Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1899-12-29
A PLEA FOR PEACE.
Department Of Peace and Arbi-
tratiol Of the ". c. 7. ].
issue AN ADDRESS TO THE
Good People of Virginia on this
Important Subject Conference
at The Hague Commented Upon.
Address of Mr.. White.

Sixteen nations have assented to tn
"Convention" prepared by the Peac
Congress, so that it is certain that i
will go into effect among them afte
the 1st Of January. They will NAM
the persons in the permanent tribu
nal, and, in any future war between
nations they will do their best, by thei
good offices, to maintain peace.
Our constitution requires that any
treaty must be ratified by the Senate
The "Convention" must be ratified
or the United States to which the
world really owes the Convention, y il
not a party to it's provisions. 1t is
not what the Convention itself calls
a "signatory power"
The satisfaction which the whole
country has felt that something was
gained at The Hague is so evident
that there is no reason to suppose that
| the Senate does not share it. Every
member of the Senate undoubtedly
does share it; though it has been inti-
mated that many members of the Sen.
ate would have preferred some other
draft and some simpler plan, perhaps
something shorter. 1t is trne of
course that details should be open to
criticism. But the part of the ''Con-
vention" which is distinctly American
escapes this criticism. The permanent
tribunal, with experience, dignity
prestige and the powers of a court, is
substituted for that loose ''leaving it
out to men," as our old New England
PHI sse has it. Every one sees the ad-
vantage of this provision. This is the
provision which was not in the Rus
sian proposals, and it marks pre-emi-
nently the common sense of the Eng
lish speaking race, that our delegates
and the English delegates should have
given it its prominent place in the
Convention.
Nobody has to resort to this court.
That, also, is common sense; for moth
ing is more certain that no power will
resort to it unless it wants to.
But possible tribunal is made ac-
tual by the Convention" and, when
we want it, we have it ready. 1t is as
a man can call an officer in the street,
and send pickpocket to the station
and does not have to invent civil gov
ernment and call a convention before
he does so.
To retain the noble prestige which
the country has gained before the
world, the most prompt action of the
Senate is desirable. A unanimous vote
expressing the interest of that body in
what has been already gained, will be
of untold value in gaining other, per-
haps better, provisions in the future.
1t is good time to repeat Mr..
Whites words of the Fourth of July at
Grotius's tomb. This is good pas
sage to cut out from the Register for
your boys land girls) to speak at school:
From this tomb of Grotius seem to
hear a voice which says to US, as the
delegates of the nations: GO on with
your mighty work. Avoid, as you
would avoid the germs OF pestilence,
those exhalations of international hat
red which take shape in monstrous
fallacies and morbid fictions regarding
alleged antagonistic interests. Guard
well the treasures of civilization with
which each of you is interested, but
bear in mind that you hold mandate
from humanity. Go on with your
work. Pseudo philosophers will proph-
esy Indignantly against you. Pessi-
mists will laugh you to scorn. Cyn1cs
will sneer at you. Zealots will abuse
you for what you have not done.
Sublimely impractical thinkers will
revile you for what you have done.
Ephemeral critics will ridicuIe you as
dupes. Enthusiasts, blind to the diff
culties In your path and to everything
outside their little circumscribed fields,
will denounce you as traitors to hui
manity. Heed them not; go on with
your work, Heed not the clamor of
zealots, or cynics, or pessimists, or
pseudo philosophers, or enthusiasts,
or fault-fnders. 60 on with the work
of strengthening peace and humaniz-
| ing war. Give greater scope and
strength to provisions which will make
war less cruel. Perfect those laws of
war which diminish the unmerited
sufferings of populations, and, above
all, give to the world at least begin
ming of an effective. practicable scheme
of arbitration