establish
such a negative by appealing to tn
vitnted and perverted conditions o
humanity--all lacts, to be sure, deplo
rable as veritable. But if our race hal
! not been honored by the existence o
such sects as the Quakers, how coul,
we ever have believed in a still bette
, stale than men have ye! attained2 Hu
man progress is but dream, if we de
; Iny human perlectibility. That doc
Urine Of the Quarkers which incUlcate
the sin OF selt-delense, going even fur
theI than their objections to war, re
galded in ole light, is yet suggested b
very profound view Of our nature
Hardly one bully in thoaSend vii
strike non-resistant. And so, prac
ticalIy, very many national as well a
individual striles would never occur
out tor tue mutual belligerancy Of tn
parties. ... ..,
Itmay be said that wars would sill
be 2aged from lust OF aggrandizement
were the code OF honor blotted from tn
international sIatute-book. Still, doe
, net such an idea spring from skepti
eel estimate oil the reality Of the ad
, ysncement of civilization? Let us
Tor arguments sake, suppose that tia
. world is getting,as we sometimes boast
a little better as it gets older; and sup
pose nation OF non-resistants, locate'
however near 10 the strongest 'powef ol
4 earth.' Would there not be msgnan
unity enough, either to self restrain, o.
Itopreveht from without the absorption
/ of such a nationality by the strong
] aeighbor? If not, then the moral ad
vanIages of. enlightened civilization
lare ali lie, sure enough, as the oppo
site idea would imply: We have long
lima gined that the evils OF national ant
individual violence would very speed.
ii lily disappear from the earth, if every
Imam would only be just as good as he
possibly coult. We graveIy suspect
lthatit is not so much because he can
not, but because he will not. ltis nee.
essary to say, tha! il such rule Of
conduct were applied in government,
There would be no despotism-no opr
Ipression. This is the answer to the
last argument for war necessity The
Quaker creed holds prominent among
LIS precepts that which enjoins upon
iEeyery conscience abstinence from all
aggression. II is addressed, OF course,
to governors as well as ile governed,
and is the veryullraism ol equal rights.