Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-10-09
THE PEACE CONGRESS.
The Laudable Object for Which Good
Men are Working.


From the Youths Companion.l
During the month of July two note
worthy gatherings, having a similar pur-
pose in view, took place in London. About
the middle of the month the body known
as the Universal Peace Congress-" which
met last year at Paris, assembled in the
English capital, and ten days afterward
the meeting of the international Parlia-
mentary Congress" followed close upon its
heels.
The first of these, the Universal Peace
Congress, consisted of about 200 gentle
men, belonging to voluntary society, the
purpose of which is disclosed in its title.
They aim to abolish, or, it not that, to
lessen the chances and frequency of war,
and to replace it by agreed-upon peaceful
methods Of settling disputes and quarrels
between nations.
Among the members of the Congress
were a number of distinguished men. The
principal American delegate was David
Dudley Field, the eldest Of four brothers
who in different ways have attained emf
nence. Another well-known American
who attended the session was Chauncey NJ.
Depew. Other delegates of note were Sir
Joseph Pease and the Italian Marquis di
Sestogno.
The discussions of the Congress took
wide range. Much eloquence was heard
about the horrors of war, its inconsistency
with Christian doctrines, its wastefulness
and its staying of the march of civiliza-
ton. The methods, too, By which war
might either be put an end to altogether
or at least by which its evil effects might
be lessened, were amply discussed.
Essays on variety of topics bearing
upon the general subject were read and
debated, and number of resolutions were
passed. One of these resolutions declared
that the brotherhood of man involves as
necessary result, the brotherhood of ma
tions, in which the true interests of all
are admitted to be identical The true
basis of an enduring peace will be found
In the application by nations of this great
principle in all their relations to one an
other"
Another resolution called upon all
teachers of history to call the attention of
the young to the grave evils inflicted on
mankind from all ages by war, and to the
fact that war had been usually waged for
insufficient causes.
The most noteworthy resolution of the
Congress, however, was that in which it
declared its belief that the best method
for averting war laid in the general adop-
ton of the idea of arbitration. This idea,
in general terms, is that where there is
subject of dispute between two nations
they shall refer it TO third mutually
friendly nation to decide which is in the
right, and that they shall abide by the de-
cision made by that third nation. Very
similar to these were the proceedings of
the later assemblage, that of the Inter
national Parliamentary Conference" This
body was composed of members of the
Parliaments of the various European ma
tions who desire to establish arbitration as
a settled principle of action between
States.
1t was presided over by Sig. Villari, of
Rome, and among its active members were
Sir Lyon Playfair, Chevalier Koziowski,
of the Austrian Parliament, and DIR.
Barth, of the German Reichstag. This
conference also strongly expressed itself as
in favor of arbitration as the true path
way to general and permanent peace.
No doubt every word that was said at
both these meetings was true, and every
reason given why war should cease was
excellent and sound. Yet it is hardly prob
able that any marked result will follow
from their deliberations.
The nations of Europe stand, armed to
the teeth, watching each other with jeal- |
GUS eyes nor is it likely that any one of
them will set the noble example of dis
arming and agreeing to settle all its claims
and ambitions and grievances by the peace
full method of arbitration.