Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1869-05-12
ttjalohman Sc Journal.
WEDNESDAY, MAY -, 1869.
WILL THERE BE wARi

] Tho rejection Of the late Soward-,Iohnson treaty
| with England, by an all but unanimous vote Of
/ the Senate, and the comments thereon in Eng
land, have occasioned some uneasiness in both
countries, aud spectators in the funds will per-
haps increase that uncasiness II they can. War
I has been talked about already tits newspaper
topic in New York and Canada, and we are glad
to add that the articles we have seen are both ad-
verse to war the New Yorker thinking It will
cost too much to pay for heating the pokcr--a
I thousand millions or 50 to each country and the
Canadian arguing sensibly that it is absurd for
| the British American Provinces 10 take the blows
provoked by John Bull, who is three thousand
miles away from the fields Of battle. The topic is
not more interesting IN the merchants Of New
/ York, OF to the Canadians who would be the first
to feel the iron heel Of war, than it is TO Vermont.
/ As border State, it would be at once involved in
| the consequences Of war and its people have
probably more at stake in the national funds than
those Of any other State, in proportion to popula
ton and wealth The question whether there
will be war is therefore very interesting and
important one for Vermont, and we propose 10
make few suggestions upon it.
Ii must he conceded that many controversies,
of far less consequence than the existing one be-
tween the United states and England have re-
suited IN war ana therefore II may also be CON
cedel tmt u, Tor any reasoh' e'ther oi the TWO
countries is ready for war, the other must yield
H. the demands made upon it, or war will ensue,
this controversy being the protest. Is either
country theni ready or anxious Tor Warf very
confidently we say-No certainly our own
country mas good grouhd ior DISSATISFACTION nay
MORE according 70 the manner OF uhchrlstlnh
men, ior resentment Inc nah'Shmeht OF our
commerce nom the ocean, except US II was carried
on under iore'gn nags' was terrible thing Tor
TINS country nut more provoking thah even That
IS the conviction OF our people that the deliberate
intent ana purpose oil tue ruling power III Eng
land was to destroy tins nation and weaken Re
publican Government IN the world, by dividing
North America IKE large part OF the Southern
dlVlsion OF the continent INTO small anu quarrel
some hepnollcS. ms Is all true ana still II Is
just as true 'hat inc oh'tee states Government
is NOT ready Tor war WIN England, or with any
other oi Tue great hauohs OF the erth' we nave
skii'ul anu Grave men ior the ocean or tine held
no hat'oh nore VI pe''er we nave 'he materials
'or war III aouhunhee ana we nave also great
temptations III inc vast commercial Meets OF Eng
lanu' ana also IN Tue ADJOINING territory belonging
70 England whch can easily he made our own
out we lhcK the o''ei sihew oil Wnr-money' we
could carry on necessary ana unavoidable war,
ike the last, because every loyal man was willing
10 give All MS rendy money ana mortgage all the
rest OF his property hut war with England
now would he neither necessary nor unavoidable.
and the first mortgage remains unpaid. We can
not raise money ON second mortgage without
submitting TO sacrifces-or say shares-that, add
ed 10 the cost OF II war, would bea thousand times
more thnn we could to-day ask England to pay
for the damage she has done. In this view of the
matter, we have no doubt that the Administra-
ton is not ready or willing TO push the contro-
versy to extremes. fever war shall come from
this question: noD is not the time for this Gov
eminent. We think every body may count safely
on that.
But is England ready for war with the United
States? Saving Nothing of dnnoer at bome Crom
rebellion in Ireland. or of danger near home for
instance from Frnnee. or Russia mr. hath lot NO
remember that ENGLAND ALWAYS did and al,,o,,s
must 10 into AN American war with tine vost dc.
ADVANTAGE that she must tr,nsnort troons aud
supplies across the Atlantic She could NOT Ear
that reason hold us when we were but three mil
lions of people. and with much les. hone can she
contend with us now. But il NAV he said the
war will be mainly upon the ocean. I, must he
unon the land "a we'll mr. ENGLAND must ,.ld al
\ 6ar American possessions at the start 3, here "A
the second great disadvantage for England IL
| undoubtedly would be upon land and sea. but let
her fight rs yaliently as she may ON the ocean,
she will there find blows to take as well as to
give and whether she holds her own or not ON
the sea, she is 10 lose her territories from the
Atlantic 10 the Pacific We say sure because she
neither can send armies large enough to protect
them, nor recapture them from us 10y her navy.
And now rs to her prospects on the sea her COM
merce is far larger than ours, and though she
might ruin ours, yet with our own ships and the
and that would come from other countries, on the
example 'hich England set IN our case, her COM
merce would also be ruined, and hers be the
greater loss we THINK therefore that England
| Is not now ready or anxious Tor war with US, and
never Will be, unless she can come as an ally with
some other nation, or once more with an internal
zoe her hst policy was to inJure US without
exposing herself, and we do not believe she is yet
i III tHe luOOu 10 lght us IN any other way.
Finally, our best ground of belief in peace is
'hat neither nation desires or expects war ON this
question because 1t rs as yet quite as unnecessary
as 1t Is inexpcdient. Both Governments know
war may grow out OF this controversy il all other
means OF settlement fail, and therefore prudence
ana craftsmanship demand further attempts at
agreement 1t seems to us that the late treaty
was gain to us, as England conceded more than
she had ever conceded before and we are dspos-
cd 10 'hink that the rejection OF that treaty will
prove 70 DC real advance towards an AMIGA
olo settlement England ut least has better
learned the opinion and sentiments of this coun-
try, through the vote OF both political parties in