of the following propositions: (1) That the total of British trade has not by any means advanced in proportion with the area and population of the Empire, that, in brief, trade does not follow the flag, and that the disproportionate growth of armaments forms an increasingly severe strain and tax upon the industry of the country; (2) that by far the greatest proportion of our trade always has been and still is, not with our colonies, but with foreign countries, and especially certain of them which are affected by our political policy; (3) that the proportion and in some important cases the amount of colonial trade is not increasing, and that recent acquisitions, which have involved a heavy political and financial burden, have only infinitesimally increased that trade; (4) that British labour is losing and not gaining, and will probably lose still more heavily by the extension of the Empire; (5) and, finally, that a large and increasing proportion of our wealth accrues from loans to and investments in foreign countries, a fact which helps to show the folly of perpetually increasing armaments, and gives a new reason for a non-provocative and conciliatory foreign policy. The AMERICAN OPINION ON THE ARBITRATION. The Times New York correspondent says:-Lord Salisbury's speech in the House of Lords was warmly received here. The tone of it was felt to be friendly, and the assurances which he gave were of a nature to dispel some of the apprehensions which exist here respecting an ultimate agreement about Venezuela. Perhaps not many apprehensions do exist. Venezuela is no longer regarded by Americans in general as a burning question. It has almost disappeared from the political horizon. tempests of last winter have spent their force. Not foreign complications, but domestic troubles, are what now occupy the American mind. Not war with England, but revolution at home, is what the sober-minded dread. The Chicago Convention has provided Americans with topics enough to keep their attention fixed till next November. There is, on the whole, a general readiness to let the diplomatic negotiations take their course, coupled with some surprise that Lord Salisbury and Mr. Olney are still so far from agreement. There is a general desire that they should agree, and a general expectation that, whatever be the difficulties about the settled districts, or specific arbitration, a way out of them will be found. It is seen, nevertheless, that, taking the despatches as now published, a deadlock seems to exist. As for general arbitration, there is a considerable American sentiment in favour of it, but no very strong opinion is expressed on the merits of either Lord Salisbury's proposal or Mr. Olney'swhich is really the President's. It is thought well that the subject should be threshed out, There is some hope that a middle ground may be discovered on which the two nations can stand. Those who know most about the practical difficulties of the business are least sanguine that a workable scheme is attainable. JOINT RESOLUTION FOR AN INTERNATIONAL COURT, IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, U.S.A. On April 23rd, 1896, in the United States Congress, at Washington, Mr. Pearson introduced the following Joint Resolution, which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and ordered to be printed : "Joint resolution authorising the President of the United States to make overtures for the establishment of an International Court of Arbitration : Resolved, by the Senate and House of Representives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That the President of the United States be authorised and requested to invite the nations of the world to appoint delegates to an International Conference, to be held at such time and place as may be agreed upon, for the purpose of establishing a permanent International Court of Arbitration for the final settlement of all such claims, controversies or matters of dispute as the nations participating in such conference may define and agree to submit to arbitration. "Sec. 2. That the President be reque Congress the correspondence which may be interchanged with the several nations in this behalf. "Sec. 3. That in the event that the city of Washington shall be designated as the place of meeting of such Conference, the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States be authorised to pay, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, and upon the order of the Secretary of State, all necessary and incidental expenses of the Conference while in session." THE NAVIES OF THE GREAT POWERS, 1836. A parliamentary paper was issued recently containing particulars of the naval strength of the world. Torpedo-boats are not included in the return. With regard to the United Kingdom, it appears that it has, of sea-going war-vessels either in commission or reserve, 42 battle-ships, 14 armoured coast defence ships, 120 armoured and unarmoured cruisers, and 122 other ships, not being torpedo-boats. The total naval strength of the United Kingdom is, therefore-torpedo-boats apart-of sea-going vessels in commission, in reserve, and building, 52 battle-ships, 17 armoured and unarmoured coast defence ships, 137 armoured and unarmoured cruisers, and 174 other ships. The relative strength of the British Empire, France, Russia, Germany, Italy, and the United