The Portland daily press., 1870-10-12
A Fine Opportunity of n Revival of The
Peace Agitatfon.

Peace Agitation.
Whether the American peace societies were
all swept away by the great whirlwind of pa
riotc feeling that preceded and accompanied
the late civil war we do not know. 1t is Ger;
tain, however, that it they still exist Their
work is carried on mora quietly than 1t for
merry was. Elihu Burnett is engaged in nice
pathological and literary studies rather than in
propagating these pacific ideas with which his
name was in times past identified. The only
peace agitation of Importance enough to at
tract the slightest attention is that due to
certain fiery European radicals who are so
enamored peace that, paradoxical as it may
seem, they are ready to fight for it, and do
tight for it, whenever occasion offers. In fact,
only two years ago several of these gentlemen
went directly from a "Peace Congress" in
which they were the most prominent figures.
to battlefield, where they attacked a despot-
ism with carnal weapons, and were thor
oughly beaten.
1t was useless to talk of peace in this coun-
try nine years ago, because the holding of
slaves constituted in itself state of war
which was not to be at all ameliorated by
ignoring the fact and pretending that it was
state of peace. 1t is Of no use to talk of peace
to European democrat who is prompted by
love OF humanity to take army against kings,
because royalty of itself constitutes a state of
war. The American who shouldered a mus
ket in 1861, or the German who engaged in
the republican movement Of 1848, may be re
garded as consistent friend OF peace, not
withstandlng the military garb. Such men
only shed blood that there may be no blood.
shed-tbey make war that there may be no
war. They only destroy the monsters-slav-
cry and kings-thatsmake war possible.
But just now there is an opportunity for an
agitation of the peace reform in the strict
sense OF the word. The world now beholds
for the fifth time within a period of sixteen
years this shameful spectacle: the peasantry
of Europe who have done each other no harm,
who have no quarrel, whose interests are abb
solutely identical, are made to cover the
earth with each others bodies and to fill the
air with the lamentations of each others Wild
ows and orphans. 1t was so in the Crimea
Austria in 1859, though here there was
strong popular feeling infused into the strug-
gle by the Italians who desired the union of
the fragments of their country; N the brief,
not very bloody, but atrocious and inexplica-
BILE Schleswig- Holstein war of 1864; in the
war between Prussia and Austria in 1866, and
lastly in the massacre now in progress on
French territory. 1t is literally true that fit
OF indigestion on the part of any of the prin-
clpal royal personages of Europe is quite like
~ to cost few hundred thousand of the pop.
ulace their lives. The monarch who ia of
tended or bored no longer yells "Off with his
mead" but he begins to pirate of "she balance
Of power" and puts his. army in motion.
The next peace movement ir this conntrv
it seems to US, must take the form Of active
democratic propogandism and more decided
cooperation with European Liberals tbor
there has been hitherto. Perhaps the time
will come when America will be strong
enough to engage in company with republic
cans over seas in a grand armed "peace
against royalty, and even now
our natural allies can receive at least our
moral support, advice and encouragement,
Republics may fight each other, but kingdoms
must. With the people controlling the differ
ent European governments in their own in
terests the chances of war between them be.
come certainly not greater than the chances
OF war between our States, and these chances
are sure to become rapidly less with increas-
ing facilities for intercommuuication and COM
,;on 81 ana .ha with the ever increasing percep
t; Th y. Tue great truth which the absoutis1n
sn.,cbss .nu repuolic reveals, that whoever
being. ~ n'' o"h we'll