Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1905-09-02

Newcastle, N. H.-Now, after calm
reflection the transcendent moral vic
tory won by Japan begins to be more
fully realized. But Japan has won
more than moral victory. She has
struck a new note in the history OF
the worlds progress, She has en-
throned statecraft on ethics.
With the treaty of Portsmouth there
is swept away all the traditions Of
the past and a new view begins of the
relations between nations.
The history of the world is largely
a history of war; the history of war
is largely the stories of tributes lev.
led on the vanquished by the victo.
rious. The right of the victorious to
make the defeated pay for the penalty
of defeat has been recognized from
time immemorial
1t was one of the things that fol.
lowed as matter of course when
peace was proclaimed after war.
In the notable interview that Mr..
Witte gave out couple OF
weeks ago he pointed out the new
forces at work. that heretofore ma
tions only ceased fighting when one
or both were exhausted, but now with
neither side exhausted, they were will
ing to confer about peace. Mr.. Witte
truly said that was one of the signs
of the worlds progress and marked
the advance of civilization. What ia
pan has done is a sign of progress and
advancing civilization much greater.
Japan has turned her back on in
demnity-Japan, an eastern power.
Two days ago it was said here by
men who are recognized as authori'
ties on the affairs of the far east that
if Japan were so weak and so foolish
as to make peace without the payment
of an indemnity it would be the death
blow to her prestige and she would
cease to be respected or feared by
the peoples of the far east.
To the minds of those peoples the
visible symbol of power is the tribute
paid by a weak state to strong one.
Japan, they said, dare not forego the
exaction OF tribute because it would
be taken to indicate that she asked
for peace instead of imposing it.
The Oriental mind, they said, is a
barbaric mind, and the Oriental mind
Is only impressed by the material.
That very thing the world believed
that Japan dared not do, Japan has
dared to do. And the great signifi-
canoe of this is not alone that Japan
has dared to do thing that no one
believed it were possible for her to
do, but she has done it deliberately
and after having reckoned the conse-
quence.
She has weighed the consequences
on her prestige, on her power over
the other peoples of Asia. She has
convinced herself that it does not
threaten the wreck to her power. She
has become assured that the whole
east can be impressed by lesson
other than the lesson of force, that
it is not necessary for her to exact
tribute to retain the respect of Asia.
This is the great lesson that Japan
has taught to the world. 1t is an ex
traordinary thing. The great example
to the west comes from the east. The
western world must now follow in the
footsteps of the east. War is now no
longer to be waged for the exaction
of tribute.
Japan waged war for national exist
ence, and having accomplished that,
rests content. 1t marks an epoch. No
wonder that the friends of Japan, the
Japanese themselves, who were so
downcast, see how much Japan has
won and find in her triumph a victory
far greater than the victories that
have crowned her arms with laurel.