MR. COBDEN'S PEACE LETTER.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SPECTATOR.
Camberwell, 28th September 1848.
Sue—However Utopian the scheme, it must be admitted that the efforts of certain amiable philanthropists for the attainment of universal peace are both praiseworthy and admirable; and if they are productive of no positive good, they cannot be charged with evil. The remark may apply perhaps also to Mr. Cob- den's letter published in the Times of the 26th instant. It is impossible to doubt the sincerity and earnestness of purpose with which the writer addresses himself to the subject- His principal aim is "to demonstrate how costly is the reliance of Christian nations for defence upon the spirit of war, seeing that the New Testament has failed to inspire them with faith in the principles of peace "; and he estimates the maintenance of European armaments at 200,000,0001. sterling per annum ! An enormous sum truly; and if Mr. Cobden had demonstrated that fact, it would be as sure a means for accomplishing the end he has in view, as that which be informs us Dr. Jenner employed in bringing home conviction to the minds of the Overseers: but in this respect he has, in my opinion, failed—he has merely, placed an estimate before the public, and an estimate too not worked out with that accuracy that might have been expected from Mr. Cobden. He puts down the number of men at 2,350,000, and their cost at 200,000,000/. a year; implying, that ff European armaments could all be abolished, European commumties would be benefited by the saving of that enormous sum every year. Now that Mr. Cobden has not "demonstrated"; he merely asserts it. But surely, Mr. Cobden, in confining himself to the purely economical view of the question, cannot have been guilty of so great a mistake as to omit from his calculation of profit and loss to society, that in disarming these 2,350,000 men, they would be thrown on the labour-market, and that the cost of 200,000,0001 (assuming this sum to be no more than sufficient for clothes and food) would have to be provided for from the present wages-fund, unless 200,000,0001. of extra produce every year could be realized, without depreciation of present rates of wages! Also, there would have to be added to the above 2,350,000 men, the number now em- ployed in the several trades and manufactures necessary to the maintenance of military and naval armaments, but who would be entirely deprived of employ- ment by the proposed disarmament! It would appear, however, that Mr. Cobden has forgotten to take these considerations into his account; and if so, what be- comes of his economies? This is not the way, Sir, to go about the establishment of universal peace. If war is to be driven from the face of the earth, it must be effected by other means and on higher grounds than by the consideration of the mere cost of the thing. At all events, if the cost is to be calculated, pray let it be done accurately.
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