第83章

“TheundersignedmembersoftheFrenchParliamentaryGroupofInternationalArbitrationandConciliationhavedecidedtotenderPresidentRooseveltatokenoftheirhighesteemandtheirsympatheticrecognitionofthepersistentanddecisiveinitiativehehastakentowardsgraduallysubstitutingfriendlyandjudicialforviolentmethodsincaseofconflictbetweenNations。

“TheybelievethattheactionofPresidentRoosevelt，whichhasrealizedthemostgeneroushopestobefoundinhistory，shouldbeclassedasacontinuanceofsimilarillustriousattemptsofformertimes，notablytheprojectforinternationalconcordknownunderthenameofthe’GreatDesignofHenryIV’inthememoirsofhisPrimeMinister，theDukedeSully。Inconsequencetheyhavesoughtoutacopyofthefirsteditionofthesememoirs，andtheytakepleasureinofferingittohim，withtherequestthathewillkeepitamonghisfamilypapers。”

ThesignaturesincludethoseofEmileLoubet，A。Carnot，d’EstournellesdeConstant，AristideBriand，SullyPrudhomme，JeanJaur閟，A。Fallieres，R。Poincare，andtwoorthreehundredothers。

OfcoursewhatIhaddoneinconnectionwiththePortsmouthpeacewasmisunderstoodbysomegoodandsincerepeople。Justasafterthesettlementofthecoalstrike，therewerepersonswhothereuponthoughtthatitwasinmypower，andwasmyduty，tosettleallotherstrikes，soafterthepeaceofPortsmouththerewereotherpersons——

notonlyAmericans，bytheway，——whothoughtitmydutyforthwithtomakemyselfakindofinternationalMeddlesomeMattieandinterfereforpeaceandjusticepromiscuouslyovertheworld。Others，withadelightfulnon-sequitur，jumpedtotheconclusionthatinasmuchasI

hadhelpedtobringaboutabeneficentandnecessarypeaceImustofnecessityhavechangedmymindaboutwarbeingevernecessary。A

coupleofdaysafterpeacewasconcludedIwrotetoafriend：“Don’tyoubemisledbythefactthatjustatthemomentmenarespeakingwellofme。Theywillspeakillsoonenough。AsLoebremarkedtometo-day，sometimesoonIshallhavetospanksomelittleinternationalbrigand，andthenallthewell-meaningidiotswillturnandshriekthatthisisinconsistentwithwhatIdidatthePeaceConference，whereasinrealityitwillbeexactlyinlinewithit。”

Tooneofmypoliticalopponents，Mr。Schurz，whowrotemecongratulatingmeupontheoutcomeatPortsmouth，andsuggestingthatthetimewasopportuneforamovetowardsdisarmament，IansweredinalettersettingforthviewswhichIthoughtsoundthen，andthinksoundnow。Theletterranasfollows：

OYSTERBAY，N。Y。，September8，1905。

MydearMr。Schurz：Ithankyouforyourcongratulations。Astowhatyousayaboutdisarmament——whichIsupposeistheroughequivalentof“thegradualdiminutionoftheoppressiveburdensimposedupontheworldbyarmedpeace“——Iamnotcleareitherastowhatcanbedoneorwhatoughttobedone。IfIhadbeenknownasoneoftheconventionaltypeofpeaceadvocatesIcouldhavedonenothingwhateverinbringingaboutpeacenow，Iwouldbepowerlessinthefuturetoaccomplishanything，andIwouldnothavebeenabletohelpconfertheboonsuponCuba，thePhilippines，PortoRicoandPanama，broughtaboutbyouractiontherein。IftheJapanesehadnotarmedduringthelasttwentyyears，thiswouldindeedbeasorrowfulcenturyforJapan。IfthiscountryhadnotfoughttheSpanishWar；ifwehadfailedtotaketheactionwedidaboutPanama；allmankindwouldhavebeentheloser。WhiletheTurkswerebutcheringtheArmenianstheEuropeanpowerskeptthepeaceandtherebyaddedaburdenofinfamytotheNineteenthCentury，forinkeepingthatpeaceagreaternumberofliveswerelostthaninanyEuropeanwarsincethedaysofNapoleon，andtheseliveswerethoseofwomenandchildrenaswellasofmen；whilethemoraldegradation，thebrutalityinflictedandendured，theaggregateofhideouswrongdone，surpassedthatofanywarofwhichwehaverecordinmoderntimes。Untilpeoplegetitfirmlyfixedintheirmindsthatpeaceisvaluablechieflyasameanstorighteousness，andthatitcanonlybeconsideredasanendwhenitalsocoincideswithrighteousness，wecandoonlyalimitedamounttoadvanceitscomingonthisearth。Thereisofcoursenoanalogyatpresentbetweeninternationallawandprivateormunicipallaw，becausethereisnosanctionofforcefortheformer，whilethereisforthelatter。Insideourownnationthelaw-abidingmandoesnothavetoarmhimselfagainstthelawlesssimplybecausethereissomearmedforce——thepolice，thesheriff’sposse，thenationalguard，theregulars——whichcanbecalledouttoenforcethelaws。Atpresentthereisnosimilarinternationalforcetocallon，andIdonotasyetseehowitcouldatpresentbecreated。Hi