The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-07-19
Sputroiity of the United States,

II there l. any one point on which all parties
in this country are unanimously agreed, it is
the duty and expediency of preserving the
neutrality of the United States. Unless we
desire war for its own sake: unless there is 1
power Of COntagiOn in the war epidemic which
nations communicate to one another, even
when an ocean three thousand miles wide
rolls between them: unless there is something
irresistiblv fascinating in the prospect of hay
ing our ships sunk upon the ocean, the cities
burned on our coast. our towns besieged desc
lated antdefiled by a brutal soldery; the young
men of the land torn from their mothers arms
and consigned TO the bloody embrace of the bat
tle-tield; the young women given over to fate
worse than death; unless there is in these the
inevitable cOncomitants and consequences of
national collisions, something so agreeable
ana heavenly that we cannot find it in us to
foregO the divine excitement then we shall
avoid the most distant approach TO war. and
every subject that eau involve III in HOSTILE
ties. a we would avoid plague, restilence and
famine
The history of wars, from the beginning Of
the world, shows that. in nine cases ont of
ten, they were the result of evil passions
reckless seltlshncss, and sordid am btion that
they were unnecessary, wicked, and neither
demanded by common sense nor any dictate
Of real honor. Ia nine cases out of ten they
leave unsettled the very questions for which
they Wer" commenced; in nine cases out OF
ten. not one man OF the millions of combat
ants has any interest 10 lie advanced by the
conflict so far from it, every interest he h8
IN the world must Ire haZarded and. perhaps
destroyed, by war. Some monarch desires to
extend his territories, some government 10
strengthen itself by diYerting tie attention of
the country to an imagined grievance abroad
and, %traightway, without Knowing how or
why, the peaceful and industrious subjects
and citizens are thrown into a state of war
their children led out TO worry and slaughter
men against whom they have no personal i'll
VIII their property, life. the peace and purity
OF their households all endangered, solely and
alone 70 carry out the selfish schelaes of some
LrCIrEE of ambition, who, TO obtain tie oxaI
tation of himself, would sacrifice whole heca
tombs of the human race. and convert the green
and smiling earth into Il panorama of The nell
10 whicE iau belongs.
L may not be fattering 10 the yani,v of
schoolboys 10 have it limited that, of all ereat
countries III the world the United States i in
The worst possible condition TO make an an
peal 10 the wager OF battle: that tie United
States would he more injured by a war than
any other country on the face of the earfh
II Is easy to get up Il war fever and such \
fever generally RACES highest among those
VINO are least IN Il condition 10 abide the stern
ordeal which they would provoke. War re-
qulf's millions upon millions of money: -
war with any great power of Euroue wouId
leaN" rs with Il national debt of five hundred
millions. War requires armies, DO we ex-
pect our fifteen thousand regular soldiers 10
swallow halta million of the armies of Eurone,
at requires large fleets. VIII our sixty ma
iohal vessels aunlhlate the six hundred of
England.o or thcalmoste quaI number of France,
VIII they even enable us to protect our com
mefce me largest commerce in the world no,,,
ihoat on every sea These are Questions
winch 1t Is well enough TO ask now. and IN
pohuef ana mediate upon. before we allow,
ourselves 10 be carried away hy the war fran,,,-
"a europe, ire madness which seizes upon
"hole populations and makes them willing 10
surrender every real blessing of human exist
ehce al The shrine OF the phantom G. Iory and
lof The personal and political advantage of
some wretch who. To secure his own clutch of
power would cause every riverof the earth to
/ uh blood, and every dwelling to resound with
the cries of widows and orphans.
Let rs permit the despots of the old world
To play out their murderous game for domin-
ohi but, III heavens name, let us keep our own
alooi. as we would keep our dwellings
from fire, our treasures from robbers, and our
louseho lds from the plague.