States, in sea-going ships-i.e, either in commission or in reserve-is thus shown in tabular form : In 1895 in the first line (ages 22-32) there was an effective total of 137,640 men, divided into eight divisions. The Landwehr, which was organised in 1876 (ages 32-44), consisted of an effective total of 80,600 men, divided also into eight divisions. The Landsturm is reckoned at 270,000 men. In 1894 there were 34,150 men examined for recruits, of whom 17,564 were accepted, or about 51 per cent. Of 167,000 boys at school in 1893-94, 153,000 went through the gymnastic course, manual exercise, and elements of company drill, so that when the recruit comes up for service he is not absolutely ignorant of drill, of which in the regiment he has only forty-five days' drill in his first year, and sixteen days every other year afterwards. There are, moreover, 2,977 societies for target shooting, with 133,500 members, and in the estimates 485,700 francs (£15,430), are set down as a subvention to volunteer societies, of which the "Sociétés de Tir" receive the greater part. In this way nearly every man in Switzerland knows how to handle a rifle. When the Swiss soldier crosses the threshold of his house he may be said to be in full marching order, for he keeps his entire kit, rifle, knapsack, and cloak in his home, and every man takes pride in having each article in good condition. The inspection of arms is held annually in every district, and is conducted with much strictness, and if anything is wanting from carelessness, the owner has to have repairs made good at his own expense. The average cost of a soldier is about £7, as compared to £64 in England, £45 in Germany and France, and £22 in Russia. The Swiss army is complete in every detail, the medical, veterinary, and commissariat departments being thoroughly organised. It is surprising that such a small and poor country could at the very shortest notice put into the field and maintain an army of 150,000 men. MR. "PUNCH'S" PLEA FOR THE BIRDS. AN APPEAL TO THE LADIES OF ENGLAND. Over all the silver sea, Where the white-toothed waves are curling, And the surge is stained with red ; Sweeping round old Flamborough Head. With the crimson on her breast, Left to starve in yonder nest. Send those men to gain each day Though the plumage seemeth fair, Sees that slaughter in the air. Wear the hat, then, sans the feather, Leave his feathers to the bird! WHAT THE WAR WITH CHINA COST JAPAN. From estimates just made by inquiring foreigners in Japan, it does not appear that that country benefited much financially from its late war with China, even if no untoward event prevents the payment of the further instalments of the indemnity within the next five years. The official documents published show that the cost of the war to Japan was 225 million yen, or about 25 millions sterling; but in this sum are not included pensions to the wounded and invalided, grants in aid to the families of the killed, or even the current expense of maintaining a garrison at Wei-haiwei. Of this last expense, while it continues, China is only bound to defray one-third. Over and above these annual payments Japan suffered a capital loss to her navy and in other ways which is computed to raise the total cost of the war by more than another hundred million yen. Without endorsing the precise figures, there seems a fair basis for this assumption. Now the Chinese indemnity, including the sum allowed for the restoration of the Liaotung peninsula, amounted to 350 million yen, or about the same sum; but while nearly all the expenditure has been made, only one-fifth, or at the most, one-fourth, of the indemnity has been received. At the same time, the Japanese Government has had to incur a greatly increased naval and military expenditure, and the estimates for the current year show a deficit of one and a half millions sterling. Even this expenditure is far from adequate, if Japan seriously adheres to the intention of maintaining those rights in Corea which two years ago she went to war to assert. Under these circumstances it is not surprising that some anxiety should be felt among Japanese as to the receipt of the future instalments of the Chinese indemnity, and an effort may be expected to accelerate their payment, subject to a considerable reduction for anticipating the long respite of six years granted to China by the terms of the Treaty of Shimonoseki. A CHRISTIAN VICTORY OVER SAVAGE INDIANS. An American Quaker missionary, Mrs. Emmeline H. Tuttle, sends the following remarkable narrative to the Philadelphia American Friend: As I sit down to write a little sketch of the Modoc Indians, so many recollections throng the mind that I hardly know where to begin. Perhaps it will be best to pass by their early traditions, native customs, the cruel massacre of 1854, the war with the government of the United States in 1872, their capture and the punishment by death of some of their leaders and banishment of others, and locate them in their new home. After the war was over and the excitement had somewhat abated, they were taken three thousand miles and settled in tents and barracks in the Indian Territory. They then consisted of four bands, each having a chief, with "Bogus Charlie" as head chief. He was interpreter for the tribe, which gave him large influence, not only with the Indians, but