We find another very pleasant indication of the coming peace that was
psychometrically prophesied for all the world, before 1889, in the
Central American States. Advices from Panama of April 25th, said:
"Of great present and future interest to the republics of
Central America are the treaties recently accepted by the Diet,
which assembled in Guatemala. The aim was 'to establish an
intimate relationship between the five republics, and, by making
the continuance of peace certain, to provide for their final
fusion into one country.' The treaty contains 32 articles, which
provide that perpetual peace shall exist between the republics,
that all differences shall be arranged, and that in the event of
this proving impossible, such differences shall be submitted to
arbitration. The idea which appears to have been prominent among
the members of the convention was the establishment of settled
rules, which, governing all the republics, shall simplify the
government of each. The fortunes of each one of these industrial
and agricultural States is so intimately allied to those of the
others, that it really appears that they are destined to form
one common nation.
"To prevent further shedding of blood the Central American
Congress made provision, in case of discord, that the States at
variance should agree upon an arbitrator. For this reason a
nomination is made in advance, and regulations were drawn up in
order to prevent, under any circumstances, the outbreak of war.
Should, however, armed disputes arise between two or more of the
republics, the others bind themselves to observe the strictest
neutrality.
"All the republics bind themselves in the most solemn manner to
respect the independence of each State, and to prohibit the
preparation in any one of armed expeditions against any of the
others, and that all citizens of the different States shall
enjoy similar privileges and rights throughout all of them."
Finally--John Bright and 173 members of the British House of Commons
have signed the American Peace Memorial, nine of whom will come with
the deputation to America.
THE SINALOA COLONY.--Co-operation in some form is the only hope of
philanthropists for a harmonious settlement of the labor question.
Hence we must feel an interest in the Sinaloa Colony. I have always
maintained that there are very few of the present generation (who are
the outcome of war and competition) fit for co-operative life. Mr.
Owen in his letter of last August says:
"The work we have laid out in Sinaloa requires, at first, men of
frontier experience--those who can fish, hunt, cook, work the
land and hold to a purpose in the face of privations and even
death.
"We repeat again that if the women wish us to succeed they must
not go to Sinaloa until we have gotten water, garden, and houses
for them, and _never_ without _first_ obtaining permission from
our New York office.
"The Credit Foncier company was conceived in kindness and love
for mankind, and its mission was and is peace on earth and good
will to every human being. It is to be regretted that the
Company was not financially able from the beginning to guard its
friends from discomforts and disease. Such was its endeavor, but
the circumstances surrounding our movement have made this
impossible. Of all times during the 19th century, perhaps, we
struck Sinaloa when it was the least prepared for us. Our
friends, however, would not be advised. Their idea of
co-operation was that every one was to act as he or she pleased,
at the time and place he or she selected; and that the Company
was to be responsible for his and her employment, food, shelter,
health and comfort at all times and in every place. So
thoroughly did they believe this that they did not even think it
was necessary to give the Company a hint that they were going to
Sinaloa, how, when, or for what purpose.
"Well! what was the result of each acting for him and herself?
Some 400 and more persons were dumped off at Topolobampo into
the brush and cacti, and over fifty per cent of these were
women, children, and aged persons, who became at once a heavy,
constant, and ever increasing care to those who were physically
capable of meeting the requirements of the movement. This
actually put upon every able-bodied pioneer a child, woman, or
aged person to attend to, to see sheltered, to have fed, etc.,
etc., besides his duties, and it added five times to the
expenses in the field which the Company proposed at first to
meet. But this was not the worst. The attention which it was
necessary to give to these non-combatants took the men from the
work that the Company expected to be done. This discouraged
those who were able and willing to work and piled anxieties upon
our best friends until they tottered under loads other than
belonged to the cause. Disease, death, and discouragement
followed. Those who remained in the States were frightened, and
the Company was left almost moneyless and powerless to assist,
even when it was most earnest in its work and in its wish to do
so.
"Had an army preparing for a campaign been recruited in such a
way, its friends would have demoralized and defeated it before
an enemy had been met. The United States Army, during the late
rebellion, was recruited in the following way: every man had to
be stripped naked, measured, weighed, examined, and reported by
a medical officer to be physically and mentally capable of
enduring camp life, before he was enlisted, and even after this
test and care, the records will show that thirty per cent each
year, without going into battle, became sick, died, deserted, or
went home, _i.e._, only 70 per cent of all those recruited for
the war stood the trials, even to get the first smell of the
burnt powder.
"Now that we have gotten our pioneers reduced to about 200, to a
few more than we had in December at Topolobampo, and to which
number we then urged that no more be added, we can organize and
begin anew to follow out the details laid down in _Integral
Co-operation_, strengthened by having veterans in the field and
by an experience with our people which will be of value to them
and to the Company.
"We are informed that some of those who returned in July, like
those who came back in April, expect to go again to Sinaloa as
soon as the Company is in shape to push its work. We wish to say
to these friends that all who have proven themselves to be
thoroughly with the movement will be welcomed in our midst, but
that we positively order--and in this we have the support of
every director and every good colonist--that every person who
goes to our settlements hereafter shall apply for and obtain
permission from the New York office. _Our purpose is now to lead
the movement and not to have the movement lead us._ Any colonist
who goes to our settlements in violation of these instructions
will not be received as a friend, will not be employed,
sheltered or provided for, and will forfeit stock and credits in
the Company."
When the pioneers in philanthropic schemes learn that their success
depends entirely upon the persons enlisted, and when they select those
persons by a psychometric knowledge of character or a thorough
knowledge of their past lives, sternly rejecting all who are weak,
unbalanced, passionate or selfish, success may be expected. The
adversities at Topolobampo are the best preparation for success, by
sending off all who were not fitted for such work.
There is evidently some good material at Topolobampo. Ida Hogeland
wrote, July 30, 1887:
"Let not your heart be troubled. There is nothing, absolutely
nothing, up to this last day of July that has interfered with
our bodily comfort, though we live in tents yet. The showers are
so gentle and refreshing that they serve as a perpetual
delight."
W. W. Green says:
"But whether stockholders do their part or not, we are here to
do our part in solving the great question of Integral
Co-operation, and if we fail it is their fault. But we do not
intend to fail. We have men here of the right grit, and enough
of them to hold the fort. So you need not be alarmed on that
account. A. K. Owen has not lied to us about the resources of
the country."
Mr. Owen promises to bring in a hundred good colonists in November,
and says the Mexican government manifests a friendly feeling.