The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1870-09-16
ADDRESS FROM TzB COMMITTEES OF
THE LONDON An PEACE
SOCIETIES TO TIE FRIENDS OF
PEACE.


DEAR FRIENDS That which we have
long feared has cor upon the nations.
The system of armf1 peace which the
governments of Enfppe have insisted
on maintaining, be- issued, as such
system could not fssk sooner or later, to
do, in open war between the two pow
ers which had mos distinguished them
selves by the exc<7s of their warlike
preparations. The conflict which has
now commenced VI, beyond a doubt,
prove to be one OF 4he most awful in
the history of the World. 1t will in
volve an incalculabie destruction of hu-
man life and propettg will I'LL myriads
of hitherto happy ZONES with horror
and anguish; will defange those benefi-
cent ties of commeEte by which man
kind are bound to sch other; will ar
rest the progress OF liberty and civili-
zation; will envenon mems spirits by
evil passions, and vii make the very
name of Christians the religion of
mercy and brotherly iove--for the time
a mockery in the earth.
But while oyerwhelmed with sorrow
at this terrible event we at least can
look upon it with consclence free from
remorse. For man years we have not
ceased, to the extremist our abilities and
opportunities, in oar endeavors to inn
press upon goTa1z.ln epks ard peoples
the duty of using the lucid Intervals of
peace in adopting means which, would
give some guarantee to the nations
against so dire a calamity as that which
has now overtaken them. Far from
having proclaimed, as we are sometimes
mistakenly accused of doing, an ap-
preaching millennium of universal peace,
our voice, on the contrary, has been one
of constant depreciation and warning,
on the ground that there was no securl-
ty for peace while Europe was lnces-
sanity preparing for war, and while the
nations were content to leave the con-
tinuance of peace at the mercy OF the
excited passions and hazardous accl-
dents of the moment. Therefore 1t is
that we have been strenuously contend
ing, first. for a mutual and simultaneous
reduction of those enormous ornaments,
which, kept up professedly in the inter-
ests of peace are the most dangerous
incentives to war; and, secondly, for
the establishment of a Court of Arbl-
tration, or some form of international
Jurisdiction, by which the differences OF
nations could be referred to the decision
of reason and justice, instead of preJu-
dice and passion. If there be any who
doubt the efficacy of these means, Will
they suggest some means more enlca-
cious, or are we to abandon mankind IN
despair to the eternal rule of barbarlsm
and brute force?
What now. dear readers, remains for
us to do? Unhappily, in those coun-
tries, which are the actual seat of war,
the voice of justice, reason, and religion
is stified, for that is the only condition
on which war can be prosecuted. Our
excellent fellow-laborers in the cause of
peace on the Continent have not been
wanting TO their principles and conv1c-
tons at this awful crisis. Consistently
and courageously, even on the very are
ma of warlike agitation, have they, IN
every way that was open to them, utter
ed bold and eloquent protests against
the war. But while it may be difficult
for them to persevere in that course
for war is the most oppressive of tyrants
zoe must continue to denounce this
great crime against humanity, and, un-
dazzled by the glare of victory which
may attend one side or the other, turn
upon it steadily the light of sober rea-
son and Christian morality. We must
guard ourselves and use whatever in
fluence we possess in guarding others,
against the contagion of the war spirit
which is apt to spread even to those who
are only spectators to the conflict. We
must do all that lies in our power to
prevent the area of the war being en-
Iarged, and especially we must strenu-
ously resist all attempts to involve our
own country in this dreadful imbrogllo.
We must watch every opening for the
restoration of peace, so as to encourage
our own and other neutral governments,
to offer their mediation at the earliest
possible opportunity with a view to
bring the war to an end. And above
all, we must stand prepared, whenever
this deplorable conflict is closed, to in
woke the public opinion of all Christen-
| dom in favor of such measures being
taken as will for the future place the
peace of the world beyond the reach of
| the personal ambition of individuals, or
the capricious impulses of popular pas
| sion. And may we not hope that the
horror and indignation which this war
cannot fail to inspire, will convince all
men of the supreme folly and wicked
ness of referring the disputes of nations
| to the blind and brutal arbitrament OF
the sword-will awaken so stern de-
mand among the millions of the OPP
pressed populations of Europe as can no
/ longer be resisted, for those measures
of disarmament and arbitration for
which we have been so long contend1ng,
and which seem the only means of es-
cape from the vicious circle in which
the nations have been so long revolving
JOSEPH PEAsE, Presto Fps
HENRY RICHARD, Sc'y.S
HOWARD MALCOLM, Pres't,} APPS
/ AMAsA LORD, Sec'ty.
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