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« - ! && satisfy it ; Wd there wouldbe a yery notable * kind SS ^ ground in * * && $ * . & * 1 ****; when ^» ^ re called upon to accept the , yiqtoiJiBa . of peaoe as a If SJISs begs the entire ; question , f fiuman slaugh-^* o ? in * iy fe ^ ^ % ? *^ «*» an a * M * 2 * f ^ instinct , whose generic function w more correctly indioaS by your secoftd phrasia , f ^ he : instinct which craves the victory over physical danger . ? ,. , . ' . - . . . . v t ?; .,.... . Not' to waste time in splitting metaphysic hairs , let us accent this definition as sufficiently accurate , an * surely it annot iustly be said that nature has wo * provided ample 7 ^ , a fnr- the gratification * of this < instinct , without the SSsa ™ viola 4 n « f ^« M * fe
^ V ^ RfcmstW saOTednesSipf hujnantife ? . What , is the exper ience ofthei sewa 4 jut : a cpn ^ a trpT ? ' What of the miner—the buMer—the founder ^ - thJ enffirieer P What' is all hard-handed labour , indeed ; hut an overcoming of physical difficulties and dangers , ranffinff through all degrees of the scale , and often pushed to the extreme of perft demanding heroic courage no less than herculean strength ? lire hot all healthy sports ; which tax both muscular and mental energies , the same P , As tothe Necessity of physical exeteise , there is no difference between usJ I never imagined , nor implied ^ that the instinct which craves this < could , be " satisfied inth a controversial victory ; 'V though you must injustice admit that the mental flumlty which , axjts m combination ^ iththe dwhicTi maeed addstiie t to tte
XsilTulstinct , an- ' zes Dhvsical victory ^ is the very sain © which likewise eajoys the controversial ( jdriquesfc : JEhafBtetis , that . the . instinct for physical exercise takes no cognizance of the object at jj j ^ { g concerned only in finding resistance sufficient to elicit muscular power , and may be combined in any way , either with . malevolence , or ben ^ yolence , so that the basis of action is physical . The mental impulse to overcome , on throthe ^ hahd , may be gratified in either relation , physical or mental . But the weed of physical exertion , pushed , as vou say , even to extreme , for the sake , pf both . body and mind remains nevertheless ; and in all that you say with reference ] thereto I heartily concur-r-except ^ arid this is the pith and marrow 6 f our difference ) inyourimplication that
^ the real object , such as interests the instinctive facuLties " should be the ^ preparation fo ^ warV' The " victories of peace" , in my potion , quite sufficient for this purpose ; the victories , namely , ofthe forge , tlie plough , the loom , the locomotive , the ship ; of the thousand forms of physical exertion in which the energies of nature are constrained of their- 'yirtUeSj and made the servants of humanityj the victories , alsOj ; of , all bracing , sports , of cricket , quoits , bowling , foot-ball , rowing , ^ skating , curling , leaping , racing , and afl J kinds of gyttinastics—^ ach having its special " real object , '' and ^ U g-lbrified With the universal object , no leB& real" ofa loving set vice of God and humanitywhich transforms the hardest labour itself
, into a pastime . In such victories as these , so undertaken and carried through , " ample robin and verge enotigh" are surely afforded for the faithful and efficient exercise of nil the physical instincts and animal energies , not only without their degenerating ,- but with a positive guarantee against their degenerating , into the , " , gross , ^ fantastical , tame , and sickly , " indulgences , which , according to you , characterize the present stage of our civilization , and are attributable to peace , but which , as I have said , have no necessary connexion with peace at all ,-to whatever an extent they characterizp the present sage . " Thus , it is an error td iay t £ ajit would " divert natural instincts" from their true « nd direct functions : —I would
simply res ^ ain < jhem running ; into , Abuso ; and , as to " suppressing" thorny' the thine is wholly absurd , and never could' enter \ fljny imftginauoB . On tho contrary , I hold that this suppression never can be attempted , not to say done , " except , as you say , " to > tij , e injury of tho entire man ; " and it is precisely that waris a misdirection of those instincts , a diversion of tyiem . from their legitimate functions , and by consequence an injury tq tho ' ontiro man , that I oppose you * vpolicy . * ' . . > ¦ . I admit , and jament , tho prevalence , of many viqes and errors , such as you obviously hint , / r # ner than broadly state
