World Affairs Institute

WORKINGMEN'S PROTEST AGAINST THE FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WARSource: Advocate of Peace (1847-1884), New Series, Vol. 2, No. 21 (SEPTEMBER 15, 1870), p. 279Published by: World Affairs InstituteStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/27904784 .

Accessed: 16/06/2014 01:23

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range ofcontent in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new formsof scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

.

World Affairs Institute and Heldref Publications are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extendaccess to Advocate of Peace (1847-1884).

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 185.2.32.28 on Mon, 16 Jun 2014 01:23:24 AMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

Sept., 1870. THE ADVOCATE OF PEACE. 279

WOEDS OF TAUNT AND WORDS OF CHEER. BY john. G. WHIT?IER.

Still in thy streets, O Paris ! doth the stain Of blood defy the

cleansing autumn rain ;

" What folly, then," the faithless critic cries,

With sneering lip, and wise, world-knowing eyes, ** To dream of peace amidst a world in arms, Of swords to ploughshares changed by Scriptural charms, Of nations, drunken with the wine of blood,

Staggering to take the Pledge of Brotherhood, Like tipplers answering Father Mathew's call,? The sullen Spaniard, and the mad-cap Gaul, The bull-dog Briton, yielding but with life, The Yankee swaggering with his bowie knife, The Russ from banquets with the vulture shared, The blood still dripping from his amber beard. Quitting their mad Berserker dance to hear The dull, meek droning of a drab coat seer ; Leaving the sport of Presidents and Kings, Where men of dice each titled gambler flings. No ! let the cravens plead the weakling's cant, Let Cobden cipher, and let Vincent rant, Let Sturge preach peace to democratic throngs, And Burritt, stammering through his hundred tongues, Repeat, in all, his ghostly lessons o'er, Timed to the pauses of the battery's roar ; Check Ban or Kaiser with the barricade Of" Olive leaves

" and Resolutions made,

Spike guns with pointed Scripture texts, and hope To capsize navies with a windy trope ; Still shall the glory and the pomp of War Along their train the shouting millions draw ; Still dusty Labor to the passing Brave His cap shall doff, and Beauty's kerchief wave ; Still shall the bard to Valor tune his song, Still Hero-worship kneel before the Strong ; Rosy and sleek, the sable-gowned divine, O'er his third bottle o? suggestive wine, To

plumed and sworded auditors, shall prove

Their trade accordant with the Law of Love ; And Church for State, and State for Church, shall fight, And both agree, that Might alone is Right !

"

Despite ot sneers like these, O faithful few, Who dare to hold God's word and witness true, Whose clear-eyed faith transcends our evil time, And o'er the present wilderness of crime, Sees the calm future, with its robes of green, Its fieece necked mountains, and soft streams between,? Still keep the path which duty bids ye tread, Though worldly wisdom shake the cautious head ; No truth from Heaven descends upon our sphere, Without the greeting of the sceptic's sneer ; Denied and mocked at, till its blessings fall, Commtfh as dew and sunshine, over all.

Then, oVr Earth's war-field, till the strife shall cease, Like Morven's harpers, sing your song of peace ; As in old fable rang the Thraci?n's lyre, Midst howl o? fiends and roar of penal fire, Till the fierce din to pleasing murmurs fell, And love subdued the maddened heart of hell. Lend, once again, that

holy song a tongue, Which the glad angels of the Advent sung, Their cradle anthem for the Saviour's birth, Glory to God, and peace

unto the earth !

Through the mad discord send that calming word Which wind and wave on wild Genesareth heard, Lift in Christ's name his Cross against the Sword ! Not vain the vision which the prophets saw, Skirting with green the fiery waste of war, Through the hot sand-gleam, looming soft and calm On the sky's rim, the fountain-shading palm, Still lives for Earth, which fiends so long have trod, The great hope resting on the truth of God,^ Evil shall cease and Violence pass away, 4p4 the tired world breathe free through a long Sabbath day.

J?abowboi? said, *' \Var is the business of barbarians,"

WORKING-MEN'S PROTEST AGAINST THE FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR.

The General Council of the International Workingmen's As sociation have issued an address to the members of the Associ ation in Europe and the United States, protesting against the Franco-Prussian war as a war of dynasties, which plays upon national prejudices and squanders the people's blood and treasure. They denounce Louis Napoleon as an enemy of the

laboring classes, and declare that the war plot of 1870 is but an amended edition of the coup ?V?tat of 1851. When the war cloud first threatened, the Paris members of the International issued a manifesto

" to the workingmen of all nations," contain

ing the following sentences: "Once more on the pretext of the European equilibrium, of national honor, the peace of the world is menaced by political ambitions. French, German, Spanish workmen ! let our voices unite in one cry of reproba tion against war !***** War for a question of pre ponderance, or a dynasty, can, in the eyes of workmen, be

nothing but a criminal absurdity. In answer to the warlike

proclamations of those who exempt themselves from the impost of blood, and find in public misfortunes a source of fresh specu lations, we protest, we who want peace, labor and liberty. *******

Brothers of Germany ! Our division would only result in the complete triumph of despotism on both sides of the Rhine.

*******

Workmen of ail countries ! whatever may, for the present, be come of our common efforts, we, the members of the Interna tional Workingmen's Association, who know of no frontiers, we send you as a pledge of indissoluble solidarity the good wishes and the salutations of the workmen of France." These pro testations, they claim, expressed the real sentiments of the French people. They say:

" Whatever may be the incidents of Louis Bonaparte's war with Prussia, the death knell of the Second Empire is already sounded at Paris. It will end as it

began, by a parody.

But let us not forget that it is the govern ments and the ruling classes of Europe who enabled Louie

Bonaparte to play during eighteen years the ferocious farce of the Restored Empire.

On the German side the war is a war of defence, but who

put Germany to the necessity of defending herself? Who en abled Louis Bonaparte to wage war upon her? Prussia! It was Bismarck who

conspired with that very same Louis Bona

parte for the purpose of crushing popular opposition at home and annexing Germany to the Hohenzollern dynasty. If the battle of Sadowa had been lost instead of

bein^ won, French battaiiions would have overrun Germany as the allies of Prussia.

They go on to say that the working people of Germany have responded to their protestations against the war with the senti ment that " the workmen of all countries are our friends, and the despots of all countries our enemies." These working

men represent the toiling, oppressed masses in Europe, who are beginning to get restive again under the tyranny of their rulers.

A WARNING TO ILLEGIBLE WRITERS. (Horace Greeley to H. B. Castle.)

Dear Sir :?I am overworked and growing old. I shall b*

sixty next February 3. On the whole, it seems I must decline to lecture henceforth, except in this immediate vicinity, if I do at all. I cannot promise to visit Illinois on that errand?cer

tainly not now. Yours, Horace Greelkt.

(From M. B. Castle to Horace Greeley.)

Sandwich, III., May 12.

Horace Greeley, JV. T. Tribune,? Dear Sir :?Your acceptance to lecture before our association

next winter, came to hand this morning. Your penmanship not

being the plainest, it took some time to translate it, but we

succeeded, and would say that your time, 3d of February, and

your terms, $60, are entirely satisfactory. As you suggest, we may be able to get you other engagements in this immediate

vicinity. If so we will advise you. Yours respectfully,

M. B. Castle.

This content downloaded from 185.2.32.28 on Mon, 16 Jun 2014 01:23:24 AMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions