THE MISCHIEF OF AN ARMED PEACE. After what I have said of the evils of actual warfare, you cannot charge me with underat ing them. But 1 really do believe that the mischief, if not the misery, of an armed peace, is more to be apprehended. This sword hang ing over us takes somewhat of the savour out of every banquet A great war tended, there is some chance of disbandment j and for the

WARS OP OPNION. We come now to wars opinion. la thi9 respect also the motive is last dying away from the minds of men. It is not that big otry i « by any means extinct, but that a great many men have discovered that you cannot propagate opinions securely by means of force. Moreover, the world of opinion, in the last century or two, has become divided into so many sections, that it is difficult to array them one against another in battle. When all Europe was distinctly marked off into Protes tant and Catholic, you might bring these two great sections face to face in hostile array ; but now, when there are so many shades of opin ion in religious matters, and, consequently, so many different sections of persons anxious for toleration, and fearful lest the party to which they nominally belong should get tho upper hand and oppress them, a thousand hindrances would be found in the way of getting up a great war upon religious opinion. The same argument would apply to any other matter dependent upon opinion. Then again, from whatever cause, the doc trine of non interference as regards the domes tic concerns of other states has become largely prevalent in modern times. Ellesmbrb. Forgive me for interrupting, but what I am anxious to say will never come iv so well as at this point of the discourse. You are disposing, Milverton, of various mo tives for war, but pray do not leave out of your consideration, one which may appear ever so absurd, but it is nevertheless a most impor tant motive to deal with. Which is the stronger ? That is a question pregnant with battle. You have a herd of bulls : they might enjoy their pasture comfortably to gether ; there is plenty of herbage for all, but that important question, which is the strong est or the fiercest, must be settled first. 