New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-01-08

| could he recruited any fine DAY lor
Lerdo or Santa Anna or BOmbastes Furl-
| Oso, or any other man who promised W
capture the Treasury but it would be nara 10
| imagine an army fred with loyal devotion 10
Mr.. Tiden, or one following the personal Tor
tunes of Mr.. Hayes, or swords drawn III the
cause of Peter Cooper, or TO reimburse MT.
Cronin for his travelling expenses. But II there
| is to be no war for claimant" what Is the
fighting to be about Does any one propose
| TO take up arms in the cause of Civil Service
Reform, or a Protective Tariff, or Free Trade,
or a double standard, or q paper currency
Will American citizens fall to cutting each
others Threats in order to define the du-
ties of the Vice-President7 Will Democrats
appeal to arms to establish the right OF
intimidation, or Republicans go to the same
extreme to justify the action of the LOUISIANA
Returning Board Is there any principle upon
which either party will take militant stand
against the Other7 A "fair count" might
avail for feeble war cry, but everybody VINO
was disposed to shout at all would shout Ill
| chorus.
Now, when there is nothing to fight for and
nobody to fight, it is difficult to see how
first-class war is to begin. possible COLLISION
which political prophets have fOreseen, Is TO
happen in this city, when MIR. Tilden, after
his Inauguration as pretender, Is 10
seize the Custom house for the purpose OF
stocking his treasury and paying of the ma
tiOnal debt. It does not appear how he VIII
accomplish this rather spacious seizure, Dut
when he has got through Selling and deputy
marshal takes his collector by the collar and
walks Inn out, there may follow some ex-
plosive laughter on Wall-st., but the cutters
will not run with blood. And when the Til
den army is to march on Washington or any
other objective point in order to seize some
body or something else, where will 1t start
from, and who will furnish transportation and
supplies, and who will pay the volunteersf
This talk about war offers some rhetorical
uncertainties to accomplished editors, but
after all the people whom we meet appear to
be collected and cOntentcd, well satisfied with
themselves and on most amicable terms with
each other. There has been much strong feel
ing and much earnest thinking since the TIN
of November last, and we have been advised
by telegraph of popular excitement" III some
quarters But it may serve to alleviate any
sporadic anxiety if We compare the present
excitement" with the deep and serious pas
sion which took such an Overmastering hold OF
men. women. and children when the integrity OF
the nation was threatened, when devotion to
the Union was intensified into religion, and
the church spires were not considered TOO
sacred to hold aloft the flags, and when wOr-
Shipping congregations sang the Star Spangled
Banner with full organ accompaniment
War is a serious matter, and serious people
only resort to it on serious occasions. lnher-
tied tendencies, traditional usages, the cool
and firm self-restraint which characterizcs the
race in which civil liberty was Graded and
self-government nurtured to its full develop
ment, the tenacious common sense of the Amer
lean people-all these unite in guarantee that
force of arms will not be resorted to until
some grave emergency shall compel universal
acknowledgment of the necessity. And to-day
we hear of no mothers who feel inspired to
send forth their sons to dare and die for the
electoral vote of any State, nor of any sober
men who are coming forward with sOlemnity
to pledge their lives or fortunes to inaugurate
ANYBODY. When such manifestations of feeling
become general it will be time for abe-bOdied
citizens to pull out their front teeth and
mutilate themselves in order to escape con-
scription. Until then timid persons can possess
their souls in patience.