The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1916-11-30

Thu time will come when ~treaties
shall be more than truces, when Il
Will again be possible for them to be
observed with that. religious faith.
that sacred inyfolability, on which
depend the reputation. the strength.
ana the preservation of empires"
We are not going to weary our readers
by pointing out again. what we have so
often pointed out I'm these columns. that
the holy alliance, though started with the
most genuine and sincere desire to form a
League to Enforce Peace, ended In the
erection Of a reactionsry tyranny, and
that 1t took all the efforts OF Castlereagh.
wellington and Canning. together with en-
hghtened whig opinion in Britain, to pre-
vent 1t from bringing about the destruc-
ton OF liberalism throughout the world.
HOW this happened Is one Of the most
curious examples Of the terrible nature of
logic when working unrestrained In human
affairs. If you have leagues OF powers
bound by a great common object which
demands large sacrifices, the first thing
mat the constituent powers must and will
demand liz a mutual guarantee Of each
others alton rights and interests. Be-
fore they can be sure OF acting unanimous
~ as a league they must be sure of not
quarreling among themselves. But. they
cannot be sure Of doing this UNI
less they are sure that there will be no
interference-no attempt to curtail their
own possessions and alter their W sys-
TEN OF government. Hence any kline OF
international league Ii always bound to
guarantee tae status quo. But the status
quo may Ii some particular country be
the "negaton Of God erected into a sys-
tenn" This first stumbling block, the holy
alliance tried to some extent to remove by
means OF periodic international confer
ences which were to meet every three
years and keep the various states Of the
world In good order. For example, the
sixth article OF the holy alliance bound
the ! z contracting powers to hold at
nSed intervals meetings consecrated to
great common objects and the
ton or such measures as at each one OF
these epochs shall be Judged most salu-
tary for the peace and prosperity of the
nations and for the maintenance OF the
peace OF Europe" The first of these meet
lngs. the conference held at AiX-la-Cha-
peile, can hardly be described as a success,
except that II produced a perfectly adj
mirable memorandum from Castlereagh In
which he, like a true Briton, tried to find
a sensible via media between the two ex-
tremes, and, while not attempting the inn
possible, to do something practical for the
cause OF peace. The words In which he
discusses the Emperor Alexander's idea of
a universal union Of the powers are so
gcUd that we cannot resist the tempta-
ton to quote them:
The problem of a universal alliance for
the peace and happiness OF the world"
the memorandum runs, has always been
one OF speculation and hope, but it has
never yet been reduced TO practice, and
II an opinion may be haZarded from its
difficulty, 1t never can. But you may in
practice approach towards II, and per-
haps 'h@ design has never been so far
realized as in the last four years. During
that eventful period the quadruple al
lance, formed upon principles altogether
limited. has had, from the presence of the
sovereiglis and the unparalleled unity OF
design witt which the cabinets have
acted. the power of travelling so far out
OF the sphere of their immediate and priD"-
tive obligations, without at the same time
transgressing any Of the laws Of nations
or failing in the delicacy which they w
to the rights of other states, as to form
more extended alliances . = . to in
terpose their good offices for the settle
ment of differences between other states,
peace of Europe, and finally in securing
the execution of it's treaties. The idea
OF an alliance solitaire, by which each
state shall be found 10 support the state
of succession. government and posse ssion
within all other states from violence and
attack, upo condition OF receiving for
stood as morally implying the previous es-
tablishment OF such a system OF general
government as may secure and enforce
upon all kings and nations In internal
oJ NSi - SaS "AN aSthNSs Aih NAtS
mode Of constructing such a system shall
be devised, the consequence is inadmis-
sible, as nothing would be more immoral
or more preJudicial to the character Of
government generally, than the idea that
their force was collectively to be prosti-
tuted to the supper of established power.
without any consideration OF the extent
TO which IL was abused. Till a system Of
administering Europe by a general al
lance or all Its states can be reduced to
some practical form, all notions of a gen.
aral md unqualified RnaT-lntpa mISt ha
abandoned, and the states must be left
to rely for their security upon the Justice
and wisdom OF their respective system.
and the aid of other states according to
the law of nations.
Before we leave the subject OF the con-
ference at Aix-la- Chapeile we must not
forget to mention the curious, but no
doubt inevitable, result of the attempt to
mitigate the hard logic of the guaranteed
status quo. The conference was, In effect,
asked TO act, and attempted to act. as a
kind OF European supreme court which
heard appeals and received petitions of all
kinds from sovereigns and subjects alike.
For example, the elector OF Hesse asked
to be allowed to exchange his meaning
less title for that of king" a request
which, Mr.. Alison Phillips tells us, was
refused because it was not considered ex-
pedient to make the royal style too COM
mon, The people of Monaco, again. pre-
sented a list of grievances against their
prince. while Bavaria and the Hcchberg
line OF princes referred to the conference
their quarrel about the succession in Ba-
den. Finally, the situation of the Jews
in Austria and Prussia was brought I'M
der discussion. But though these minor
issues were either settled or got rid of,
1t will be found that jealousy Of British
sea power at once awoke. and threw OBJ
stacles Nm the way of even so great a
benefit to humanity as the suppression Of
the slave trade. Though the powers had
agreed in principle to our carrying out
this immense reform, they were not will
ing to accept that mutual right Of search
by which we sought to suppress II. Again,
when it came to an attempt to mediate
between Spain and her revolving colonies,
the powers could not agree. 1t is true
that they succeeded In calling the king OF
Sweden to order; but, While obeying, he
protested against the dictatorship ar
rogated to themselves by the great pow
ers, a course in which he was packed up
by the indignant king of Wurttemberg. No
wonder that, when the conference broke
UP with a considerably damaged reputa-
ton, Canning mad the cynical but COM
sense comment that things are get
ting back to q wholesome state nRr In.