Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-07-11
A SENSIBLE SUGGESTION.

Amasa Walker, the head of the great
polytechnic school at Boston, in recent
address before the Phi Beta Kappa Society
at Mound University, said: LET it be our
pride, as it is our privilege, to remain the
great unarmed nation, as little fearing
harm from any as desiring to do wrong to
any"
America is the one great nation of the
earth which can afford to set the example
of living without an armament. Man
kind has already passed that point in his
tory when nations ruthlessIy make wars of
conquest. Iu Europe national boundaries
are the result of long sustained and his
toric contentious. The nations of Europe
maintained vast ornaments on land and
sea, burdening their industries with the
expense of maintenance, narrowing the
possibilities of the common life by govern
mental taxation and forcing the weaker
elements of society into the mire of
poverty, below the line of which is abso-
lutte submergence and death. America is
menaced from no quarter with cause of
war of any kind. Modern commercial
methods forbid, and will continue to for
bid, any insult or outrage to American
commerce. Modern diplomacy makes it
impossible for any nation to wage cause
less war upon our own. We desire to
make no aggressive warfare. Our defense
lies in our inherent strength and power for
defense.
If all the nations of Europe to-day were
republics, there would be absolutely no
necessity for maintaining vast armies,
which disgrace current civilization on that
continent. Nations governed by the peo-
pie do not make aggressive wars. Such
wars originate in the selfish ambition of
sovereigns or the desire for national ag-
grandizement on the part of some upstart
King.
The most sublime national spectacle that
has ever presented itself to the students of
history is that presented by unarmed
America to-day, and it is unarmed because
1t can afford to be. 1t is too strong to be
attacked it is too Just to provoke assault.
Even its seeming defenselessness is de-
Tense, just as to be unarmed among cut
Threats is in measure guarantee against
attack. The example of unarmed Amer
roo 20 ha e
ity throughout the world, especially to the
dignity and strength of republican institu-
tons, than the finest navy or the strongest
army.
The modern tendency of civilization is
away from war and from preparations for
war. In former times greatness in states
manship consisted in conducting nations
successfully through great wars In mod
ern times il is the highest triumph of
craftsmanship to avoid hostile collision
between nations The two grandest per-
sonages of our time, Gladstone and Bis
ability to achieve for the nations over
whose political destiny they have presided
the fruits of war without bloodshed. Eng
land, under the leadership of Gladstone in
1885, by avoiding the war which Russia
sought to provoke, achieved greater vic
tory than could possibly have attended the
conquest OF armies
The example of unarmed America, il
persisted in, and the blessing to the masses
of her citizens which will inevitably fol-
low that unarmed condition, will eventu-
ally so educate the world that its great
powers will stand in invincibIe alliance to
preserve and perpetuate peace.