Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1866-11-16
No More Standing Armies.

ton 1T has developed to count the cost u
of war and wars provocatives. the t
standing armies, which in that quar- Z
ter of the globe alone, subtract 5,000,- :
900 pair of stout arms from the in I
dustrial and productive labors of civ 5
ilization, at an annual direct cost of {
s2,500,000,000, not to mention the {
tremendous indirect loss that the lack
of their activity occasions. An Eng {
lish writer computes, thai while the {
whole income tax of Great Britain
and Ireland amounts to 100000
for the year 1865, Europe was impov-
erished by sixty times the amount,
sin order that a countless multitude of
men might do nothing but prepare to
cut each others threats with the ut
most practical rapidity, and on the
largest possible scale" Thus Euro
pean nations annually throw away
what would support fifteen millions of
families in the condition of the we'll
paid portion Of the English peasant
ny.
These appalling facts revived in the
memories Of men by the summers
slaughter Of 100000 fellow creatures,
and devastation Of the most fertile
districts in Saxony and Bohemia, are
fixing universal attention; and for the
credit of our time, and Of the noble |
profession Of the press, be it said, that
the ablest and most eloquent Journal
lists Of the Old World are loudly and
earnestly pleading for the abolition OF
the bloody policy that has disgraced
the Christian Era and modern civil
cation. 1t must be sadly confessed
that thus far there is no immediate
prospect of the governments needing
the wall of the people as it ascends to
them through the lips Of the most en-
lightcned Of their champions. Count
Bismark is not disarming, but is rather
strengthening his forces, while, at the
same time, heaping up all the money
he can raise by tax, tribute or war in
demnity, in the Golfers Of the state, al
though the war has not very seriously
depleted them. He is coniiscating
horses, although the public stables are
already full; he is making new needle
guns in immense quantities, and has
ordered 100000 new overcoats anC
100000 pairs of gloves for the win
ter, regarding the war as only sus
pended because German unity is no
vet complete. Russia, Austria, SaXo
ny and France have their military fac
tories at work night and day, and ever
Britain, of late 50 extremely pacific
is arming all her forces on both side
Of the ocean, with breech-loading mus
kets. Still, this is nothing but carry
ing out the old system Of mutual ter
ror. Each offers the ornaments Of tn
other government as an excuse 70
what it is doing, in the same breatl
expressing perfect willingness to dis
arm in concert with the rest. Gu
own country has set the noble exam
pie of actually doing what her Euro
pean contemporaries only half prOmis
to do, and her initiative is not los
upon the mass of mankind. The to
pic is now so seriously and strenuous
ly mOoted that authority must, sOOne
or later, listen and yield.
The most powerful article yet pull
lished, on the right side of this CT
crossing question, is from the pen G
Emile de Girardin, in his new, an
well named paper ia Liberte."
is powerfully written with more tina
the usual vehemence Of that eminer
writer, and should be read wherevc
civilization and religion have hom
His title for his grand and phillip
leader against the standing armies,
"The Bloody SHAMELESS" "HowevC
oycrgrown," he says, "the standing a
mics in Europe may be, after all the
are but in the proportion of l to B
or millions Of soldiers out Of
millions of inhabitants. Let, then, {
the men who hate murder, robbery al
opposition, the men who think, WI
preach, who write, who teach, uni
their efforts to our own, and, perhal
it will not be impossible to extrica
Europe from the bloody ditch dug
her by the governments.
From all sides, in all free countri
in all independent journals, in all ;
semblies with a free rostrum, in
churches that have free pulpit,
the most energetic protest, raised
millions of voices, be heard. |
these cries resound in every directio
Enough of blood split! No me
war; No more standing armies
more military recruitment by comp
sion! No more drawing OF lots for
man lives No more laws requiri
men to appear, naked from head
foot, before an inspecting commiSsi
with the chance of having to blush,
their presence for their most secret
ments, as well as for their most {
dent dcformities No more sons tt
from their mothers who have rea,
them by enduring the sorest privati,
and the most poignant suferings!
fine, no more workmen withdra
from their occupations, in defiance
the privilege accorded to trades 6
professions
"The pen will conquer the swOr
said Napoleon l. Yes but on COZ
ton that the one does not serve
other, for a scabbard. The revC
tons that do good are those that &C
from above; the revolutions that
harm are those that come from bel
From this time forth, then, let the
do the work Of the pen. If it N
fight, let it be against the sword {
in favor of peace.
Were the revolution once cOmpl
in idea, it would not take it long
become complete in fact. Let, IL
the revolution descend that will fill
this bloody ditch in which il would