The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-04-16
War Abroad and Peace at Home.

War Abroad and Peace at Home.
II is probable that Europe is on the eve Of one
of those great wars which in the past have
formed so essential and striking portion of
her history. Whether or not immediate hos
tilities shall grow out of the present relations
between France and Prussia there can be but
little doubt that at no distant day there is to
be gigantic trial of strength between these
two nations; and the struggle, when 1t does
come bids fair to involve Europe.
There is something solemn and almost ap-
palling in the frequency of these great strug-
giles between such masses of the human
family with their attendant suffering and
slaughter. The history of Europe is written
in blood. It's fields have been fertilized by
the dead bodies of the slain. And yet the
end of these conflicts appears as far off as ever.
They follow each other with almost the regu-
larity of the seasons. No principle is at the
bottom of them. The poor, blind masses are
set in battle array, and made "food for
POWDER" with hardly thought of why or
wherefore. Kings and cabinets manufacture
issues from their own pride and ambition, and
the people furnish the victims and pay the
bills.
Not only this, but all Europe is ground
down by the expense of state of constant
preparedness for war. One power arms, and
all the others do it to be on an equality with
her. Standing armies, vast navies, huge
arsenals, crowded with the most bloody wea-
pons of war, are the costly paraphernalia of
the present arrangements of government and
society in Europe.
1t should be a cause of profound thankful
ness on the part of Americans that we are so
far removed from the circle of European
politics as not to be drawn into the contests
which rage there, and that on this side of the
world there is no occasion for such mutual
distrust and alarm among nations So far at
least, as the United States is concerned she
has nothing to fear from foreign powers. She
might disband her armies and yet be safe. 1t
is only from domestic enemies that danger
can come to us. And in this fact we see the
necessity of that craftsmanship which shall
remove from our midst every distracting and
agitating element. The terrible civil strife
through which we have passed should teach
us the absolute necessity of making our laws
and institutions homogeneous, so far as vital and
fundamental principles are concerned. There
should be left no occasion for organic disturb
anee. Our late civil war grew out of the
antagonism between freedom and slavery-two
incongruous and incompatible things. The
advocates of each professed to find it incor
porated in our fundamental law. Thus grew
up contest which reached to the very foun-
dations of the Government. Slavery having
been overthrown, we should make the work
complete, so that the nation shall be homo
geneous. We should leave no fundamental
questions unsettled, to grow up into future
civil wars.
They who would exclude the entire colored
race from political rights in this nation; who
would tax them without giving them represen-
tation; who would make laws for them with
out their participation and consent, must be
put down as shallow and dangerous politicians,
destitute of the first elements of true states
manship. They would plant root of bitter
ness to grow up into future Convulsions. No
nation is safe from domestic strife so long as
its organic character is not fully settled, for
an occasion is offered for constant change. In
JnlS country We nave duOpIeu 50 muCn OF Lne
republican character, that any deviation there
from is the more apparent and offensive. Our
only safety lies in making the work complete
and then guarding against its inevitable
hazards. All forms of government have
their dangers.
But there is less danger in taking any type
in its essence, than there is in keeping up
constant agitation between antagonistic prinei
pies. No possible results of universal suf
frage could have precipitated this nation int
such fearful struggle as grew out of tn
Ffrrepressible conflict" between freedom an
slavery.
Guarded, then, as we are, against foreig
dangers, we have only to exercise a wise states
manship in regard to our domestic policy an
peace, with all its blessings, may be our pei
petual portion. Our vast domain is boun
together by a thousand ties, which will ever
day grow stronger and stronger, when ono
we shall have settled our governmental stru'
ture upon the enduring basis of concordar
and homogeneous principles.