Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-04-24

Arbitration.

A thoughtful man once said that il was a
shame that in this enlightened day nobody
could get a pair of shoes unless he first
killed a COW, or somebody else killed one
for him. This remark was made IN the IN
terest of dumb brutes. But what words
can characterize Alright the fact That IN TINS
enlightened day there is no better mode OF
settling international disputes than by the
use Of cannon
The Quakcrs have always protested
against war. They protest In words and
by acts. If Quaker is arrested and made
20 fall into line rs n soldier. or chooses TO
fall into line as a soldier, he does so be-
cause according 10 his own theory or teach
ings be cannot resist by force the powers
that be: but even if he is compelled TO 90
into battle, ne still protests against the
brutality Of fighting as method OF set
Ting any question whatever, and refuses
20 FIRE gun.
The meeting held in this city night be-
fore last in the furtherance of the policy
of arbitration as the proper method OF de-
termining the respective rights of nations
which cannot agree among themselves as
TO what these rights are was attended and
addressed by men whose interest IN the
matter ought TO induce our whole COM
munity to look into this matter. We do
not know that il is practicable for any con-
siderable body of men to resort to the
Quaker method Of avoiding actual fight
ing on the battle-felds; but we can all do
our part in instructing the people as to the
wickedness of war. 1t is possible for all
international disputes TO be settled with
out appealing to arms. The Governments
of the United States, Great Britain.
France. and Germany have it in their
powerto put an end TO wars. No nation
of people in the world would dare to 60 TO
war if those four Governments were TO en-
ter into a treaty binding themselves to for
bid war. Ii Is true this would amount to
a threat of war upon their part, but all the
came there would be no war. They would
be recognized as conservators of the peace,
sust as the civil magistrate now is every
where.
When will arbitration become the policy
Of all Christendom, or Of the four nations
we have mentioned as suitable to figure
in the character of the worlds conserva-
tors of the peacep Some people will
answer that il will never become the policy
Of any of the great nations 80 long as
human nature is what it $50 long as one
set of men do the fighting after another
set Of men have decided that there must
be resort 10 arms Other persons will
answer that war will never cease-never
become odious in the opinions of mankind
30 long as good people concede that war
cannot always be avoided.
There is largo number of persons in
Europe amongst the men who have had TO
do the fighting after other men have de-
termined that there must be fight who
have resolved never to go upon the battle
field again. These thousands of persons
are constantly preaching the gospel of
peace. There is in fact reason to hope
that these men will soon win over to their
good cause thousands Of men of their own
class. An army made up largely of such
intelligent advocates of peace would not
be very efficient. At any rate the most
belligerent ruler would hesitate long
time before he would go to war with an
army of Quakers. as any army composed of
intelligent advocates of peace and CON-
pulsory arbitration may well be styled.