with the Government also. These Indians were untaught, uncivilised and knew little of the habits and customs of the white man. When I first met them they impressed me as a deeply-wronged and sorely-injured race, and my heart went out to them in sympathy to a greater degree than to any other people. On our first visit to them we witnessed a medicine pow-wow over a very sick woman. It was their religion, without one ray of the comfort that Christ can give. The woman was lying on a buffalo-robe in the centre of the tent, while the medicine man was performing his incantations over her. About fifty nearly naked Indians surrounded her and kept up their medicine chant nearly all night, and, strange as it may seem to us, the medicine man had so much power over them that he made them believe that he drew from her side where the pain was located, craw-fish, snakes, grasshoppers, etc. In another place we saw a large bundle hanging in a tree, which, on inquiring, we found was the dead body of an Indian, which they preferred to dispose of in this manner rather than to burn it, as it was their custom to burn their dead. The next day we walked through their camps, and came upon a funeral-pile covered with smouldering embers which were slowly dying out. Near by was a peculiarly-shaped tent called the "sweat-house," which we found contained several large and very hot stones. A little beyond this house was a man sitting on a log. His long, black hair hung loosely over his shoulders; he was entirely naked, and appeared to be in the deepest and most abject sorrow. My interpreter told me this man was "Steamboat Frank," whose son had recently died. The little body had been burned, and the father had been in the tent trying to sweat the bad feelings out of his heart. I can never forget the sensations that thrilled me through and through, as I said to myself: "And these are people for whom Christ died, here in our own land, people who have never heard the wondrous story of the Cross." My heart was full. I left the camp, and I think prayed as I had never done before, that "the Light of the world" might dawn upon them, and everyone be brought to a knowledge of Him. Many said, "Do you expect to see those rough men and miserable women brought to the Saviour? You may benefit the children, but you need not expect to see much change in the men and women." My answer invariably was, "I know it is written, For the crying of the poor and the sighing of the needy now will I arise, saith the Lord.'' And praise His name, we saw this wonderful promise fulfilled. He did arise in their behalf, because He had compassion upon them. AUGUST 1ST, 1896.] THE HERALD OF PEACE. The children were very soon sent to the Mission School. This brought us in close contact with their parents. Visits were made and meetings held in the camps. The Government Agent and his family did what they could to help in the work. As my husband instructed them in farming, he talked to them about the good seed of the kingdom, and as the months passed by we began to notice little changes for the better. They worked well and made their homes more comfortable. The first religious interest began with the children, and a class was organised in the Mission. When they went home for vacation their influence was good among the people. Soon after this the men and women began to inquire what they must do to be saved. The first thing was to put away some of their wives; As the missionaries tried as most of them had more than one. to manage this with care, the Lord was with them. Some were willing to be put away, others died; so that in a little while this great hindrance was removed. The next open reform was in the line of Temperance. Most of the tribe signed the pledge, and as far as we know, the leading men kept it inviolate. Then followed the important step of becoming members of the Church of Christ. This they did on profession of their faith, The day the and their promise to live an upright Christian life. church was organised in Camp Modoc was an auspicious one. The sky was clear and our hearts were glad. We started early, and when within six miles were surprised to meet the head chief with a company of men who had come to escort us into camp. We organised with, I think, sixty members, and a manifest blessing rested upon that day's service, the extent and richness of which eternity alone will reveal. Many of the members of that original meeting died happy in the faith. I would like to speak of them individually, but cannot in this brief sketch. I will speak of the leading men of the tribe. Customs changed. A strict watch was kept over the people. All sorts of gambling were forbidden. Ball-playing on the Sabbath was discouraged, virtue was encouraged, and anything to the contrary, if detected, was punished. Finally, "Shagnostic Jim," the youngest chief, became ill. He seemed very desirous that his record might be clean. He was a member of the police, which position ensured him a little income, but he became uneasy, and finally resigned his position, saying he could not serve God and carry a gun. This was a great step for him, for he was considered one of their greatest warriors. Again, he felt that as he had signed the pledge, he could not take quinine given in whiskey, and declined to do so when it was ordered for him by the doctor. He died a humble