The Portland daily press., 1867-09-30
DAILY PRESS.
PORTLAND
Monday Morning, September 80, 1857


1t gives the humorists unlimited satisfac-
tion to tell how the sober-suted, dove like ad-
vocates OF peace met at Geneva the other
day TO talk Of universal harmony and the sis
terhood of nations; how they conured up
Utopias, and realized in their dreams states
fairer than the Republic of Plato and united
all mankind together in the federation of the
world" how the scene suddenly changed,
and disclosed tine pacifcators wrangling and
all by the ears, filling Switzerland with aston
ishment and dismay, and finally driven by the
alarmed citizens over the borders; how they
went their several ways. each with ready
forged thunderbolt for some government or
some religion-scattering over Europe like so
many firebrands. 1t is assumed that it was
a paradox in conduct for Garibaldi to go
to Geneva and talk of peace-thence to
Rome to drag the Pope from the Vatican.
But those who take the initiative in ex-
citing tumults are not necessarily the real
aggressors. The maintenance of the estab-
lished condition of things often constitutes
a passive aggression that justifes and neces-
states an active resistance. So long as pre-
scriptive wrong and oppression exist, the ad
vocates OF peace can attain their ends only
through war, and they are not justly subject
to the imputation of inconsistency because
they recognize more clearly than others the
true relation of things. They are accused OF
disturbing the peace Of Europe. Peace-as
if the governments of the crowned and tia
rad robbers who rule the different States
constituted condition OF peace las if those
systems which divert the millions of treasure,
that should keep starving and fire ezing
peasantry from want, to the sovereign's civil
list, and exhaust the resources of empires to
maintain standing armies for preserving the
balance of power in the interest of individu-
ais who are often idiots and almost al
ways knaves-as if this were harmony! Yet
the superficial view taken of Liberal msur-
rections forces the peace-maker, who seeks
his object through the agency of the sword,
to assume an apologetic attitude. He begs
pardon for disturbing the repose of the rufiian
who has stolen the property of all his neigh
bors, seated himself quietly on his plunder,
and only "wants to be let alone"
Some one has said that ''inequality is war;"
So long as governments, general or local, re-
cognize class distinctions and unjustly dis
the people, war already EXISTS. To secure
peace within State, make it republic; to Sc
cure international peace, make all nations re
publics; to secure eternal peace make all ma
tions one republic. Such, in brief is the scheme
of the European Liberals-a scheme the the
oretical correctness of which is capable of alb
soute demonstration, though practically its
realization seems as remote in point of time
as the building of an inter-stellar railroad, or
telegraph line to Ursa Major.
The European Liberals are the American
Radicals working in a different field. The
former are compelled, for the most part, t.
confine their efforts to speculation and agita-
ton, and naturally are superior to the latter
in the breadth of their views. The American
Radical has practical work on hand, and in
his devotion to that work he is necessarily OBJ
iivious fer the movement of what is not with
in the range Of immediate observation. The
task before him is to work out the first part
Of the problem of peace-to make the institu-
tions of his own country thoroughly democrat
ic and so give it rest from civil strife. He sends
armies to compel the establishment of equali-
ity and. 1isnal, is accused as an agg1essor and
breaker of the peace. But sometime his ac-
cusers will know and acknowledge that cyan
kee Pentarchy" for twevemonth is infinite
ly preferable, as measure of peace, to man
enslaving oligarchy forever.