Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1859-05-26
For the Monmouth Weekly Herald.
MIDNIGHT
The Papers Of James Careful, Esq.
WAR;.

TRANSACTIONS, ana DO not ~
dsrstand the first principles that govern
them. Thus, we read Of War, and SIM
ply understand that two nations, opposed
to each other, by force Of arms test their
respective strength upon the battle field ;
but when we see that these nations are
civilized and christianized, that they have
lived amicably together upon the earth,
for perhaps a century past that they
have been dependent, one upon the other,
for their various products and manufac--
lures, and have been commercially con-
nected that they have sent religious
teachers into heather nations to christian
ize them, and that each have prayed for
universal prosperity and peace when
we reflect thus, and count the numerous
other effects Of christian civilization, we
are sometimes at a loss to know, why
these differences could not be settled by
other than the bloody means Of warfare :?
That we may the better comprehend this
subject, I will endeayor to search for first
principles and causes, and show thereby,
the true theory of all warfare.
To use the words of Kent, " nations are
equal in respect to each other, and emit
tied to claim equal consideration for their
rights, whatever may be their relative
dimensions or strength, or however great.
ly they may differ in government, religion
or manners" This is the settled theory
of public law, but individuals of the re.
spective rations Of the earth, regard their
own governments as superior to others in
many respects, and esteem their ruler as
having no superior on earth. Through
commercial intercourse, the settlement of
boundary lines, the claims to territory,
the breaking up Of old treaties and other
transactions between nations. disputes
arise. which, if not honorably compro
missed, lead to further differences and as
their is no superior power on earth before
whom these disputes can be adjusted, the
only method of settlement left, is to put
themselves upon the justice of God, by
an appeal to arms.
If war was the result of no other cause
than the hcnest differences between
States. they might, in my opinion, nearly
all be amicably settled between statesmen
of the respective nations and surely,
nothing could be more glorious-if glory
we hope for-than the application Of wis
dom to the adjustment Of national dis
putes. But it is otherwise. We cannot
look upon the pages of the history Of any
nation, and find in every case that war
was the result Of injuries received, or
honest disputes if any wars transpired,
and that nation was a century old.
The restless ambition of man has man
Tested itself in the masses, and has caused
lorg and bloody wars to crafty selfish
motives, and the jealousy of princes
Through all time these curses have fallen
upon society, in both civilized and uneiv-
ilized communities. The cause has never
been removed by the sufferes, for the
power has ever been in the hands of those
who thirsted for strength and national
ACCOMPLISHMENTS, or Who rave been Jealous
OF the growing power of others.
From causes honorable and dishonora
bic, have resulted conflicts ever since the
world began, and although sanctioned as
a right by the law of nations, we are I'm
able to acknowledge it as a prolific source
of lasting benefits, unless used as a means
to conquer tyranny and despotic oppres
sion. When a nation becomes strong in
its resources, and its executive power be.
comes ambitious, if it has no just plea for
war, it FORCES one, and its power is recog
nised as a right, because there is no force
sufficiently strong to suppress the calam-
ity.
Powerful States have, without invita-
tloE, extended their rule over weaker
ones, unsanctioned by any moral or di
vine law, but maintained by the plea of
the law of nations, that it accrued to
them by the highest trial of right
Weaker Iatlons have combined their
forces and declared war. solely for the
purpose of weakening a stronger State.
and this, upon the ground that peace,
would be more dangerous and moro mis-.
cradle than war itself.
Napoleon the Great never made war
without first making a plea, and vet. we
q ay freas onably conjecture, that had he
lived at the present time, he would have
been at war with the greater portion of
Europe. And so may we reason from
other Generals of a like powerful and am
bilious character, and find similar results.
War too often originates solely from
chivalrous and ambitious motives in a
ruler, who, like the present Emperor of
France, hopes, since he cannot distin-
gulsh himself as a wise executive, to be
come great in warfare, and to leave to
his nation the burthen of its consequent
evils.
Whatever war may be to savage ma
tons, it certainly should create no sym
pathy among the christian nations of the
earth, and should be employed by them,
only as a means to suppress savage tribes
and nations, when christian rights are
disregarded and the law of nations viola
ted. If a nation claiming to stand within
the bounds of civilization, should so far
forget its duty as to violate these insti.
tuted national rights, then let the chris
tan world declare that nation uncivilized.
and if then no compromise be made, force
her to terms by the accumulated armies
and navies of the christian world.