The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-05-29
NATIONAL REVENGES.

| few days ago France was startled with
the announcement that the Commune of that
Republic had resolved that French revenge
should be postponed just one hundred years
from the surrender of Paris to the Prussians.
Looking for little that is either wise OF good
from that source, we are not prepared to
accept the utterance as anything else th,n a
firm of censure upon the party in power in
France, and upon the military establishments
of Europe. France has no cause or cue Of
quarrel with any other country than Prussia.
If all war or prospect of war could be post
poned one hundred years, not only with
Prussia, but with all other countries, results
of most stupendous character would be
attained
preparation for war, compel France to main
tain naval and military force, averaging one
year with another, perhaps, six hundred
thousand men. This, at an annual cost of
five hundred dollars for each man, including
all other naval and military expenses, would
amount to three hundred millions year. A
large proportion Of this expenditure remains
in the country, and is not therefore to be
counted as total loss; but for any series Of
twenty OF more consecutive years the war loss
to the French may be rated at not less than
one hundred million Of dollars year.
Let this drain upon the wealth and pro-
duction of the French cease for one hundred
years, and the results would be almost be-
yond the power of figures to compute or Of
the imagination to conceive leaving out Of
the calculation the incidental and inevitable
damages of war, whether offensive or de-
fensive, the saving to France by an unbroken
peace of a hundred years duration would
place every inhabitant in the enjoyment of
wealth. 1t would cover the republic with
gardens and palaces. and realizs all that the
French people have ever dreamed of glory,
abundance and magni6cencs. Peasants
would become rich landlords, and the bank
ers of her cities would hold the purse
strings Of the civilized world. In spite
Of their wars and their constant maintenance
Of ornaments in time Of peace the thrifty
French people are fast gaining in wealth; but
if they could save q hundred millions more
each year they would become in the proposed
century of peace far richer than any nation
of equal area and numbers that the world has
ever known.
There must be great changes in the human
disposition. as modified by culture, before the
stupendous wickedness and abominable folly
of war can come to an end, even among ma
tons now classed as civilized. Even the en-
lightened peacemakers and philosophers of
Christendom, the prophets Of the millenial
harmony of nations, are not agreed
as to the means of settling inter
national difficulties without appeal to
arms. Blu. among the best and wisest there
is an always active and growing desire to put
an end to war with all its magnificent bar
barism, all its organized brutality, all its
systematic cruelty, and all its scientific
wickedness. Men Of this class are at all
times trying to prove to those who reason
and reflect, that it is wise in nations to fore
90 revenges In their view it is the high
prerogative and duty Of those who govern to
keep the peace of nations.