Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-08-22

For The Free Press aid Times
The ADVOCATE OF PEAcz Cor August con-
tinues its interesting and valuable account
Of the progress already made in tie minds
OF leading men in Europe in favor Of Inter
iatiORal Arbitration. In the - APPEAL" Of
the American Peace Society, the Secretary,
the Rev. }. b. Miles, says The recent
elimination of our principles in actual ar
bitrati0n in two eases o. grave difficulty
between England and the United States,
has awakened hope and faith throughout
the civilized world" Count Selopis has
said recently, q" The saccess of the Geneva
arbitration has made very deep impression
upon the Italian people. have never be-
fore known amongst Us such 4 united pub
lie sentiment as on this question - And
the Secretary continues - Ihe same hes
been the effect Of this illustrious tran-lc-
tion upon all the nations of Europe
Americans point exultingly and Justly 10
their Republican form of government as an
example worthy Of imitation By every mon
arehial nation. We say t. Europe In
stead of each of oar sovereign States being
an Independent DukedOm or Kingdom, and
each with it, standing army, We have our
courts Of Justice to settle disputes between
counties and separate Nafes. Every man OF
intelligence understands this, and every
patriot reiOices over it. The design OF the
Peace Society Is u extend this national
method of adjusting disputes - as To be-
come iHfeTHaiiORG!-i. G. to invite Nations to
stand in the same relation to each other as
do our United States.
And now arises tho question, are Ameri-
cans of to-day, - apathetlc IN regard TO
this matter as to need prompting to follow
up and perfect the work their predecessors
began? They cannot excuse themselves
under the plea that this peace movement Is
an exotic reared in some foreign brain and
transplanted into American sOII. The " re
cord contradicts that; hear the witnesses
4" America" says the Rev Mr. Jeffries,
distinguished English Episcopal Missionary,
and one OF the Chaplains OF the East India
Company, " America has the honor of
founding two of the most valuable insti-
tutions that ever blessed mankind the
Peace Society, and the Temperance Society
and If every American viewed them rs |
do, he lrOUid JOu than immediately" And
by going back few years we find Maine
farmer, William Ladd. the chief instru-
ment in bringing the friends of Peace to-
gether, and organizing the American Peace
Society. OF William ladd, Elihu Burritt
thus speaks: '' This Maine farmer arose by
the power breathed into bis soul, to the very
first order and rank Of that nobility of the
great world which numbers but few men
in single age. introductory notes to
Hemmenway's memoir of William Ladd.
A. p. 5 Boston.)
Long ago did the Fathers Of our Republic
cherish similar desires for some preventive
of war jefferson says Nations, like indi-
vIduals, stand toward each other only in
the relations of natural right and might
they not be peGceGbLy punished for violence
and wrong? Wonderful has been the pro-
greSs of human Improvement in other res
pectS Let Us hope that we shall
at lenth be sensible that ,rar IS an iRsfru-
meRf entirely inefficient fOirGrdS redresSIHg
FROM. and muifipiIcS INSTEAD Of mdemHIfg-
ina losses" And Franklin who used 80
often to repeat his lavorite maxim, " there
Herer iras a good lrlr nor a bad peace, SAID;
I'VE daily make great Improvements in ma
tural philosophy; ; there i one ! wish to see
in moral-the discovery of plan that
would induce and o5lige nations to settle
their disputes without first cutting one an
other throats. When will human reason
be sufficiently improved 10 see the advantage
of this? When will mea be convinced.
that even successful wars become at length
mi-iOrtuueS TO the yictors themselves?'
The several Peace Societies in Europe and
America can point to their work as an an
swer, in part. to Franklin's question the
Geneva Arbitration Is 4 proof that grare
difficulties between poirerfm nations can be
settled riflom The srord. The want Of the
present Is pccuniary assistance, 81 that the
Peace Societies can live while they are ma
turing an htTnat,oEai Code The 8 back
town" Of Monkton has collected and re
mitted the collection to the Rer. IT, c.
Duabam, Cor. Set. No l, Somersef N. Bos-
ton. if the GdrqHced towns and cifies of
Vermont viii do the same in proportion to
fhsir ability, the friends Of the American
Peace Society will rrtarn thanks
Monkton. Aug. 1. II Mus.