Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-08-02
Universal Peace

ministers 10 preach ABOUT IL III Is pleasant
to permit Imagination to picture it but as
for really expecting it as fact, none but
visionary enthusiasts do that - Such is the
average sentiment of the community on this
subject
No one denies that il is desirable that wars
between nations should cease All esti-
mate with some degree Of correctness their
uselessness as awarders OF justice, then
enormous waste Of life and property, their
appalling horrors but there have been
wars from time immemorial the pre- sent
century seems hardly less stained by them
than past centuries have been even the
religion of the Prince Of Peace appears not
to prevent peoples nominally under its sway
from supporting their opinions and their
claims npon swOrd-points and bayonets .
while periods of nquility themselves
are often little better than times Of preplr-
ing for war
Hence men are generally skcptical a. to
the coming in any future near enough t.
present events to the mind with distinctness,
of a day when amicable substitutes shall
take the place Of death dealing processes
now depended on for the settlement Of IN
ternational disputes.
Such an event as the recent ratification Of
the Treaty of Washington ought to sweep
away portion Of this skepticsm. Certain
Iy we may find in the successful issue of the
labors of the Joint High Commission great
reason to believe that there is after all, some
sense at the basis of the opportunities of the
Peace Reformcrs, and that their efforts to
dcthrone Mars, and exalt to his too long
maintained position their own favorite god
dcss, will not be eventually, what they have
appeared to many, futile, but completely sue
cessfuI.
Not a few destructive wars have arisen from
OCCASIONS less suggestive of conflict than were
the circumstances which marked the relations
existing between the two cou ntries at the
time this commission met
Twice already had these nations taken W.
arms against each other. and there natural
ly fingered in the minds of very many per
sons, both in EngIind and in the United
States, lurking animosity and willingness o
be provoked.
Even the children in one Of the countries
at least, (for we certainly speak of our
own intelIigcntly, however ignorant We may
be Of those on the other side) grew up
cherishing prejudices and underlined hostili-
ty against the other land. Events had trans
: pired during our late struggle for self pres
CREATION which had vexed by disappointment
the one party, and had exasperated the other
in various ways, They were annoyed by
our unexpected success in maintaining our
national strength We felt that we had
been most seriously and malciously injured,
and that advantage had been meanIy taken
of our internal dissensions ard peril In
spite of the noble and sympathic endurance
of the patient operatives in Lancashire, We
felt compelled to believe that many Of our
grievances had sprung from the jealous viii |
Iiugness of large numbers in place and pow
er in England to mark our national down |
fall We were irritated by the remembrance |
Of our humiliation il the Trent affair.
Some among US were confident that the sec
tional alterations which embittcred tue re-
lations between different parts Of our own
country would be most speedily swept away
in the tide Of common blood which would !
flow in a foreign war &c The Satanic press -
had for months and years done its utmost to
bring on such a conflict \ martial spirit
and eagerness for adventure had been excit-
ed among our young men by five years Of
war.-Thus there was much to indicate that,
war once resolved upon, it would be prose-
cuted with enthusiasm by the people
Then, too, one earnest attempt to effect a
peaceful settlement Of the matters in dis
pute had been made and it had completely
failed, and with its failure had come new
Encouragement in regard to the possibility
Of success in the future Even the honored
Massachusetts Senator who had publicly
given a most powerful argument for peace
between nations had uttered in his place in
Congress sentiments which could only seem
like the demand Of one who was determined
to ask what could not be granted, and so
bent on bringing on war.
The party on the other side. moreover.
was one little used to apologising or to sub
hitting to the dictation Of others and was
rufled in spirit by words Of Mr.. Sumner
which it could only receive as mcnaces.
Of both peoples, the Christian principle in
both, and the increasing adherence of war in
both, promised a bloody abitrament.
And yet, in spite of all these untoward
circumstances, commissioners from both
countries, sitting down together in the spirit
of mutual good will, not unwilling to con-
cede, but at the same time resolved to pro
tect the interests of their respective govern
ments have effected settlement in which
both the governments agree, al which both
Eaglishmen and our own cOuntrymen gener-
ally rejoice and the settlement covers not
merely one grievance -England's conduct in
the matter Of the Alabama-but all the com
plications Of a case involving several distinct
points of difference.
1t is one Of the grandcst triumphs oil
Christianity, and one of the most hopeful
auguries for the future of the world, that
this century has seen. To the eye Of the
moralist the marvellous and unexampled sue
cession of German victories which preceded
this treaty only a few months, pale before it
as the stars before the rising sun.
If, now, under such circumstances, neeo-
tiation can forestall and forbid war, why NAV
marked integrity and ability, sitting AMIGA
bly, about a table, and calmly celebrating
together, can unite upon generally accept
able scheme for adjusting all difficulties pend
ing between England and the United States
notC, why may not similar board be equally
\ A =.