The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-02-09
THE ART OF HAIRSPLITlING.
PARADOXES FROM THE PAST.
How Treaties Of Peace Become Proclamations of
War-Courtship and Negotiation - Mar
riage and Hostilities-No Terms tho
Best Terms Between Nations.

From KnickerDockers History OF New York.
Book 6, chapter
1t was the opinion OF that poetical philosopher
Lucretius that war was the original state Of man,
whom he described as being primitively a savage
beast OF prey, engaged in constant state OF hos.
Utility with his own Species and that this fer0cious
spirit was tanned and amelorated by society. The
same opinion has been advocated by Hobbies, nor
have there been wanting many other philosophers
to admit ana defend.
For my part. though prodigiously fond OF these
valuable speculatiOns, 50 complimentary to human
nature, yet In this instance ! am inclined TO take
the proposition by halves, believing with Horace,
that though war may nave been originally the favor
I've amusement and industrious employment OF our
progenitors, yet like many other excellent habits
80 far from being amelorated 1t has been cultivated
and confirmed by refinement and civilization and
increases In exact proportion as we approach to-
wards that state OF perfection which Is the ne plus
ultra OF modern philosophy.
The first conflict between man and man was the
mere exertion OF physical force unaided by
auxiliary weapons HIS arm was his buckler, his
fist was his mace and broken head the catastro-
phe OF his encounters. The battle OF unasslsted
strength was succeeded by the more rugged one of
stones and clubs, and war assumed a sanguinary
aspect AS man advanced IN refinement, as his
faculties expanded, and his sensibiities became
more exquisite, he grew rapidly more ingenious and
experienced In the art OF numbering his fellow
beings. He invented o thousand devices 10 defend
and assault-tne helmet the cuirass and the buck
Ter, the sword, the dart and the javelin, pre-
pared him to elude the wound as well
as to launch the blow. Still urging on
in the career OF pbilanthropic inventions,
he enlarges ana neightens his power OF defence and
injury The Aries, the Scorpio the Ballsta and the
Catapulta give horror and sublimity to wal, and
magnify Its glory by increasing Its desOlauon. Still
though armed with machinery that
seemed TO reach the limits of destructive invention
and to weld a power OF injury commensurate even
with the desires Of revenge-stil deeper researches
must be made in the diaDOcal arcana With furious
mid poisonous minerals and deadly saits-the
sublime discovery OF gunpowder bazes upon the
world-and finally the dreadful art Of fighting by
with hbqlity and 6mnlpotence.
This, indeed, is grand This indeed, marks the |
powers Of mind and bespeaKs that divine endOw.
ment OF reason which distinguishes from the
animals, our interiors. The unenightened brutes
Providence has assigned them The angry pun
butts with his horns as ala his prOgentors before
hlm-!ne lion, the leopard and the tiger seek only
sanguinary fury; and even the subtle serpent darts
the same venom and uses the same wes as did his
sire before the Flood. Man alone, best with the III.
ventlve mind, goes on from discovery to discovery
enlarges and mutiplies his powers of destruction
u
and tasks creation TO assist HIM in numbering his
brother worm
In proportion as the art Of war has Increased In
Improvement has the art Of preserving peace ad
vanced In equal ratio; and as We have discovered,
IL tins age Of wonders ana inventions, that proca-
nation Is the most formidable engine in war, SO
have we discovered the no less ingenious mode OF
maintaining peace by perpetual negotiations.
treaty, or, TO speak more correctly, neg0ta-
ton, therefore, according 10 the acceptatlon OF ex-
perenced statesmen learned IN these matters. Is no
longer an attempt TO accommodate differences to
n.
change OF kind offices, but a contest OF
eRe Two me ao oeer wc saa over
endeavor TO obtain by peaceful manGuvre
and the chicanery OF Cabinets those advantages
which nation would otherwise have wrested by
force OF arms IN the same manner as cOnsci.
enIious highwayman reforms and becomes quiet
with cheating MS nelghDor or that property he
would formerly nave seized with open violence.
said to he in state Of perfect amy is When ma me-
when there are no stlpulatlOns entered into, no
bonds to restrain the Will, no specific limits to |
awaken the captlous jealousy Of right implanted in
our nature; when eacn party has some advantage |
to hope and expect from the other then 1t that the
two nations are wonderfully gracious and friendly;
their Ministers processing the highest mutual |
speeches and nduleing in all those little diplomatic
rLations. cOquerles and fondIings that do SO mar
vcllously tickle the good humor OF the respective
nations. Thus 1t may paradOxically he said thar |
there never so good an understanding between two
nations as when there Is little misunderstanding,
are on the best terms IN the world
do not by any means pretend TO claim the merit |
fact, long been secretly acted upon by certain en-.
lghtened Cabinets, and is, together with divers |
other notable theories, privately copied out OF
the commonplace book OF an iliusrIou5 gentleman |
who has been member OF Congress and |
enjoyed the unlimited confidence OF heads |
OF departments. To TINS principle may be ascriDed
the wonderful ingenuity shown OF late years IN pro-
tracing and inlerrupting negotiations. Hence the
cunning measure OF appointing as ambassador |
some political pettilogger, skilled in delays sOph.
lsms, and msapprehenslons, and dexteroils in the
statesman whose errors and misconstructions NAV
be plea for refusing to ratify his engagements,
And hence, too, that most notable expedient-so
brace or ambassadors, between whom, having each
individual will to consult, character to establish
ana concord as between two lovers
with one mistress, two dogs with one bone or
THIS disagreement therefore Is cont eeUafS
breeding delays and impediments, IN conse- !
quence Of which the negotiation goes on
ever coming to o close. Nothing Is lest by these |
delays ana obstacles but time; and IN negotiation
lost is in reality so mach time gained With what
delightful paradoxes does modern political econo-
Now, all that have advanced is 30 VIGOROUSLY |
true that almost blush 10 take up the time oil my
readers with treating Of matters which must many
time stared them IN The lace. But the propo.
sition TO which would most earnestly call their at
,enlion Is this, that, though negotiation he the
treaty OF peace Is great political evil and OF
the most fruitful sources OF war.
nave rarely seen an instance OF any special con-
tract between individuals that did not produce |
leaousles, chickering's and often downright ruptures
between them; nor did / ever know OF treaty
uetween TWO nations that did not occasion continual
How many worthy country
o MINORS nave known, who. after being In peace
s anu goou Fellowship for years, nave been thrown |
INTO state OF dlstrust caviIing and luminosity by
so s1c b.starred agreement about fences runs OF
waee, anu stray cattle And how many we'll |
meaning nations who would otherwise nave re-
m mali In the most amicabe disposition towards
eaom , V,ner, nave been brought to swords points
aDout tne infringement INSTRUMENTATION Of some
nea,y "n u, IN an evl hour they had Concluded
Wy way VI MAKING Their amily more sure
treaties al best are but Complied win an iopo On
interest requires their fulnlment: conseouenntv
tney are virtually binding the weaker marty nnIy
Or III pam truth, they not binding ~ al M
nauon VIII want0nly 90 TO war with ano,nar ,sW
mas nothing TO gam thereby and, therefore, neads