The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1889-09-13

awarded-pays really more than she
ought to have paid But still, all that
Alabama broil Is settled-settled for
ever. Arbitration instead Of battle.
80, the quarrel eight or nine years
ago about the Canadian fisheries in
any other age would have caused war
between the United States and Eng
land. England said: "Pay me for the
invasion Of my Canadian fisheries. |"
Tho United States said: II will not
pay anything" Well, the two nations
say: II guess we had better leave the
whole matter to commission" The
commission is appointed, and the COM
mission examines the affair, and the
commission reports, and pay we ought,
pay we must, pay we do. Not pound
Of powder burned, not cartridge Bit
ten off, no one hurt so much as BY the
scratch of pin. Arbitration instead
of battle.
NO MORE WARS.
So the Somoan controversy in any
other age would have brought Ger
many and the United States into
bloody collision. But all is settled.
Arbitration instead Of battle.
France will never again, think,
through peccadillo of ambassador,
bring ON a battle with other nations.
She sees that God, in punishment Of
Sedan, blotted out the French empire,
and the only aspirant for that throne
who had any right Of expectation
dies in a war that has not even the
dignity Of being respectable. What is
that blush on the cheek of England
today9 What is the leaf that Eng
land would like to tear out Of her his
tory9 The Zulu war. Down with the
sword and up with the treaty.
We in this country might better
have settled our sectional difficulties
by arbitration than by the thrust Of
the sword. Philanthropy said to the
north: 'Pay down certain amount
of money for the purchase of the
slaves, and let all those born after
certain time be born FREE" Philan-
thropy at the same time said to the
south: "You sell the slaves, and get
rid of this great national contest and
trouble" The north replied: II won't
pay a cent" The south replied II
won't SELL" War! Warl A million
dead men, and a national debt which
might have ground this nation to pow.
der.
Why did we, not let William H.
Seward, of New York, and Alexander
H. Stephens, Of Georgia, 60 out and
spend a few days under the trees on
the banks Of the Potomac and talk the
matter over, and settle it, as settle it
they could, rather than the north pay
in cost of war, four billion seven hun
dred million dollars, and the south
pay four billion seven hundred and
fifty million dollars, the destroy
ing angel leaving the first born dead
in so many houses all the way from
the Penobscot to the Alabama. Ye
aged men, whose sons fell in the strife,
do you not think that would have
been better9 Oh yes! we have come
to believe, think, in this country,
that arbitration is better than battle.
may be mistaken, but hope that
the last war between Christian nations
is ended. Barbarians may mix their
war paint, and Afghan and Zulu hurl
poisoned arrows, but ! think Chris
tan nations have gradually learned
that war is disaster to victor as well as
vanquished, and that almost anything
bought by blood is bought at too dear
a price. / wish to God this nation
might be model of willingness for ar
bitration. No need of killing another
Indian. No need of sacrificing any
more brave Gen. Clusters. Stop exas-
perating the red man, and there will
be no more arrows shot out from the
reservation. A general of the United
States army, in high repute through
out this land, and who, perhaps, has
been in more Indian wars than any
other officer, and who has been wound
ed again and again in behalf of our
government in battle against the In
dams, told me that all the wars that
had ever occurred between Indians
and white men had been provoked by
white men, and that there was no ex-
ception to the rule. While we are ar
bitrating with Christian nations. let
us toward barbarians carry ourselves
in manner unprovocative of contest.
HOW WARS COME
l inherit a large estate, and the
waters are rich with fish, and the
woods are songful with birds, and my
cornfelds are silken and golden. Here
is my sisters grave. Out yonder, un-
der that large tree, my father died.
An invader comes, and proposes to
drive me off and take possession of
my property. He crowds me back, he
crowds me on, and crowds me into
a closer corner, and still closer
corner, until after a while / say:
"Stand back, don't crowd me
any more, or I'll strike. What right
have you to come here and drive me
off of my premisess ! got this farm
from my father, and he got it from
his father. What right have you to
come here and modest me9' You
blandly say: ''Oh, know more than
you do. I belong to higher civil
zation. cut my hair shorter than
you do. l could put this ground to
great deal better use than you do"
And you keep crowding me back and
crowding me on into a closer corner
and closer corner, until one day
I look around upon my suffering
family, and fred by their hard
ships 1 hew you in twain. Forth
with all the world comes to |