Christian, saying he had done but little to lead his people into a better life, for he had known but little, and that little only for a short time. In my husband's absence, it devolved upon me to conduct the funeral services, and I think I never saw more intense mourning. Not long after this, "Bogus Charlie," head chief, was taken of life, he desired to make his last talk to his people. Being later. He learned many lessons in the school of Christ. All his family passed on to the better land before him. He came to the East to fit himself to preach more intelligently to his people, but was not permitted to return to them. Instead of his earthly service being continued, he was taken home to serve on the other side in our Father's kingdom. His wife, who died a few years before he did, was an impressive speaker, and no doubt would have been formally recognised by the church as a minister had she lived. "Scar-faced Charlie" is the only one of the original chiefs remaining. He is an elder and valued member in the Friends' meeting, and an exemplary and useful Christian. Samuel Clinton, one of the first boys to attend our school, is now a minister of the Gospel and acceptably preaching Christ. Many, too, of the old women have learned to pray, and I expect, when I reach the Golden City over on the other side, I shall meet many of that band of captives who "came up out of great tribulation, having washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb," and together we will sing praises" to Him that loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father, saying, To Him be glory and dominion, for ever and Amen." Glorious consummation! ever. BIRMINGHAM. A meeting of Friends of Peace was held in the Committeeroom of the Birmingham Town Hall, last month, "to protest against the policy of aggression now pursued by the Government in Africa." Councillor Martineau presided; and there were also present the Revs. J. J. Brown, J. C. Street, J. Sharpe, J. Hulme, Messrs. Frank Wright, J. Sturge, C. D. Sturge, A. Beardsley, W. Gilliver, T. Hewins, R. Sanders, G. Basnett, W. Priestman, J. Derrington, E. L. Tyndall, J. W. Shorthouse, &c. A letter was read from Miss Colenso. The CHAIRMAN traced the history of events in the Soudan, and said that they felt that the invasion was one of conquest, and they most strongly disapproved of conquests. It should be the object of a great country to point out the way of civilisation and make plain the paths of unity, peace and concord. The Rev. J. J. BROWN proposed: "That this meeting of Birmingham citizens views with alarm and disapproval the aggressive action of the Government in its unprovoked and unnecessary invasion of the Soudan, and urgently calls upon it to withdraw the British troops from those territories; that we hold it to be the duty of the Government and the nation to deal justly with all peoples with whom it comes into contact throughout the world, and to be especially tender and righteous in its dealings with the weaker races, who should naturally look to us for protection and support." Mr. FRANK WRIGHT, Mr. PRIESTMAN, the Rev. J. C. STREET, and others spoke, and the resolution was carried. MANCHESTER AUXILIARY. Since last report, P.S.A. meetings have been addressed as follows:-May 24th, at Dukinfield; June 7th, at Shaw, near Oldham; and June 14th, at Rochdale. The attendance was about 400, 150 and 180 respectively, and the message of the Society was in every case received with great cordiality. Engagements have been made for the following six Sundays, besides others at later dates. A communication was sent to the Christian Endeavour newspaper on 15th ult., which was kindly inserted by the editor, suggesting that all the Christian Endeavour Societies take up the subject of Peace at their weekly meetings immediately before Christmas. Mr. Stevenson has been in correspondence with the Secretaries of several of the large trade Societies, in regard to the settlement of trade disputes by Arbitration. Four new subscribers have been obtained, and the circulation of the literature continued as usual. "Robbie," said the visitor kindly, "have you any little brothers and sisters? "No," replied Robbie solemnly, "I'm all the children we've got." THE JUBILEE OF THE LONDON AND NORTH- A jubilee celebration by a railway company is about as forcible a reminder as we could have of the fact that we are nearing the end of the most wonderful and epoch-making century in the world's history. When the nineteenth century was in its teens, railways were unknown; in its twenties they were quite insignificant and almost in as experimental a stage as motor-cars are to-day. And now they lie in a thick mesh over the whole country, and social and industrial life without them is not realisable by the imagination. The Jubilee of the London and North-Western Railway has a unique interest. Not only is the Company which owns it, the greatest railway corporation in this or any other country, and is, therefore, the premier representative of railway enterprise, but there is no other body of traders throughout the world controlling such a mammoth capital as that of the London and North-Western. It is fifty years since this leviathan came into being, by the declaration of royal assent to the Bill for consolidating the London and Birmingham, the Grand