The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-11-11

YESTERDAYS TENPERATIrprc
SUNDAY. NOV. Il. 1900.
SALISBURY AND PEACE.

The address of Lord Salisbury, deliver
ed within a day or two at Whitehall is
one Of the notable utterances of the mo-
ment 1t represents the animatinc
thought Of the leading statesman Of
Europe 1t proclaims the animating pur-
pose of one of the greatest nations Of the
world with reference to the other nations
Of civilization. ...
The supreme condition." excIaimse The
English premier, is that no reform, no
movement is of the slightest value unless
security against exterior interference ia
chained by putting our defenses in such
Il position that no accident may happen
beyond our borders that shall make our
security doubtful" This is very far.
reaching language. 1t is hotter under
stood in al it's significance after a
little thought 1t points uner1ingly
TO the prospect Of an unsettlement of thu
peace of Europe. L makes plain the Dor,
tentou5 truth that war, and ever war.
Is the only form of arbitrament which
humanity can yet look TO for the adjust
ment Of International disagreements.
More than that, it states the settled con-
Viction of this veteran statesman that
brute force is the one resort and the only
one which any great modern nation has
which seeks to maintain its ascendancv
and its immunity from the attacks Of
other great nations.
It seems entirely lifting that in the
next breath after the expression of these
sentences Lord Salisbury should declare
his opinion that the trend of recent
events had almost put an end to the
hores of the Russian emperor and others
who had taken part IL the peace confer.
ence at The Hague. The statement is IN
doubtedly true For all present PURPOSES
peace, as a medium Of settlement Of in
fernational disputes, is powerless.
Ills a terribly sad conclusion. It is.
too, an awful commentary on all the pro
fessions and all the claims to Christian
civilization which are being put forward
BY modern nations. The South Africa,
drama has almost reached its close
Blood still flows in China, and the ma
lions eye each other asl5ance over the
carcass CT decaying civilization. What
Il piSmy influence is mere peace and
peaceful agencies in the view of these ac-
cepted conditions?
The most profound apoloeists of the
slate of things which is revealed through
Lord Salisbury's speech, and those who
seek TO deal with existing things in a
spirit Of fairness, declare that ali this ia
in the etfectuation Of the great nurnosa
Of The spread of national commerce.
With commerce goes civilization; and of
each, it would appear, are war and deyas-
tatiGn and armed national aggression the
necessary accomplishments.
Thrse who stin believe in the benign
influence of peace on the counseIs of the
nations are not disheartened; they are
only sad5ened and disappointed over such
state of things. They know that it
deals serious blow al all their concep,
tons of the extent of human culture
when they accepted The proceedings OF
The Hague as expressive of the spirit and
Will Of modern civilization. But they
none the less believe in their cause. They
feel assured that one day. and that before
many more generations of the human
family have passed away, their TEACHINGS
and their aspirations will find visible ex,
preston.
II may be that another catacIysm of
war must pour itself over humanity.
with all its attendant horrors, before the
ideals which found expression at The
Hague viii he regarded with feelings 9th
er than Of contempt by men Ike Lord