PRESIDENT WILSON AND THE LESSONS OF HISTORY.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR:1
STR.—In your leading article under the above title on Juno 3rd, in con- demning " the President's policy of intervention or of quasi-interven- tion," you point out that Lincoln in the Civil War rejected all attempts at " intervention " between North and South, on the ground that an overwhelming defeat of the South was necessary for future peace. You suggest a parallel between this and the present war. I submit that there is no such parallel Tho American Civil War was intended by Lincoln to end, and did end, in the union of the combatants within a single political unit. You yourself speak of the " rebels " and of " tho possi- bility of a new civil war." All will admit that rebels must be put down. But does any one propose that this war should end in the union of Britain and Germany in one State ? This would be a degree of pro- Germanism with which I should hardly credit the Spectator. But if this Is not so, then the whole parallel is dangerous and misleading. Britain and Germany, after this war, whether we like it or not, have got to live together side by side as independent units.—I am, Sir, &c.,
[In both cases the majorities in the communities at war—i.e., the people of the North and the British people—determined to fight to a finish and not to tolerate external intervention. We asked Americans to remember how Mr. Lincoln and the North received the inter- vention of Napoleon III., and to judge therefrom how we should receive the best-meant attempt to intervene to "prevent further bloodshed," &e. We have no quarrel with Mr. Buxton for his well-meant, if fallacious, pleas that Germany shall be gently treated. No doubt he elisbelieves in there being any virtue in punishment for individual or collective man. We would, however, ask him to consider, not that it is possible that he may be mistaken, for that, we recognize, would be too great an effort, but at least that it is conceivable that, even though we are anti-Germans, we may have some glimmerings of sense and some kistoric knowledge. We never said that the origin or aims of the two wars were on all fours, but based our parallel on the determination in both cases not to allow intervention.—ED. Spectator.]
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