The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-04-20
THE PRESS.
Wednesday Morning, April 20, 1870.


Hitherto nations have settled their disputes
as they arose either by negotiation or war.
Nations are now in the same situation as in
dividuals were before the establishment of
civil society. Then there was no tribunal to
settle the disputes between individuals as there
Is now none to settle the disputes between ma
tions. So far as concerns individuals the state
of barbarism in which every man was the av-
enger ofhis own wrongs, the weak oeihS conse-
quently unavenged, is in great degree past. 1t
is seldom that individuals take the law into
their own hands except when society fails to
give them complete protection as is usually the
case when domestic rights are invaded or sud-
den violence attempted. But that which has
come to be the exception with individuals is
still the rule between nations Each nation
is in general the sole guardian of its own
rights and if attacked or injured can rarely
count upon more than the moral support of
the great family of nations. In spite of our
boosted civilization we are living in an epoch
OF international barbarism. War is not al
ways wicked but it is always barbarous, and
we cannot say with truth that we have who'll
ly emerged from barbarism till some method
is devised by which justice may be done be-
tween nations without disturbing the peace.
A state of international order will not be
attained till more imposing sanctions are at
tached to the law of nations, and until as in
the case of individuals tribunal is establish
ed which shall command general confidence
in the rectitude of its decisions and be armed
with sufficient authority and power to en-
justice done under sucn sysrem, II II De
practicable, would make it vastly preferable
to the war system, aid commend it to gener-
al acceptance except by those nations which
aim to aggrandize themselves by policy
of wholesale aggression The experience of
the United States suggests much as to the
possibility of extending the federatve system
to The world. Events are not yet ripe for so
grand and comprehensive an organization, but
sin the fullness of time" when commerce and
the contact of EAST moral forces have brought
men to unity upon a higher level it will be at
tainable, and it is not mere presumption to
prophecy that it will be attained. Any one who
carefully studies the gradual progress of the
American colonies to national unity will not
despair ofthe vaster unity OF mankind. Our pc.
litical system has moulded into one all the di-
verse nationalities which participated in the
colonization OF our territory. Whether French
Dutch, Span ards, or English they have be-
come or are becon ing thoroughly American
lied, and the process of assimilation is ex-
70 70 he nd I
nation who are now tributary to our national
growth.
The war system is enormously expensive.
In 1858 Europe with a population of 299,
100000 bad 3S15, PIT men under arms or one
to every II of the population, at an annual
cost of S16SS7 per man or 1914 ,2S3, 1888 in all.
The total Indebtedness of all these nations is
gwen by Amasa Walker at $10,OOO,OOO,OOO
In the wars in the early part OF the present
century, $13,O00,00O000, or a sum nearly
equal to the whole national wealth of the
United States in 1860, was spent in twenty
two years. Tie armed peace of Europe at
the present time is but little less costly than
war. Out of total expenditure between
1884 and 1861 of e1,125 ,6S9, 00O England paid
e966,303,0O0 or more than eighty-five per
cent. either for keeping up the military estab
lishment or for interes. on the debt created
by former wars. With these vast sums right
ly directed the ignorant might have been ed
ucated, the vicious reclaimed, renumerative
employment provided for the idle, and multi
tudes saved from restitution, dependence, and
crime. In short new lie might have been
breathed into society.
One of the great problems of future states
manship will be found the Confederation of
the world. 1t is task compared with which
the formation of the American Union was an
ordinary achievement. But time will devel-
Op the means and the men. Proud will be
laurels of those who participate in organizing
the reign of universal peace.