Despite the ethics of civilization, the optimism of the “unco guid” and the unction even of our own heart’s deep desire, there seems no doubt but that each generation will have its wars. “_Pax perpetua_,” writes Leibnitz, “exists only in God’s acre.” Here on earth, if seems that men forever will continue to murder one another for various reasons; all of which, in the future as in the past, will be good and sufficient to the fellow who wins; and this by processes differing only in neatness and despatch. Whether this condition is commendable or not, depends upon the point of view. Being irremediable, such phase of the subject hardly is worth discussing. However, the following by a well-qualified observer, is interesting and undeniably an intelligent opinion, viz.: From the essay on “WAR,” read by Prof. John Ruskin at Woolwich, (Eng.) Military Academy. “All the pure and noble arts of Peace are founded on War; no great Art ever rose on Earth, but among a nation of soldiers. “As Peace is established or extended the Arts decline. They reach an unparalleled pitch of costliness, but lose their life, enlist themselves at last on the side of luxury and corruption and among wholly tranquil nations, wither utterly away. “So when I tell you that War is the foundation of all the Arts, I mean also that it is the foundation of all the high virtues and faculties of men. “It was very strange for me to discover this and very dreadful--but I saw it to be quite an undeniable fact. “We talk of Peace and Learning, of Peace and Plenty, of Peace and Civilization; but I found that those were not the words which the Muse of History coupled together; but that on her lips the words were--Peace and Selfishness, Peace and Sensuality, Peace and Corruption, Peace and Death. “I found in brief, that all great nations learned their truth of word and strength of thought in War; that they were nourished in War and wasted in Peace; taught by War and deceived by Peace; trained by War and betrayed by Peace; that they were born in War and expired in Peace. “Creative, or foundational War, is that in which the natural restlessness and love of contest among men, is disciplined into modes of beautiful--though it may be fatal--play; in which the natural ambition and love of Power is chastened into aggressive conquest of surrounding evil; and in which the natural instincts of self-defence are sanctified by the nobleness of the institutions which they are appointed to defend. “For such War as this all men are born; in such War as this any man may happily die; and forth from such War as this have arisen throughout the Ages, all the highest sanctities and virtues of Humanity.” * * * * * That our own country may escape the common lot of nations, is something not even to be hoped.