, j but dp not believo they are $ p gehprol , ; br alnfpst uuivorsal , aa you soom to imply ; and I altogether deny tho rolovanoy , in its diroct pbject and result , of your proposed euro . Collaterally no doiibfc : eoinething would bo gained by your " preparation for War ;! ' but , in my opinion , all that , and more , could be gained by more rational and appropriate means , and tho vices ana crimes peculiar to war avoided at tho samo timo . Why not attack tho vices of tho present social atat p directly ' ? , ' VThy . introduco a euro which has onl y an indirect rolation to tlio disease , and which is itself , oh your own admission , as bad as tho
dis-Contrary to your expectation , poihaps , I go further in nffroemont with you , in point of prinoiplo , awl profose tho fiamo unboliof in tho " pori ' cctibiHty of tho human raco "uxcopfc , indood , in a sense in whicli 1 boliovo you will agroo wuli mo , namely , that . tho race is now , over has boon , and « vor will bo poribct , as tho human nicb . It is not nocos-Rnry to my argument to anaintain tho visionary porfecti-JMUty implied in tho quotation . It is sufficient to admit ''"? , l ^ ogroflsivo dovoiopmont of tho natural type of Our fipooios to its fulles ' t pronortioriB . " --a dovolomnont tho limits
of which nd ( jno can Bdt . And that this involyoH tho Rmrual subvoVflion of War , and . fho Regulation rif tho invulhoB now mifl-diroefcod into tliat cliannpl , bo that thoy snail act in tho lino : of tho hohlor endowments of tho Jiutnan bouI . and man Hhall aoknowlodge tho legitimacy of no act ? not in harmony with reason , justice , and humanity , ' profoundl y boliovo ; That tlio voluntary destruction of iminan hfo is ono of thoso actf )] tho Universal conaeienco of ' ¦ no , Bpooioa aflRrftiH . Tho ' artvonnto » of war thoriidolvofl inainiain tho samo principle , and ; in tho ultimate , thoir cnui'o position is , that this destruction ia nooeesary on tho
one , side only to avoid the same destruction , on the other , oi ; td ayo ; d theloss of wha . t . is held more dear and sapred . The best that p < m be said for them is , that of two evils they would choose the least , or what appears to thetn such . I Bviaplj deny the issue which they put , and maintain that their alternative is not necessary ; and that , on the contrary , it is irrational , founded . on an ^ imperfect generalLza-. tion , pf the , nat . ure . pf J mari—^ illustrative of a lack pf faith in his nobler lnstirictsW-more ' often allied to cravenfear and selfishness , in which indeed' it has its ^ roots , than to ; that xdagnahimous and ehivahrous spirit which its advocates ore so . prone to monopplizer-T-i » speech . let the whole duties of brotherhood and ' huftiamty be even approximatively fulfilled , and this alternative neyer would—j had almost saidnever could—arisb . To the partisans of war on
, opposite sides I Would say , Concede'to each other th . 6 high principle' you severally clahn' for yourselves , — subdue selfish'preferences , and find in the love of neighhour equal enjoyment with the love of self ; pursue this principle into all its ramifications , and you will find that war is rendered next to impossible . ; Active , aggressive love ;—the of ganizer , not destroyer—^ which se 6 s equally in the tyranit and the slave only feUpW-men , to be converted to nobler faitlis ; this is ;; a principle which affords a sphere of operation for everj ^ Immatt faculty— -comprehending ; even the "being angry , and sinning fiotj "—a principle which he has not yet mastered who ixjaagines . it to be allied to anything effeminate or maudnn in sentiment ,- —which implies , on the contrary ^ the tiossession ' of positive qualities in the highest
degree vigorousI and tnanly—a trust calm and serene , high courage , and glorious . self-cdntool ; . a principle which I take to be , centeally , the guidinffone of bo ^ h the . Leader , itself aijd its contributor whom I iipw especially address , notwithstanding their present—let me hope and say , temporary—speculative inconsistency therewith . But you reply , thatj " within the scope of history , " you seej not only no instance of a people having achieved such an attitude ; as this , but no evidence of the possibility of such an ; achievement ; and you add , that , to make out nxy case 1 must show' you a . people that had retained its freedom , its material welfare , and its greatness , after it had ceased to bear arms . " : ¦ . ¦ ¦¦¦
