The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-09-28
I'll u G o
His Letter TO the Peace Congress of EurOI
Lausanne.


mt Lausanne.
The honorary Presidency of the Peace Congress,
which assembled at Lausanne on the 14th instant,
having been conferred on Victor Hugo, he sent the
following letter.
Fellow-citizens of the United States of Europe:-
Permit me to give you this name, for the European
Federal Republic is founded in rights, and in the
meantime is founded in fact. You exist therefore
she exists v % pTe are II the by SuT union which On ont 45
grand future. You confer on me the honorary Pre-
sidency of your Congress, and | am profoundly
than an assembly of intellects; it is
sort of compilation committee Of the future
table OF the land. An elite exists only because there
is multitude. You are this elite From the pre-
sent you signify by law that war is wrong that muir
der even glorious, bombastic and royal, is infamy;
that human blood is precious that life is sacred.
That last war will be necessary, am assuredy
not of those who say otherwise What will that war
be? war OF conquest What conquest is to be
made? Liberty The first want OF man-his chief
right; his irst duty-is liberty Civilization tends
nvincibly to unity of language, OF money, Of mea-
sures and the fusion of nations in humanity, which
Is the supreme unity. Concord has a synonym
-simpliication OF wealth and life have
synonym-circulation The first OF the servitudes
is the frontier. Who says frontier says igature Cut
the gature, eace the frontier, remove the customs
officer, remove the soldier, in other words be free
peace follows Thencetorth there Will be profound
peace peace made once for all inyiolable peace :
the normal state of labor, Of exchange, of supply
and demand, of production and of consumption, OF
vast effort in common, OF the attraction OF the indus
tries OF the go and come OF ideas OF the human nuX
and refuX
Who has an interest in frontiers? The kings di-
vide to govern. A frontier indicates sentry-boX: a
sentry-bOX implies a soldier mo enc can pass" is
the password OF all privileges, prohibitions judg-
ments, and tyrannirs From this frontler-frOm this
sentry-box-lrom this soldier, all human calamity
proceeds The king being the exception requires the
soldier to defend hun the soldier IN his turn must
murder in order 10 live. Kings must have
armies; armies have war. Otherwise
their rGiSOn detTe Vani5hes. A strange thing
that man should consent to Kill man without know
ing why. The art Of the despots is to divide the
people and the army. One half Oppresses the other
Wars have all kinds of preteXts, but they have never
put one cause.-the army. Do away with the army
ana you DO away with war. But how suppress the
arnyY BY the suppression OF despotlsms. How all
supports itself Abolish the parasites In their
different forms-ciyil lists, paid iders salarled
clergy, pensloned magistrates, arlstOcratic sine
cures, gratultes TO public edihces standing armies
Make TINS sweep and yOu endow Enrope with
S2,OOOOOO,0OO per annum. Here, by stroke of the
pL pen is 5 tle proDiem OF misery smplined. The
thrones 90 not wish this slmpilcaton. They prefer
forests OF bayones. The kings only understand one
pOlnt-perpetuate war. IL Is believed that they are
quArenng, but not entirely They are assisting
each Other. The soldier must, repeat have his
reason Tor existence. Perpetuate the army. ner
kings exhaust their patient the people, by boodshed
There IL savage fraternity OF swords from which
results tne enslaYement OF man. Therefore,
10 proceed 10 your object, which have called some
where te transcription OF the soldier in the citizen
The DAY Wnen this repossesson viii take place--the
day when the people will not have outside them the
man OF war, tnat inimcal brother they will again
ma themselves united, loving, doubled in mower
and in soul, and Civilization will name herself Har
mony ana LaDOr, aud peace will make Itself as light
lbertyl Raise, therefore, the cry: Deliyerance
which contains the solution OF ALL Citizens and
brothers, / send you my warmest thanks and my
cordial adhesion. VICTOR HUGO