New-York tribune., 1905-06-12
REASON IN PEACEAAKING.

| The Presidents diplomatic triumph in bring
| ing Japan and Russia together for the ending of
their war is, as we have said, a triumph of COM
! mon sense The more the circumstances are
| considered, the more conspicuous that fact ap-
| pears, and the stronger becomes the desire that
| the rule Of common sense may continue to DOM
| mate the case TO the very end. Even profess
| sional carpers who might have welcomed q
failure are constrained to confess that the rec
suit Of The Presidents action is vindication Of
| its fine and victorious common sense. It is met
too, with common sense by those to whom 1t
IS addressed. They do not resent ii. They do
not think it offfcious. They accept it In the
spirit in which 1t conceived, as brave,
manly, straightforward act of neighborly beneV-
olence Finicality might have hesitated at
thousand small obstacles Common sense wei
comes the open door to peace and ignores the
fine dust IN the pathway.
Nor is the same quality of reason less appar-
ent in the time and circumstances Of peacemak-
ing in relation to the progress of the war. Com
pare or contrast. the case with others. Ma
poeon made peace with Austria and Prussia
after his armies had entered Vienna and Berlin.
Europe made peace with France after Waterloo,
when the allied armies held Paris in their grip.
Peace was made between America and England
after CORVALLIS had surrendered and the last
effective British force had vanishsd from our
mediately after Sedan, but after the siege and
fall Of Paris and the complete prostration and
exhaustion of France. The Russo-Turkish War
was ended only when the Russian army was at
the gates OF Oonstantinopie. But this war ends
while neither belligerent is exhausted, and while
the territory of each remains uninvaded. We
may believe Russia is potentially defeated and
would be beaten in the end, however much the
conflict was prolonged. but the fact Is that she
is still far from being conquered, and might be
able TO continue the war for years. That in such
circumstances d ready assent is given to peace
making is gratifying proof of the reign OF rea-
son over mere prejudice or passion.
The world will hope, as we have said, to see
the same principles and methods of common
sense prevail throughout the negotiations which
are about TO begin It is not easy for great,
proud nation to relinquish that which 1t hoped
to hold, or to pay forfeit for its deeds, at the
demand of another and once despised power.
Neither is it always easy for a victorious power
to abate its exultation so as to refrain from ex-
acting the fullest spols of war which its tri-
umphs may have caused it TO desire or may
have placed within its reach. But in this case
the very fact already noted, that the war is
ending In advance of utter defeat, should
surely move each late belligerent to take tenn
perate and reasonable view Of the terms OK
peace. The one should realize that though un-
subjugated, 1t is at an all but hopeless disadvan-
tage and cannot expect to escape some heavy
penalty. The other equally should realize that,
though so largely victorious. 1t has by no means
achieved a complete conquest and its demands
should therefore be marked with that modera-
ton which is one of the noblest attributes of
triumph
Japan and Russia must for ali time be neigh
bors That is the salient consideration Of the
case. They must remain sovereign powers, side
by side. Neither hope to subjugate the
other. Moreover, the interests of both require
that they shall be not only in geographical prox-
unity but also in commercial and social init
macy. To that end the terms of peace must be
such, and must be accepted in such a spirit, as
to give rise to perpetual animosity, resent
ment or suspicion. "Peace with honor" may
be engaging ideal, or might be, if all nations
were agreed upon what "honor" meant. That
| peace is the offspring of power is In a sense
q great truth. But that peace is not the most
profitable and the most secure which gratiies
some sense Of honor or which is imposed by
temporarily irresistible power but that which
rests upon the foundation Of reason and justice.