-With all deference I siibmitj that such an illustration is not necessary to make out my case ; and \ am rather sur * prised that the author of the now celebrated and admiramP canon in economics , " ConcSert in the division of employments / ' should , demand sw % evidence of the practicability of any Mthertb undeveloped , or only partially developed , principle . - If the practice is to be an advance on past ex - perienee , is there . not something of pleasaijLt absurdity , in asking hi s torical iUustrationsi of it ? Dpls ^ not your own theory of develbpmeht ' nnply ' the future feklizatibn Pf a
state which has never previously existed ? When and where has any people yet realized in all its fulness your ecoiipmical principle ? Yet , can you doubt that it will be realized ? Can you refrain from enforcing it with all your might , and fioin exposing the weakness and disastrous consequences that spring from its neglect , andfrona acting on mferiorinaxims ? ! Do you not believe that this principle could be realized even now , if onl y a / sufficient num-Jior > of pertbns cduld be gpt . to * e » d theirruinda . vigorously to it ? . :
, But , though 1 dispute the relevancy of the historical argument as you put it , I do not hesitate to appeal to history after another fashion . I do not pretend to bring forward what Vivian would call" the crucial instance" but I dp submit ; that if there bo one thing which history more conclusively demonstrates than another , it is the tendency of tho human , species to a life from which personal physical Warfare will bo excluded . Is it not a fact , that with tho advance of civilization the differences between men got adjusted by other and less irrational means ? Do wo not find that the category of thing s about which it is deemed necessary to fight , grows narrower and narrower ago by age , even generation by generation P One may imagine a partisan of war in tho good old feudal times avowing his disbelief of the day ever arriving whon rival chieftaihs , adjacent villages , or neighbouring clans , could adjust thoir differences without " the arbitration of tho sword . " Ono
can fancy him calling for historical proof of its possibility , and with complacent incredulity smiling at tho annablo weakness of tho penco-man of hia day for maintaining a mbro catholic doctrine . Yot tho stigmatized dream of that day is the long realized fact of this ; and I do not think that the people of this country will readily forsake the altogether superior methods whicli they now havo . oi sottling thoir disputes , and " follow thoir Leader' back to tho practices of tfioso " g ood old timos , " when " ilka man s hand had to haud his am hood . ' and right , "in tho sonso of jus not justice , " was tlio order of tho day . ! would fain continue , but tho necessarily limited apaco which can bo afforded in tho " Open Council" for such a discussion , obligos mo to defer tho remainder of thislottor until next week . Boliovo mo , in tho meantime , to remain , my dear sir , yours very truly , A . L . iivorpool , Wth Miiroh , 1802 .
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PROVIDENCE IN HISTOKY . ( To the Editor of the Leader . ) Sib , —Apropos of tlio notico in tho Leader of Sir JauioH Stephen ' s Philosophy of History , I would call your attention to tlio following " curiosity . " In Niebuhr ' s Lectures on Roman History , edited by Dr . Soiimifcz , tho eoventh lecture' begins with tho declaration thafc-r" History is , of all otlior kinds of knowlodgo , tlio ono which moat decidedly loads to the boliof in ft Divino providence For oxamplo , if tho Gauls hnd invatlod Italy during the , first Punio war , tho ltouimw would hnvo been , ufcijorly linuble to ranko thoir effortsi in Sicily . Agttin , h « 4 Aloxandor , the son of PyrpUua , tried to avenge tUo wiafortimes of We fatUor , in Itiily- ^ h ^
" Hannibal ascended the hills from behind , in columus , took his station upon them , and placed txia light armed troops where the space between the hills and the lake was narrowest ^ and formed a very long defile . Here we see again the finger of ^ Providence , for the day was foggy ; and the Romans broke up . very early > before sunrise , to continue their march , in very thick , cplumns , which w ; ere unable to mancEUvre . " Concealed by this . " providential" ifog , Hannibal was enabled to outflank the Romans , and fairly catph thejn in a trap . ' " yhey were driven into the lake , and not more than six thousand forced their way through the enemy . The greater part perished in the lake > and Flaminius was among _ the slain . " : . .
