Morning journal and courier., 1882-03-29
H War Dying Ont.

rGoldwin Smith in Nineteenth Century,
 There are some reasons for hoping that war is gradually dying out We have not for some time had commercial wars like those between England and Holland in the seven teenth century, nor are we likely to have them again except on a small scale and with barbarous nations, such China, 'or with the petty potentates of Africa Wars in support of the claims of dynasties, such as that of the Spanish succession, and armed litigation be- tween monarchies about their rights to Prov inces in Italy or Germany, such as filled the eighteenth century, are also numbered with the past There are general influences which tend in the same direction. The people, for merly food for powder, are now getting votes which a regard for their own lives and for the enjoyment of their wages. if not a larger philosophy, will lead them commonly to use in favor Of peace Science is at once rendering war fearfully ex- pensive and divesting it of the glitter and TO- nance by which, after all, 1t in some measure lived. Perhaps tine sight of the North Amer ican Continent so organized under the fed eral system as to maintain peace within Its
 precincts and thus reaping the untaxed
 fruits of industry, may not be without Its effect or the rest of the world On the other hand. neither revolutionary wars nor WAITS of nationality appear by any means to be at an end German nationality IS yet hardly settled. and may have to be once more de- fended against French jealousy and revenge Slayonic nationality is & question evidently fraught with disturbance and with the possibilities of collisions between great pow CTS. Revolutionary anarchy may agaln give birth to military despotism, the fell necessities of which were proved by the career of the military despot who began by proclaiming perhaps not insecurely, and certainly in accordance with his personal In- terest, that his Empire was peace Conquest | itself, and diplomatic struggles for aseenden- i cy have not yet ceased to trouble; witness l Afghanistan Tunis and Egypt The crsaers | of Communistic volcanoes at Paris and Car | tapena still smoke, and other eruptions may | be at hand The mere burden of the military | system when it becomes intolerable, may lead | some power to rush to arms as the only means Of breaking long deadlock of rum ! On the pacific influence of commerce rather
 too much reliance has been placed nations, l like men, are as often governed by their
 temper as by their interests; moreover, free | trade does not gain ground, nor is 1t posi- 1 ble that it should gain ground while the im- | port duties are needed to maintain vast arma- ! ments Arbitration makes way, but its 1 sphere is obviously limited; legal questions
 such as that of liability for the damage done l by the Alabama, or a difference about c | boundary it may settle, at least if the wrath
 of the parties is not violently exciged; ln ques- l tions of natural independence or ambition
 such as those which led to the Italian and
 Franco German wars, it Is powerless- Apart
 from specific causes of quarrel, the war splr- it as well as the hunter instinct still fingers | in the breast of man. Nez is opinion firmly
 settled even in quarters where V suc9lh eh- 1 pect it to be so. The Free Christian cnure1- l es may be reckoned as steady opponents of
 war, but State churches still worship the God of Battles In de Aaistre we ind
 hideous passage describing the earth as
 vast altar on which sacrifices of human blood must forever be offered by the sword ; and if Canon Mozley, in his Sermon on
 War" does not go so far as this, he does ID
 effect almost renounce for his form of reli'
 zion the hope of effectually preaching peace l on earth