Junction, and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway Companies. For the North-Western, like so many other huge growths of capitalism, is an affair of assimilation; and under other names the NorthWestern line was an existing institution, for a large part of its length, some years before the Consolidation Act of 1846 was passed. Euston Station, for example, was a point of arrival and departure for northern passengers quite early in the thirties, and its massive Doric portico frowned on the newly constructed Euston-square when William the Fourth was King. Still older is the Liverpool and Manchester section, which had an independent incorporation in 1826, and was afterwards merged in the Grand Junction Railway, and so eventually became part of the North-Western system. The Liverpool and Manchester Railway, indeed, links the North-Western with the very beginning of railways, when George Stephenson was first rousing derision, hatred, and excitement by his experiments in steam locomotion. In one of the committee-rooms at Euston Station to-day may be seen coloured prints produced at the period, showing railway travelling on the Liverpool and Manchester line in this protoplasmic period of North-Western history. Drovers in tall hats, frantically endeavouring to appease the alarm of pigs, and sheep penned up in trucks of prehistoric appearance; ladies in funny poke bonnets, wedged into roofless carriages which a self-respecting horse of this end of the century would blush to be seen in; the engine which drags these unhappy wights looking like a badlymade product of the Lowther Arcade. These views of the good old days are doubtless faithful reproductions of railway travelling as it was; they certainly rouse the comic sense of the spectator, and (if such a simple emotion as gratitude survives in this complex and mechanical age) they should go far to allay his wrath when his dining-car jolts a bit, or the cushions of his compartment emit dust as he strikes them. We English are a conservative race, but we have sometimes a habit of assuming this quality in an even greater measure than the facts justify. Railways are a case in point. We give them to the world; we have shown the world how to improve them. The American patriot may cite the Pullman cars as instances of the contrary, and to a limited extent he may be right; but, after all, the American car is a poor affair in comparison with the palatial corridor trains run by the North-Western and other companies. There are plenty of travellers, too, who fail to see in the public Yankee system the summum bonum of railway travelling, and who prefer the privacy of a small compartment. In the matter of speed, the English lines can certainly give all competitors a handsome beating. It is curious, with these wonderful modern speeds in view, to turn to an old pamphlet, published in 1835, which chronicles the marvellous feat performed on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, when a train travelled between those two towns in an hour and twenty minutes. If Manchester merchants travelling to-day to Liverpool were an hour and twenty minutes on the journey, they also would characterise the time as marvellous, and the railway authorities would be inundated with letters on the subject; but they would not be letters of congratulation. Notwithstanding the fact that a North-Western express running through points at fifty miles an hour has recently been wrecked, the management of the North-Western Railway deserves congratula tion in this jubilee year, for the degree of safety to the public to which two generations of vigilance and careful engineering and working have brought the system. The proportion of passengers who get killed is very much less than formerly, and is still diminishing. This is the case on all our railways; and the NorthWestern, though its traffic is the greatest, is not behind the other lines. The travelling public little knows the unceasing efforts and alertness and brain-worry of all classes of officials, from the general manager to the signalmen, which go to ensure that safety. There is no more complicated industry in the modern world than the railway service, none which demands more from the army of men who conduct it. For truly it is an army, and of tremendous and ever-growing importance to society; and the officer who controls it wields a power which completely puts in the shade the ruler of many a State, with all his titles and ceremonial Court. Taking the apposite instance of the North-Western Railway as an example, the enormous power wielded by an English general manager will be evident when we consider that the servants of the company are not much short of 60,000 in number. Taking five persons as the norm of a family, it may therefore be said that the general manager of the North-Western practically controls the destinies of 300,000 souls. And the property under his supervision is correspondingly great-1,900 miles of permanent way, nearly 3,000 engines, nearly 5,000 carriages, some 60,000 wagons, the mammoth engine works at Crewe and carriage works at Wolverton, the "gridiron" sidings at Edgehill, the famous bridges over the Mersey and the Menai Straits : mention of these details gives but a slight idea of the nature of this huge undertaking. The responsibility of a general manager must weigh heavily on the most light-hearted. The directors and officers of the company are to be congratulated on the state of splendid efficiency which their line presents on its jubiles day. They have celebrated the event, in approved jubilee manner, by a Greenwich dinner. It is to be hoped they will give the minor officials and employés reason to jubilate also, for it is a unique occasion, and the company is very flourishing just now.