The record-union., 1896-02-10
A PROPOSED ALLIANCE WITH
ENGLAND.

Indulgence in sentiment often leads
the individual mind into error, and like
wise persistent dwelling upon a senti-
ment not infrequently turns public
judgment into unwise lines of reason
ing. The sentiment that moves the
peace societies here and in England to
persistent warfare upon all influences
which may have a tendency to involve
nations in struggles of arms, runs these
worthy but sentimentally misguided
people into the fad of peace at any
price" that leads straight through the
gate of cowardice along the path of ma
tfonal dishonor, and TO death of patriot
ism These people make no allowance
peace would be more ignoble than war,
though they insist that such is not the
logic of their contention. but If 1t is not,
then their doctrine has not a leg to
stand upon.
Of late years, notably since the Ala
bama claims arbitration, there has
arisen a school of political philosophers
whose teachings have now reached the
degree of ''fadism'' which holds that all
international issues should be settled by
immediate reference to arbitration.
This school has called to its benches a
considerable pupilage ON both sides of
the Atlantic, until now we have the
spectacle Of class Of alleged statesmen
proposing soberly and with all the ear
nestness born of sentimental miscon-
ception that there shall be established
an international court Of arbitration, to
which all issues arising between nations
that at first effort may not be settled by
the arts Of diplomatic interchange shall
be submitted, the decree to be binding
upon all, and to the support Of which
Judgment all are to pledge themselves.
This sentiment has now run to the
further extreme of a proposition that
there shall be established between the
United States and Great Britain a
Permanent Committee of Arbitra-
ton" The new idea, like most things
new, has drawn to its support a consid-
erable following, but we apprehend that
nine-tenths of those who give it ap-
proval have done so without the ju-
dicial examination and mature thought
such a proposition demands.
DC establish a permanent committee
OF arbitration between the United
States and England would practically
amount to the annexation of the United
States to the empire over which Vic
toria and her Parliament rule, not the
less absolutely that the monarchy is a
modified one. To agree to the setting
up Of such committee would be TO
conceda dominance and supremacy to
England, fact which the English SEN
timentalists, who advocate the new fad,
may be presumed 10 be shrewd enough
to understand.
gence that after all. war is the last and
anAy resort for the settlement of ir-
racpuoilable differences of opinion be-
tween nations. Since then, no decree
worth fig without physical force be-
hind 1t, agreement to permanent COM
n1ittee OF arbitration of issues between
America and England would amount to
nothing-certainiy to nothing more
than would be possible of accomplish
ment In any particular case where
there was disposition on both sides to
submit the specific case to special ar
bftration-
All which is to say, that the proposed
board, having no power to enforce its
DEGREES, would be just as liable to have
its judgment spurned as there is now
liability of war without it's sentimental
existence Nor will it be necessary to
refer lengthily to the fact that most
causes for which the monarchy and the
republic would be likely to go to war re-
late to policies rather than facts, and
the policy Of a country cannot be made
the subject Of arbitration, any more
than difference between faiths in re-
ligion.
It will be clear to whoever gives
thoughtful deliberation to the matter
that the proposition emanates from the
sentiment which so much abhors war,
that it prefers humiIiating peace There
are some things more undesirable than