The New York herald., 1879-12-25
Ghristmas and How the Nations
Keep 1t.

y
| the various nations are keeping it. The
Christian spirit of confidence and oonces-
sion does not prevail in the councils OF
many nations. The opinion that it is pref
erable to endure the evils that overwhelm
the victims of oppression and injustice
rather than to contaminate our souls with
the fierce passions, the cruelties, the disre-
gard of right, that distinguish the oppres-
sor-this opinion, not generally dominant
one in the world-seems this year to affect
mankind as little as the world were utterly
unregenerate and had never heard syl-
liable of that "Sweet story of old when
Jesus was here among men," 1t Is clearly
not time Of peace on earth and good will
to men. It is rather year for the other
neutrality-suspicious. on earth to men of
good will" with the open implication OF
war to all the Others.
Seven Powers in Europe keep on foot per-
manently, and for time of peace, three
millions of men in their armies only, and
maintain an organization and enforce laws
which contemplate the sudden addition in
an emergency of two million more; SO that
five million soldiers represent practically
the confidence felt by Europe at large
each State respectively in the good will Of
it's neighbors. 1t costs the taxpayers OF
Europe annually one thousand millions OF
dollars ($1, 900, ,OO0, ,000) to keep up the
military organizations and military expen-
ditures of peace. which is certainly very
liberal insurance against the possibleill will
or the ambitious designs of the sovereigns
beyond the frontier. Everybody remem-
bers how Europe, and our dear friends in
England particularly, poured out very
rivers of crocodile tears over the awful
waste Of our war, and over the bad political
system which could not put down rebel
lion without leaving the nation burdened
with an enormous debt, Well, our war
lasted four years, and the round outline of
the debt at the end of the war was about
four thousand million dollars. Europe
spends just that amount in every four years
of it's existence. We spent our taxes and
pledged our credit; bet in eight years of
peace-if Europe shall ever again have eight
years of peace-she will spend, on the basis
of present estimates, as much to be provided
against danger as we spent to go through
it. Financially, therefore, the good will in
the world that gives nations respect from
the support of armies is the best.
But Europe's thousand millions is only
for armies. 1t does not include the enor-
nous expenditure for navies. England.
France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Russia.
Austria-all these are deep in the trial of
the great problems Of the iron-clad game,
the torpedo service, and the structure of
gigantic cannons to be foated on the az
mored floating batteries that are now
called ships. For every iron.clad that
England builds five or ten schoolhouses
could be put up, even on the system that
distinguishes our own local school authori-
ties. England has two hundred and forty
nine ships in commission, and she pays
every year for the mere item Of wages to
seamen and marines as much as she paid
to the United States to satisfy the American
people for the damage done by the Ala
bama. Fifty-fve million dollars is the an
nual expenditure of England for the opera
ton of her navy; not to put in cent for
the original cost Of the fabulously expen-
sive war ships, or for interest on that cost.
If that proportion were maintained in all
the countries the navies would cost about
half as much as the armies: but no other
nation of those counted has so large navy
nor SO small IN army as England. But we
may safely add for navies twenty-five per
cent of what is spent for armies. Twelve
hundred and fifty million dollars annually
is the price that the people OF Europe pay
for their want OF confidence in the Chris
tian theory of life. And yet they pay to
have that theory systematically taught
France, for instance, gives eleven million
dollars yearly to the churches. She trusts
in God to the amount Of $11, ,0OO, 600; she
keeps her powder dry to the amount of
500, 900.
England, the most ostentatiously Chris
tian of the nations, has the smallest army
Of all, but does not on that account come
substantially nearer to the practice In
her relations with other peoples of that
self-denial and regard for the rights OF
those with whom she deals which some-
times enables nations to 1.-Two without
armies. Her campaign in Zululand and her
advance into Afghanistan are the types OF
her wars, for in these modern times she
| does not trust her troops on any battle field
opposite to those of any one Of the great
military States; but in pure greed of land,
in absolute worship of the mammon OF
trade, she strikes in to conquer any country
she wants, provided only 1t Is inhabited by
| n people feebler than her armies and whom
she may butcher with present impunity.
That is the actual practice of the State
that has dcluged the world with can't about
Christian charity. But while the nations
of Europe stand toward one another, NOT
in the remotest degree animated by any
Christian spirit, but in the attitude ol
| armod conhatants ~ ho iaaloualx watch each