The Portland daily press., 1869-02-18
The Obstacles TO Free Insttations I'm Eu


The Obstacles to Free Insnta,ions I'm Eu-
rope.
Those who have watched critically the pro-
gress of the revolution in Spain will be pre-
pared to appreciate some Of the difficulties to
bs encountered in trying to establish and per-
petuate free institutions upon the continent of
Europe. The Romishclergy are the enemies
OF any change that iy educating tends to
emancipate the people from their CONTROL
The ecclesiastical aristocracy, bigoted to the
last degree, clines with adesperate tenacity to
tha sway it has acquired ever the minds Of an
Ignorant populace. It sees that its privileges
will vanish away and its artificial Importance
dwindle, SO soon as the people cease 10 be de-
degraded by slavish superstitions. Nothing
can be more fetal to its pretensions than the
adoption of a system which by raising man to
Ia dignity and responsibility of self-govern-
,nene' pl.---s him on the highway of progress.
The contest OF cNs.-ation with such forces as
these, could rot however, lo-e. remain doubt.
ful. Tb> powers Of darkness would nItimate.
) iy he to yield.
ILsre is another obstacle more permanent
and imbedled, as it were in the very structure
of European society. That obstacle is stand.
Ing armies. They are necessity while the
equilibrium of affAirs in Europe depends upon
that Machiavelian contrivance known as the
"oa'ance of power" In order to preserve this
balance" no one State must be allowed to
gain any very decided preponderance lest it
become dangerous to its neighbors. Each ma
tion tries to strengthen itself and to weaken
all its probable adversaries. Jealous rivals
are at best but selfish friends, they must be ev-
er ready with the sword not merely to resist
actual invasion but to check the first symp-
toms of an aggressive spirit on the part OF any
potentate before it becomes sufficiently deve-
oped to become dangerous. 1t was this which
in 1854 brought England and France to the
rescue of the Sultan and led them to expend
SO much blood and treasure on the Crimea in
checking the ambitious projects of the Czars
No European State can be safe, much less
powerful without its standing army. The on
ly way to avoid war is to be prepared for war.
These large armaments are antagonistic to
the spirit of free institutions The habit of
unquessoning obedience, so Necessary to mil
itary discipline, is fatal to that individual in
dependence of thought and action without
which republic can exist only in name. The
highest type of civic manhood is not developed
In such a school. The same habit of subservi-
ency makes standing armies the natural allies
and generally the willing tools of despotism.-
Power so fitted for such purpose rarely waits
long for mind to direct it. If there is no
despot at the head Of the State, the army gen.
orally produces some Napoleon who places
himself there. Such has been the history of
nearly all the republics that have been at
tempted in Continental Europe A state
which depends upon a standing army for pro-
lection must accept safety on such terms as
the army may prescribe. When it comes to
this, there can be no freedom of choice and no
genuine republic. Prussia, the freest country
of continental Europe, lacks many things
which we are accustomed to consider the most
precious rights of citizenship. The recent ar
bitrary proceedings in the case Of German
Professor imprisoned for some trivial remark
show that Prussan and American liberty are
two different things. The army there consti-
tutes sort of privileged aristocracy which
may inflict but will never suffer an affront.-
Those who would establish republic in Eu.
rope must face this dilemma. If the republic
has no army it cannot protect itself against
Its neighbors. II it has an army, it cannot
protect itself against its own soldiers.
Not the least among the evils of these large
ornaments is their great expense. They eat
up the substance of the people,
repress industrial development. and keep
nations oppressed with debt if not by arbitra-
Ty power.
The only remedy for these will be the adop-
tion of lottier code of international jurispru-
dence which shall dispense with SO frequent
resort to force by making the conduct of ma
tions subject to the same principles of equity
which regulate the relations of individuals
A century past has witnessed great advances
10 this respect, and the next century will prob
ably witness still greater progress. When
such code is established and enforced by the
sanctions of such controlling public opinion
as no nation will dare to defy, we may look
Tor the dawn of new era in European affairs. |
So long as the peace of Europe is at the mer-
cy OF reckless, unprincipled, and ambitious |
potentates, war is liable to break out at any |
moment. As in the progress of events the
voice OF the people becomes more and more |
potent, something more reliable may be SUBJ |
sututed for that rickety machine, "the balance |
OF power" Wars will diminish in freouen. |
ey when those who furnish the "sinews of |
war" and fight the battles gain more influence
In determining the question of peace or war. |
Not until this time comes will a general disar.
mament remove that which more than apv.
thing else must menace the aety of any re-
public that may be established upon the con-
tinent of Europe.