New-York daily tribune., 1858-06-26
PEACE BETTEp, THAN WAR,
ANNUAL ADDRESS BY GtRaIT SMITH,
BEFORE TIE
AMERICAN PEACE SOClEI u
In Boston, May "a. ls5s.
BEFORE TIIF

a Hnutu gton or Sumner CT Jay can make, hss oesn
the usual entertainment on this yearly recurring occs
sion Herein was one Of tne grounds Of my relas-
tarce 10 sppeaI before you. For as m'ne oas beer
life of business instead Of books OF ho0r in'taaa OF
literature have bat lrle command OF rnet INC ana
but hte OF the classical knowledge which e'ves to
illustrate and enrich discourse. Hence cannot
pIoye DyesI fl; successor OF the orators Who nave
grsced yom platform. The most can hope Tor II 70
add som.H 1t the eat amount Of usetul arsnnen'
against war which has been called out Of your ann-
ye,saries This however is confess, great deal 70
hone for Sach sn addition, though ever 80 email
would save my speech from being failure Nay
would make It success, 81 tais too, however una
dorned or uns,trscnve lis language.
srn not here 70 argue that an evil IL h1nan
life is precious then must its tretest destroyer Dc sn
evil II without the vIues human lifs Ia no BIZ isns
then must their greatest destroyer be en- EVIL. IL 70
relax all the moral obligations, aud absolutely TO can
eel many If tbem If to throw vide open all the Hood
gates Of vice. ard 70 install the bghest crimes IN the
Mace of the highest meIltf to do sl tots "a an evil
then must war be the preeminent evil IN ths;e re-
specs since it does all this in uuequaled degree
Again if the wealth of the world is the hsrd esr1-
ipes of the poor and if 1t ia all needed for the good o
nan s1d tte glory Of God then is war a great evil
inatDuch az u Is tht great OeNOuiel OF nrdLu a. "H
as OF life Ae nOre tnan all ot0er ceuses put TO-
getber diverts labor from toe soil aud the workshop,
from the building OF towns aud roadl aod bridges, ana
hom the builoiog Of shps Tor trade shd trave, 400
from the multiplying and perfecing OF the ueful arts
cos It surpss, al other causes put together II Inn
oerlIg 'he erection and accumulation OF wealh.
In regard 10 the fne arts also, peace CIVILIZATION
had done imme uIably more than has civlllza
tion TO oil who are ID que,t Of the best cOGc ptons
of the beautiful End C the highest idsss Of the sub
hme, peace optnf far wider and far more successful
field TIA does var.
10 a word, what garden would not the whole hab-
IL be earth rave been, had Dot gthheld the
ard ueeIs and disp' stian IN till and embeisn t !
Net cBly would the fields and cities which are no
beautiful have been made more eo but where as yet
lie only wilderness scattered and cherries novels,
woLd have been couI tiess abOdes OF comfort ard cp-
pence ard elegance NJr lees than the culture ot
the sO would have been the culture OF the under
standing and the heart. Nor less than the beau
tfypg of the homes of men would have bsen ths
beautifying of tseir spirts. The Intellectual sDd
moral and spiritual would have kept pace with the
mater rial; snd the power of unbroken pace to ban.
Eft sud bless the world would have stt 5sted itsei
no less in the better affections s;5 II ell y. thsr
IL better farms and d6elrgs no less a TIE hig er
style OF the whole man th-n in that OF ne i4orcs
winch clothe hia,; DO les in his O1o improvement,
than in that Of his material comforts; no less 10 hn
self than IN h's circ umstsnoes.
