The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1872-03-07
Vice President Colfnx on the COntro-
versy Between England md the
United States.

| versy Between England and the
United States.
At a meeting at the Brooklyn Academy
of Music on the evening of the 22d ult.,
in Honor of Washington s birthday, Hon
Schuyler Colfax was one of the speakers.
| He said
Mr.. PRESIDENT, LADIES AND GENTLE
MEN: If my heart were of stone, and
can assure you it is not, it would warm
with such a greeting as that with which
you welcome me to this stand tonight.
In the days of my boyhood | lived in this
city of Brooklyn, never dreaming that
should return to you to be thus honored.
[Appause. Mr.. Colfax then spoke of
four great holidays of the year; first of
which, he said, WAS the birthday Of him
who was called the Father of his coun-
try; second, the birthday Of the nation !;
third, the birthday of him who came to
give salvation to men; and fourth, the
birthday of the world itself. He then
gave sketch of the life and early training
of Washington and said the very hope
Of the nation depended upon the youth
of this age, and the training they receive.
With Washington, he said. he believed
war to be the curse Of all nations, and yet
the war this country had been involved
In, was one on which the blessing of God
could be asked. He continued: mo
war for the settlement of difficulties which
can be settled by craftsmanship can we
ask God to bless. or ought we to ask our
sons or brothers to 60 forth and shed
their hearts blood. l rejoice that this
nation has set the example to the other
great English speaking nations Of the
world in the settlement of irritating inter-
national questions by arbitration of the
leading men Of the civilized world, and
l will tell you how that treaty came to
be made. 1t was made because the
American people demanded that this
nation should stand forever upon the
rock of right itself: Appause.l After
our war was over, with the irritations
from the conduct of Great Britain during
conflict, we were liable at any moment
to drift into-even against the will of our
governors and rulers-another war. |
know when the civil conflict closed a
common remark made by public men was,
ave will let this be a standing dispute,
and when Great Britain becomes involved
in trouble with her own people Or with
foreign nation, we will put to her lips the
poisoned chalice she put to ours" But
the American people (''the plain-spoken
people," as Abraham Lincoln called
them) said to our leading men, 'NeverI'
we denounce this wrong. We denounce
it as wrong during the rebellion, and
even for retribution we shall not consent
that this wrong be done if in any other
honorable way it can be adjusted and then
set right. Applause. And that treaty
was made by which these open questions
were referred to international arbitration
"a blow for peace and against war, more
potential than all the peace societies that
ever assembled on either side of the At
lantic ocean. [Applause. give no
credit to what | hear by the cable under
the ocean as to the mother country"
(as we call her here) receding from the
solemn compact. [Applause. Oh, no!
oh, mol With this great step in advance
with the distinct understanding all over
the world that every question and differ
ence between these two nations are to be
submitted to arbitration at Geneva. to
the persons appointed by monarchs to
settle the question between the republic
and the monarchy-[ Applause II say
neither nation will dare, in the face of
the civilized world, to destroy that COM
pact, which is solemnly made before God
and man, and to leave those irritatious
open for further alteration in the future.
lApplause. mol mol IF we were not
to receive one dollar as a result of that
arbitration, | would stand before any
countrymen and say, settle this question,
whether We receive nothing or whether
our share becomes bankrupt, rather than
recede hair breadth from the great
moral position that these nations occupy
to-day in respect to other nations Of the
earth. [Applause. 1t says to the couu-
tries of Europe in trumpet tones, dis
band your armies of millions of men in
France, Germany, Austria and in Russia,
and copy our example, and submit your
disputes to impartial arbitration This
is the counsel | would give to you, to all
men it is warning to Europe and to
all countries, and thus was it held by him
who was first In war, first in peace, and
first in the hearts of his countrymen. f"
tCoLtinued applause.
A CASE OF CIVIL SERVICE REFORM
| A competitive examination under the