he formpdl connexions in Italy at the time when Regulus was defeatecC the Eomaps would not have been able to . offer any resistance . But Alexander ' s eyes were directed towards , petfy con « iuests , the , Gauls were quiet , andlthe . Oarthaginians had ho good geperals , except at the close of the war -, in short , it was ^ rovidey-Ual thai all things combine ^ to make the Roman ' s vietoriotiS ' " . ., ; ! Well , be it sq . Let us now turn to the tenth lecture , where an . account is given of the battle between Hannibal , and the . Consul FlaminhiSj at the lake of Trasitnenxis . While the Romans were passing , bet % veen the lake and the hills by , which ^ it is
surrounded-r-Providence , then , has forgot its design of awaking the Romans victorious , and has changed sides . ' It is as fickle as fortune * When " philosophy" like this comes across us in a professed theological writer , or in an historian of the ordinary stamp , it excites ho surprise , We take it as a matter of course . But we are not prepared for it in the sagacious , wary Niebuhr . When we see a man of his keen , eye and steady step flpundering , what must we think of the soundness of the ground on which he is treading ? . A . Q .
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THE " TRIAXVILLE" EXPERIMENT . Sra , —I have read with much interest the account given in the Leader of'the « ' Equitable Village" system heing tried hi America > and hopia we shall he favoured with more particulars . An experiment like this must necessarily disclose new facts , which' may not be withr out UBe in the present state of social science . Individualism is brought prominently forward as the basis of Mr . Warren ^ s theory , hut unlike the . common practical individualism of the present day , it admits and maintains the principles of justice . Now , without denying the possibility of establishing a system of " equitable commerce" in the manner proposed by Mr . Warren , I think such a result could only be obtained in his way with an enormous sacrifice of wealth . Individualism , at tho best , only offers a choice of evils . Either you may have great national wealth , in the aggregate coupled with injustice ; or justice in connexion with universal poverty . To combine the benefits of justice and wealth we must have recourse to tho proper principles of socialism .
Tho reaction towards individualism , indicated by this experiment , and tho works of an eminent Fronch writer , seems to have resulted from an almost universal fault in socialist systems tending to suppress the freedom of individual action . Tho nature of freedom is not very distinctly understood by those who resort to such methods as that under consideration , in order to attain it . Freedom is only complete whon knowledge forms one of its principal ingredients . Of what use 18 it that a man is free to do what ho pleases when ho knows not what is host to bo done ? It may indeed be plcasantef to err by mistake than by compulsion ; to do wrong , that is to say , by ono ' n own mistake , rather than bo obliged to yield to tho mistaken dictates of others j but we require moro than this ; wo would have light to guido as well us liberty to follow good
guidance . Tho Very fact of a mall ' living in society makoa Iuh pntjh too intricate and difficult for . him to And by his own unnWled powers To society , therefore , which occasionH tho difficulty , ho must look for help to overcome it ; but how society is to accomplish this task and bocomo an infiUHblo guido to all its members , is still a problem for fiocialiwtH to boIvc . There is no solution of it to bo found in individualism ; for it if ) not by isolating o ^ rnelveB , and carofully excluding the influenco of our fellowmen , that wo can hope to obtain truo liberty . Bolton . An-mim iteoaiiMsr .
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jy ^ t ^ ¦ ¦ ¦ : ¦ ¦ - ¦ - . - ¦ ¦ ¦ . < ^
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ip j * " ° *" fully iGX © roided /' i say you , 'ffcoda upon ithg'V and peaoo' proves «» fatala « war ; 'V erao , mtix 4 « total , uanuofc wo eacapo tfco orroro and evils of bothP :
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Wo oi'o much obliged to " T . " for hiH kind offor ; but adopting tho brief reply ho proposoa , wo luivo to eay , " Nay . " F . Hino will find an opportunity afforded him of work * ing in tho praotioal way U « properly prefers . W . atevuna * totter should appear , if at » 11 , m ftu ftdyortisomont .
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Leader (1850-1860), April 10, 1852, page 349, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1930/page/17/
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