The yeaily interest of the debt of Europe, add
ed TO her yearly expense in preparing Tor war, 4Ses
the well nigh iDcOLceivably great sum cf thOu-ands
Of milliOLs Of dOlars. All tbs has had 10 be ground
out Of her toiog masses year afeer year. HOY IN
hey superior to Whist she no is 10 toe total of her
mental ard moral wealth. 10 the richness OF her vine
AID grass ard grancOvered scres in the convenience
of her private and the speDdor Of her public soibcs
AND in sl the co Dforis and innocent loSures, would
not Europe now be, had thOse thousands OF mhlions
been exp7Ided every year upon the Seltse, the ee-
va ION and refinement of those toilng masses On,
when viii tbese oppressed laboIers have tne discern
ueDt sDd the bravery TO refuse to DO put 70 sue g
n, be ard ruinous uses! When will they come 10
In oh inetT tg of their
are these veTv armies and pavied winch Their muscl3s
are so cIuelly tsIsd 10 Inalnielni W0en "Il tueiI
eyes be opeu 10 the gaIng fact that never until vaI
s1sll will tbs piorets Dstlops be tee ehd Tie
crushed ard der pissed rise into the dlgol aai
developu ent and enjoyment Of msnhood When, too
will they be psrsusdtd thGt they ere unaer DO "o'al
obi gait to pay wsr deb.s, especially Il they we're
incurred by q former generation HE TtpdlaiVn Oi
srv rstio1 al debt ~ BlCst minds quickly su2gesbve
of rhcnO- and 1esunss4. But toat 10 most iDefance'
IL would be = high duty to God and mao nave 90
doubt An Ign0Ia auG lhbeciie snd nlseieoi7 "o'il
viii this he nntl 1t fhon have OetgrOTn the d-lh-lOn
Tint ore eeIersi,n has the lig 10 c' ate de5.s oi
mother to pay. TIE sill of The Gres- her If That
every generation $40 1id enter upon AMI un TIE rscd
of lie free from ell the desd weights which n former
ene rnit 1T be temp.ed TO bsng upon y.
Lad that ain not leie ~ argue ttat war Is an
evil Whist il 'bviOus 10 sll Deed Dot o. a5eaed. i
8m here tO Offer teesous for my beiei tn L wsi
can ne avoided gweys ald eSoIywDsIei aid t1st no
naticn Known to refuse 20 engage n l. need lear IL
She need not fear i. the hanOs If heathen nslon,
st the ldLOH oil tI,neT . tfuiy OnIsLdu VI uOHi
MANY Christian nation.
Ii yreason of s great ignorance or sinfune.s, e.
both beatben nation were csoosed to wage war up
unTestieg one, enc would rot fan TO De deferred
by tie n'elven Ion, armed CT unarT cd OF t1e whole
world; for the whole ID would feel the sppes GO L
ipg up fIoD such spectacle.
No less widely extended and efectusl in,srvention
would be aroused we're It possible for truly Christian
pa,ion t. be guilty % sUch mesnDess and wcsed1ess
This, low ever, would rot be Iossioe; for such Ia
ton, being composed of Christians, would necessarily
st upon the principles OF Jesus Christ Not acting
upon them would prove that her subjects we're noi
CUIlsisIs. do not forget how pfevsieLt II tue idea
tbst PISTON may be made ap ot CnTs lana end its
sctlon nevertheless be Uochiistisn. Bot Christians
know that the principles Of Jsus Christ are as ooga-
tory sna Influential upon taei nation, OF, 10 otneI
words, upon themselves collectively, as upon them
selves inCivic uay. In passing, gould glance At the
theory thai the nation rather al the ndvdusls voc
compose it ia responsible Tor what 1t does But ss
there inOiy ijuGls The nation, Tben Is guilty OF
unIigt teousntss il ID they who guilty OF IT, Tb
theory that nation is as something else than the
udiviouals vino compose It, morslly responsible ard
puph babe is not oily pure iaUcfu U1t exceedingly
peincious nsoU thus substituted for It's spclectt
Il mere fiction. IL would admit be co npsrs veiy
baiuess 10 attribute conscience aud responsibility 70
tGis nODentity, weIe 1t not taat by 90 doug the SUD
jec.s OF tbe patton cone 10 feel relieved Of al
responsibility in stonAl affairs, and e1c1sed from
having any canscisnce 10 regard to them
It is because they thus feel themselves relieved
and e9 used, that such vast mulutudes eau be ~
ease IN regard TO the greatest crimes OF tlen n.-
ton ard CAP obey even without c0upuhction lie most
ubrs hecus DEGREES snd enActments IL Is because of
the delusiOn that what they do a. the bddug Of the
nation, sue and net they aIe responsible for tina; no ns
tionsl command is too wicked for them 70 obey. The
sin Of the nation, though ever so cordially epoussd
and effectively sustained by themselves they see rot
TO be their own sn. In doing the wicked work whicn
il eI joins they not that they doing their oSn
wicked work Hence it lie that they an fall 10 with
the nefarious Mexican war, and even with the satanie
FugitveSsye sta ute, end yet cell tse nseiyes Chris