The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1870-10-22


Old as that continent is, the ques-
ton of boundaries still remains In
dispute while the ambitions Of
different states and the Iivalries
and disputes of different powers
keep the country in continual
ferment, and ceaselessly break out
into contest and battle Think
Of how many formidable wars
have swept over Europe during
the present century of how many
terrible battles have been fought
within that period And yet to-day
affairs remain almost as much
unsettled as they did at the close
Of the Bonaparte wars. A little
while ago we saw Great Britain and
France at war with Russia; a
little later France and Italy at
war with Austria; then recently
Prussia and Austria at bayonet
points; and now again the peace
of Europe is overthrown In the
clash between France and Prussia.
Is il not time the map Of Europe
should be equitably and perma-
nently defined? Is it not time that
the restless powers in that disturb
ed continent should he compelled to
live at peace with each other?
And. lastly, is il not fully time the
people should rise up and declare
there shall be no more wars?
Whenever the great public fully
determines that war must end
that it will no longer be food for
gunpowder-that it was created
for other ends than wholesale
slaughter-that it has a higher
mission than to act as blind and
insensible instrument in the quar-
rels Of troublesome sovereigns-
then war will end. There is no
ruler in Europe so despotic that
he can wsge war in direct oppo-
sition to the determined sentiment
Of his people.-Just so long as he
fiLds his subjects compliant; just
SO long as they can be tickled by
his fine phrases about patriotism,
believe in his promises of glory,
or be excited by imaginary insults
to their nationality-just so long
can a sovereign maintain state of
war. But whenever the people say
to their rulers: "Look you and
see there be no war. Find some
other way to settle your disputes
than with the bayonet. Do not at
tempt to carry out your schemes
by making US your victims. We
absolutely refuse hereafter to be
marshalled into armies, to be torn
from our homes, be ruined in bust
ness, TO kill or be killed, on any
shallow pretext whatsoever.
There is a way for nations TO adj
just their difflcultiess without seek
ing to destroy each other, and you
must find out that wayr When
ever they speak in this fashion,
war will have become a matter of
history. The subject rests wholly
with the people at large. War
will always be . passtime with
Kings so long as men can be found
willing to take part in the bloody
game. Of course, people will tell
US that our sentiments are very
well if all the world were honest.
but as there will always be some
ambitious and unprincipled rulers,
some designing kings, the rest OF
the world must either resort to
war to arrest the schemes Of these
Caesars, or fall victims to them.
This is the old pretext which has
kept huge standing armies in every
country in Europe for centuries,
and which has kept the world con-
stantly at swords points. The
nations that do not concern them
selves about the affairs Of other
nations, that are not in a continual
apprehension about the designs
Of other powers, that simply and
quietly attend to their own mat
tiers, are rarely troubled by ambi-
tious neighbors. It is not the
wickedness of somebody else, let
US emphatically say, but it's own
spirit Of warfare, that keeps a ma
ton in hot water.--The man who
does not aggress upon others is
rarely assaulted--and in the same
way the nation that is filed with
the spirit Of peace will inspire con-
fidence and trust, and not agrees
sion, in other nations. OF course,
just so long as war finds excuses,
and its necessity continued to be
asserted we shall hear Of battle
and slaughter, but if the people
and they are the power to awaken
twill disregard all this pre-
tence about the necessity of war,
and simply declare that in the flu
ture they will refuse to be slaugh-