Year: 1875

II Our hands were then tied by great domestlc
conyulsion we had not a spare man, OF a
\ spare dollar or spare ship TO beased against
foreign enemy the French Emperor was
urging Great Britain to join hm and sup
\ port the rebellion, and the ruling classes
! Of England listened with favor to the
1 proposal; yet, under those adverse circum-
stances, peace was preserved without any
compromise of the national honor IL needed
some patience, some foresight, and
capacity to watch events and turn them to
advantage as they occurred to keep the ma
tional honor clear and yet maintain peace
under great povoeations but Mr.. Lincoln
and his Secretary of State were equal
to the difficult task. and history has indicated
their wisdom. Under circumstances scarcely
less difficult Washington, Adams and JEFF
ferson preserved the peace Of the country
while great wars were waging in Europe, and
both England and France were inhicting in
juries on our commerce which would have
justified war with either, if our statesmen
had not been controlled by the superior duty
of keeping the country out of the mighty
whirlwind which was then desolating the
world.


Even the wars which we have had teach a
lesson of caution. They were of inestimable
service to the country in demonstrating the
courage, energy patriotism and fighting
qualities of our citizens but nations do not
go to war for the mere purpose of making
display of heroic qualities. In every other
VIE ha faxu box had fal
the expectations with which they were com
menced. The war of1812 was declared to pro-
tect our seamen against impressment and III
defence Of neutral rights on the ocean, but
it was terminated by treaty in which
neither Of these subjects was even men
toned, leaving them precisely as they stood
before the war. The annexation of Texas,
and the Mexican war which was its conse-
quence, were intended to fortify slavery; but
they opened controversies which led to the
civil war; by which slavery was utterly exter-
minated. So futile are human calculations
in matters of this kind The civil war itself
completely disappointed the expectations Of
those who forced it. 1t was begun by the
South in defence Of an institution which was
swept away by its progress. Considering
how often sagacity is at fault in estimating
the consequences of a war, it is always wise
to exhaust every honorable expedient for
peace before venturing upon q mode of re-
dress whose results so often battle foresight
and stretch beyond the bounds of calcula-
ton This has been the wise policy of most
Of our Presidents, and the few exceptions do
not invalidate the rule


1t has been the settled conviction of the
wisest Of our statesmen that our path to
greatness does not lie through bloody en-
counters with foreign nations. They have
thought that the true field for our wonderful
energy and enterprise was in the develop
ment Of our immeasurable resources and in
exhibiting to the world an example of the
benehcent influence of free institutions in
making great people prosperous and happy.
We have full scope for all our energies in
building up our industries and commerce, in
perfecting our institutions, restoring our cur
rency, diffusing intelligence among our peo-
pie, elevating the standard Of public
and private morality, and promoting taste
for arts, refinement and culture. Wars may
sometimes be forced upon US by foreign in
suits or aggression, but this danger con-
stantly diminishes with the growing power
Of the nation; the chief advantage of power
being the protection it gives against wanton
provocations. With this great advantage our
statesmen must be wanting in capacity or in
patriotism if they cannot maintain peace with
small third class nations by firm and skill
ful diplomacy.