Shreveport news. [volume] (Shreveport [La.]) 1864-1865, 1864-11-29
Letter from tiGc lion. w. w.
Royce, OF South Carolina.


! they would agree to an aTl:isttce and CON
vcntion OF all the States. t. consider the
| subject OF peace. ] thin!. tina, action de-
mandS II favorable response from our gov
eminent. You are The only person who
! can make that response. because our Con
I gicss does not meet until after III" tin" ap-
! pointed for the Presidential election. 1t
cur Congress met in time. l should propose
| the action ! desire taken to that body, and
submit to its Judgment my argument. but
as that opportunity does not occur. have
no alternative but to reminiscent. or adj
dress myself to You. We are waGiug War
TO obtain satisfactory peace. by y salts
factory peace. mean u peace consistent
with the preservation Of our free iustitu
lions. l;y satisfactory peace. do not
mean that cessation OF h1sttiities "h'rh
might. after protractci contest. result
from the exhaustion OF the bciligcrcnts,
whpieby The. swey! >AoUll iH!! from their
ucrvel.ss hands. their heart. "a prey To Tho
turIcS. Such Il peace ~ lhat wuuId be bat
a hollow truce. in which each party would
be necessarily preparing tor new, hnaI aud
decisive struggle. The peace which
mean Is IA peace which rcc"ncllcs the in
tcr.sts and the feelings of the bcii.g.reut-
a peace in short. which restores harmony.
t'uicss We can obtain Snch peace ~ ihI~.
our republican institutions tut'rr 10 lh"!r
fail and we become the subjects "i " milf
iary drspotisln. Every government must
exist, istt l. lnt Ia" 'l It's b'ilI-' IL u -
attacked by great force it must bring Al pro
uoftiunatciy great force to its defence. II
lis lorm is such "a not 10 furnish military
strength to the full extent of lis means. II
must disregard that form. The i;epuhhcan
form especially The form OF a tonird"racy
of free states. is not the best adapted Tor
war In fact il i, peace c.tAh h:ucut
Iht. form best adapted 10 wnr j. - NATIONAL
military dc-pplI-m. The rrpAh'!c Al var
Is gradually passing into military de>
pUii7m.
As the war continues and the pressure
of it. enemy increases, thus irGG-!t1"n D." a.
CELEBRATED. A republic forced TO the wall
by a powerful rarmy must END III depot
ism II We turn our eyes t. Europe, We
find only two nations with ire" Institutions
Great Britain and Sai'ZrTlanI. Why /
this The reason is ohvioNS. The ncc"--
sity al being constantly IN thu highest state
of preparation for war. cunPe!s every couH-
try to the utmost development % - mil
iarv strength. Absolute government Is II
par; O. that state of preparation. aud there
Tore absolute government j the ordinary
c,nditiun. II there were no other obstacle
! to France being rrFabiic. III" immense
standing armies III. IL compelled to keep
constantly under arms, would be C"nclu-
sive France * compelled 10 keep COO 900
always in arms. France * obliged there
fore 10 be what she i. military d",pott-m III.
7
Scy.n years war suppose her institutions
had been liberal. what would have been
. the result: Frederick the Great would
either have had t. abandon IT," stru|gl" or
seize all power. Nothiu- but absolute
, power in the hands of Frederick enabled
, him u come forth victorious III the contest
He sacrificed everything in Prussia 10 the
idea Of military strength. A. Prussia had
no natural dccnccs, and WAS greatly in-
: ferior in strength TO the o'lrr great power.
, il WAS u.ce--., Y TO give exclusive develop
lurrt 10 the military idea this Frederick
: did. As Macaulcy said, h" mad" Prussia
"a,l sting" THIS was logical in Frederick.
To save Prussia II was necessary :" give
her the maximum Of military strength - be
did this Prussia still has place on the
man lHl, he. made no effort to save liberty.
. Frederick found Prussia an absolute iupu-
archv he lett it an uuts,rrtch"d camp.
Liberty was never thought of. II Prussia.
. with her excellent population. were at !
vast distance from wh"r" She l.. and pro-
e,tct by cean- and mountains. she might
be a republic but where 81. j.. l. i I'M
possible. On the continent ut Europe no
STATE can exist with free institutions. be-
cause III" form of government must be such
Il furnishes the greatest amount vi military
strcngth.
: Perhaps it may be said that Switzerland
conrradlc,s my theory. ! reply that Swit-
%rrIAhi IL an cNcypl.'ha' t"'c /" lew nests
oil poor poop" tu''cu III remote N".'i"-
surrounded by lhacc1S>'"!" mountains
thsy are NOT worm cnnlH"i'hG. Bte!tr-
the mutual jealousy oil M great powers /
their real safeguard. England j. the only
great and free power III Europe. This j.
owIog To- hcr iAsHIaf ro-Ii'h. u" ocean
l. ~" H,N'he charter oil "%F freedom II
nothing OUT surveyor HHr stphi aN'i
Eng and from ! r1hct' England "o%.h be "
military de-potlsm as + rance Is. No cnnn
try can De tree wh'ch mas 10 steep villa her
h-hd on her sword
Bat why resort to general reasoning and
u" cnAI4V"h OF rut"Fca" NATIONS !" prove
what nave asserted, "hcn the proof ainf"-
IN the example. OF O'lr own country. " T.