The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-09-19
Old Way and the New.

Olu w dy anu tHC NCWs
We do not see how anyone who is capable
Of being profoundly impressed by events in
volving results calculated to facilitate greatly
the amelioration of the common lot of the
human race, can reflect ON the successful is
sue of the Geneva arbitration, without an in
voluntary tendency to cry out, in all reyer-
ence and thankfulness, Glory to God!
While the three great Emperors were sit
ting down together at Berlin, perhaps form
ing new "Holy Alliance for the perpetual
ton Of despotism, perhaps arranging for con-
cert OF action in the employment of the foe
millions Of men who are kept from the pur-
suits of fruitful industry to load down their
hapless countrymen with the immense cost
oftheir maintenance, in order that they may
be in readiness to support the personal
quarrels or caprices of their respective
sovereigns, five gentlemen were quietly
and peacefully, without the loss of life or
the ruin of city, the sinking of ship or the
manning of a human being, the firing of
gun or the charge of a squadron, reconcilng
two great peoples who had seriously quar-
relied! 1t is strange that the world has gone
on so many centuries without attempting to
avoid war by the creation of some tribunal
clothed with power to determine the princi-
pies OF international law applicable to any dis
pute between two nations, and to decide be-
tween them in accordance Herewith. The
arbitrators at Geneva have taken the first
step toward realizing what has long been a
dream of philanthropists, though their tribu-
nal wants that permanence and that general
jurisdiction which belong to the ideal Am
phictyuric council. A beginning has been
made. 1t is impossible. that deep impress
sion should not be made on the civilized
world by this new and agreeable spectacle of
peoples adjusting their own affairs without
the Intervention of the armies of their rulers.
Arbitration is emphatically the remedy of
democratic States as war is the remedy of
monarchies. Accordingly, while the people
and the Liberals of Continental Europe will
naturally view the reference of disputes with
great .avor, the late Berlin confsrees may be
expected to scowl at it from under their
black brows. The standing army is an in
tegral part of their system. Without it, they
themselves could not be. Without it, they
would not be safe from their own subjects.
with so much democratic agitation going on
all around them. And with arbitration once
well established as the means of obtaining
justice there is no longer an excuse for an
army-or for King.
The qualification arising from the result of
the conference is altogether irrespective of the
amount of the award. On the one hand it is
much smaller than most Americans would
think it ought to be in order to constitute any
thing like full indemnity for the wrongs we
suffered from Great Britain; on the other,
most Englishmen regard the wrongs COM
and any pecuniary recompense for them as
unjustly demanded. But both parties will
heartily acQuiesce in the decision, and peace
is the valuable result of the conference If
either party should experience a moments re
greet, the smallest amount of reflection will
show its unreasonableness. Suppose the old
method had been used for settling the dis
pute-would the result have been more salts
factory? In all human probability the war
would have lasted not less than three years..
AT its close, even if it were much less de-
structive than wars commonly are, each coun-
try would have lost half million of citizens,
cut off in the flower of their age. As many
more would be hopelessly disabled. Widows, \
orphans and parents bereaved of their CHI 4
dren would fill the lands. And, to say moth \
ing OF the incalculable destruction of property
and the loss from the interruption of indus
try, each country would have about doubled
its national debt. And who can measure or
estimate the moral deterioration and the
check to progress involved in such wal?
Finally, to place the inutility of war as a
method ofobtaining redress in the strongest
light, it should be added that in ninetv-nine
cases out of a hundred both nations fail in a
great measure to obtain by war that result
for the sake ofwhich they drew the sword
And if it were not for the selfshness and in
humanity of the sovereigns and the aristoc-
racy OF European countries arbitration would
be universally adopted in its stead,