-St. James's Gazette. THE WAR SPIRIT. Build navies; mould your cannon balls, A half a million frowning forts Brave hearts, not armour plates, are best; The soul of freedom to her breast, A cordon round your coast. Build arsenals and raise your forts, Of all Himself beside. THE HERALD HERALD OF PEACE AND INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION. "Put up thy sword into his place for all they who take the sword shall perish with the sword."-MATT. xxvi. 52. They shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning-hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more."-ISAIAH ii. 4. SEPTEMBER 1ST, 1896. PROGRESS OF ANGLO-AMERICAN ARBITRATION. Just before Parliament adjourned for the Session, the Right Hon. A. J. Balfour made a most important announcement in reference to the progress of the Arbitration negotiations between Great Britain and the United States. He said: "The latest proposals of Mr. Olney are still under consideration by the Government, and are regarded by them as opening the way to an equitable settlement. The Government have every expectation that the pending negotiations will lead to an early and satisfactory result." THE PRIME MINISTER AND ARBITRATION. In his speech at Dover, last month, Lord Salisbury, the Prime Minister, made the following noteworthy statement on the progress of International Arbitration, especially between Great Britain and the United States:-"I trust that the efforts which her Majesty's advisers are making, in conjunction with the Government of the United States, to withdraw a portion of the causes that have led mankind from ages past to the terrible judgment of the battle-field-I trust that it may be the fate of my colleagues and myself to win this peaceful victory, which, if it is won, will be more precious than the many victories with which this part of the island is associated." COMMERCIAL CONSULS. A long-needed step is at length to be taken, in the interests of British trade and commerce, by the appointment of two Commercial Consuls, one of whom is to reside at Berlin and the other at Madrid. THE LORD CHIEF JUSTICE. The speech of the Lord Chief Justice of England, at Saratoga, U.S.A., last month, was one of the most important declarations on International Law and Arbitration ever delivered. We have, therefore, thought it desirable to devote a considerable portion of the present Herald to the insertion of all its chief passages, for convenient permanent reference by our readers. THE UNIVERSAL PEACE CONGRESS. Those of our friends who purpose attending the Universal Peace Congress, which opens at Buda-Pesth on September 17th, are to be congratulated on their oppor [PRICE 1d. tunity of visiting one of the finest cities of Europe. The majestic Danube flows between the two portions of the great double city, and is spanned by a magnificent bridge, which is one of the many triumphs of modern engineering. The place abounds in fine buildings and noble prospects. The Congress will be held in the Exhibition Building, under the presidency of General Turr. The Peace Society will be represented by its Secretary, Dr. Darby, and others. THE PAN-ANGLICAN SYNOD OF 1897. Amongst the subjects for discussion at the decennial Pan-Anglican Synod, next year, the question of International Arbitration appears in the list just issued by the Archbishop of Canterbury. This is a gratifying proof of the increased interest which is being devoted to Peace by the Churches, an object for which the Peace Society, in particular, has strenuously exerted itself. ARBITRATION UNDER PENALTY. The London Chamber of Commerce recently memorialised the Government to introduce into the Conciliation Bill (in regard to industrial strikes), a provision that the parties in dispute, on going to Arbitration, should each deposit a certain sum of money, to be subsequently forfeited by either party refusing to accept or carry out the decision of the Arbitrators. It is matter for regret that the Government did not adopt this wise suggestion, which recent events have shown to be almost an indispensable condition for the future success of Industrial Arbitrations. MR. GLADSTONE ON WAR. When Li Hung Chang visited Mr. Gladstone, last month, he asked him, "What do you think of war?" To which Mr. Gladstone replied: "War benefits nobody. In all cases one country is in the wrong; and very often both countries are in the wrong." THE AMERICAN PEACE SOCIETY. The American Peace Society recently held its annual public meeting in Boston. The President, Mr. Robert Treat Paine, said: "Boston has taken its due share in many of the great events and movements which have influenced the progress of this country, this continent, and perhaps the world. These last five months have produced an intensity of thought on this great problem of peace or war, of arbitration, not surpassed at any previous period. Is it not blind folly not to recognise the stupendous danger? When two great nations are |