The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-06-11
The Disgrace of Victory.

From the Tribune.
That war is an evil is admitted, but it is
often forgotten that it is also disgrace. That
with all their civilization and Christianity,
nations commonly, and as a matter of course,
decide their disputes by brutal force, and per-
vert railroads, telegraphs, mechanical SKILL
and modern ingenuity to aid the destruction of
life, is simply disgrace to the intelligence of
the human race. Seriously considered, the
needle-gun and the monitor are more truly
marvels of mans stupidity than of his genius
gun that sends half a-dozen souls to the
otherworld in minute, and makes half-a-dozen
families miserable; torpedOes that blow stately
fleets into fragments; discipline that converts
a harmless mob of men into a terrible column
of invaders; bullets that explode in the body
these are inventions not one particle less
shameful to man than the poisoned arrow of the
Indian or the bloody war-club of the Fiji. In
the forms of civilization they conceal the
spirit of barbarism. When we fatter ourselves
that we are better than our fathers, that
England and France and the United States
stand on higher grade than Assyria or Per-
sia or Rome, proclamation of war makes
ronic comment on the boast. Cesar and
Alexander are repeated by Napoleon and Bis
mark. A year or two ago we were threat
ened with war with England about the Ala
ing one language and protesting one religion,
were about cutting each others throats in
quarrel about a few ships In what respect is
such a clumsy attempt to settle a dispute bet
ter than fight OF two savages for a string of
beads, or of two dogs for bonel Perhaps
the bone is of no use to the dog as the Ala
bama claims are comparatively unimportant to
us, and in both cases the fight is for the right.
That is very good-we honor the brave cur
who defends his wellgnawed bone, and in the
same degoee honor the nation which defends
its right; but, so long as we fight, we stand on
the same level with other fighting animals,
and, in modesty, should not affect too great a
superiority. Hamilton and Burr were to the
ants and beetles as angels are to monkeys,
yet, when they fought their duel at Hoboken,
they found no better way to settle their dis
pute than the ants and beetles have employed
from immemorial time.
But now, when one man fights another, it is
held in civilized countries an Offense against
society. The Courts are open to decide all
questions and the solitary case in which muir
der is lawful is that where it is committed in
self-defense against an outlaw. We can shoot
the burglar or the assassin without danger OF
the gallows, but two gentlemen who quarrel
in Wall street over gold speculation cannot
safely disturb the peaceful process OF stock
gambling by campaign on the curb-stone.
The Courts are open, we say. Have you been
cheated by your grocer, betrayed by your
tenant, ruined by your best friend, your
domestic peace destroyed, your wife run off
WITH your hat knocked over your eyes, your
pocket picked, your house robbed-in each
and every case the law will redress the wrong.
You must not fight it out with your enemy
and so far, at least we have made slight pro-
! gress from the utterly barbaric ages when
Cadis, Patriarchs, and judges of the Civil and
| Criminal Courts were unknown. We have
discovered that the wrong that may be done
| by arbitrament is less than the good that it
insures. Disinterested society decides the
! quarrel between man and man, and the general
moderation of humanity meliorates the just
or unjust indignation of individuals.
But for nations no such rule practically
exists. 1t is true that the common sense of
Governments frequently interposes to prevent
wars, striking instance Of which was the
effect Of the late London Conference when
Prussia and France, with swords half drawn,
were paciiced for time by the remonstrances
of the other great powers of Europe. So the
moderation of England and the United States
resulted in keeping the Alabama question from
| the rude decision Of the army and navy, and