The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-04-05

speaks OF in a letter OF Feb 2s, 1852.
my Dear Youmans-I send by this
post a copy OF one of our daily papers
giving some account, though a very in
adequate one, of our inaugural meeting
OF the Anti-Aggression League. There
is every promise OF success, inasmuch as
the amount OF feeling requires an or
ganization for manifesting 1t. The mass
Of nonconformist bodies are with us, and
also the trades union organization and
the cooperative organization. These
merely require centralized coordination
to produce very great effect.
1T WORRIED HIM.
"You have, as remember when first
mooted the matter some two or three
years ago, regarded my action with dis
favor. thinking, / dare say. that 1t
would too much distract my attention;
and doubtless something may be said in
that respect. The business and anxiety
Of getting this meeting up has occupied
me and worried me a good deal of late.
so that after the meeting was over q
had been going wrong for several days.
1 collapsed and had to go down TO
Brighton TO recruit. However, am toll
erably well again, and though / antici-
pate that for some time to come my at
tention will be good deal taken up with
the matter, still L am not for that rea-
son deferred In fact find very good
reasons for persevering, even of "a per-
sonal kind. When i first urged the
thing upon a few friends here and named
il TO you il never occurred to me that
there would be any other result, In so lar
as I am personally concerned, except
that of entailing on me a certain amount
Of work and loss OF time. But l begin
to think Ii not at all improbable that the
action 1 have taken may very consider
ably extend my influence. Already
there is a considerable sympathy with
me throughout the nonconformist COM
munities, and as 1 have found also from
various indications, especially the letters
OF two workingmen's representatives In
Parliament Mr.. Burt and Mr.. Broad
hurst. there is sympathy also among the
artisan organizations. The result of
taking the initiative in this matter, 1t
now seems to me, is very likely to beget
still greater sympathy and predispose
them to accept evolution views"
Accompanying this letter is the follow
ing document:
Resolutions to be proposed at a meet
ing to be held at the Westminster Pal
ace Hotel on Feb. Is, 1882, at 3 o'clock,
Sir Arthur Hobhouse in the chair:
1. That in view of the continual acts
of aggression on other communities. es-
pecially the barbaroUs or semi-civilized,
In contact with the British empire at
various points, leading TO conflicts which
Parliament and the nation had sane
toned, it is desirable to form league
of all who wish, irrespective of party, to
insist on a policy of nonaggression in all
international relations.
2. That, in order to obviate wars to
which the nation has given no consent,
and OF which. under the present sys-
I-xv
it is important to secure more effectual
control in Parliament over the officials
who pursue an aggressive policy with
out the direction of the home govern
ment.
3. That associations having kindred
objects and other bodies approving the
aim of the league be invited TO appoint
representatives on its council or other
wise to cooperate with it.
4. That the recent grant without the
knowledge of ParliamenD of a charter
to the British North Borneo Company,
comforting on them powers Objectionable
in themselves and tending to involve this
company in aggressive conflicts, seems
to be an example of the evil which the
league is designed to check
5. That Mr.. Dillwyn be requested to
take such steps as may be needed TO call
the attention of the House to this pro-
ceeding, and to move for information re-
speeding IL.
The agitation thus started led to re-
suits widely known In England and the
United States. Parliament took action
upon the subject Of arbitration, peace
delegates came 10 this country TO arouse
our people, and Congress was induced to
act upon the subject. The idea of arbi-
trating international difficulties was
widely discussed. and has now become
dominant throughout a large and in
fiuential portion of society, and will no
doubt sooner or later control interna-
tional relations. But the consequences
to Mr. Spencer himself have been such
as to awaken the deepest sympathy.
HIS HARD WORK.
In letter of March 9, 1882, he says:
az have been considerably knocked up by
the worry of this anti-aggressive league
business, which has chiefly fallen on my
shoulders. and have been in great fear
OF prolonged breakdown. However, /
am considerably better and hope shortly
to be all right again." But this hope
was not realized. He recovered suffi-
GENTLY to come to this country in the
autumn of that year; but it will be re-
membered that he was seni-invalid
during his brief stay, and at times
seriously troubled lest ne should not be
able TO make the return voyage. In
stead of getting benefit from the trip. he
went back worse than when he left
home, and he has never recovered his
previous low level of health. He went
from bad to worse, and chronic invalid
life commencing in 1856 was the final re-
suit.
But feeble as he is, his interest in this
question is undated. His reply TO
Kaiser Williams recent offer of honors,
and the letter from him which was read
at the arbitration meeting in London on
the Sd inst. sufficiently indicate his pres
ent feeling. We give the letter, which
may not before have been published
here:
Dear Sir-Were 1t not that Ill health
obliges me to shun all excitements /
should gladly attend the meeting to be
held this evening at Queens Hall in sup
port of Anglo-American arbitration. AS
it is, can do no more than emphatical-
ly express approval of its aims.
Savage as have been the passions
commonly causing war. and great as
have been its horrors, it has throughout
the past achieved certain immense bene-
fits. From this has resulted the pre-
dominance and spread of the most pow
erful races. Beginning with primitive
tribes, it has welded together small
groups into larger groups, and again at