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Garibaldi and the First Peace Congress in Geneva in 1867

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 December 2008

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As is well known the advocacy of pacifism is almost as old as war itself although organized attempts to outlaw war date only from the middle nineteenth century, and among these the Congrès de la Paix of 1867 played a unique rôle. First it foreshadowed the permanency of Geneva as its logical seat, at least in the all-important area of Europe, and secondly, it dared attack the immediate conditions which predisposed nations to eventual belligerency. In a way, the United Nations could be considered as a realization of some of the ideals which inspired the daring initiative taken by the 1867 Congress, even though it was attacked as being anarchistic and revolutionary at that time. In fact the ̓67 Congress ended in a furore over this issue and although it continued its work until World War I it was practically obliged to confine its efforts along the less explosive lines of arbitration and international jurisdiction.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Internationaal Instituut voor Sociale Geschiedenis 1960

References

page 457 note 1 „…mettre fin à toutes les contestations menaçantes pour la tranquillité des peuples…”

page 457 note 2 Le Phare de la Loire, Paris, io Août 1867.

page 458 note 1 Mémoires de Garibaldi par Alexandre Dumas, précédés d'un discours sur Garibaldi par Victor Hugo et d'une introduction par George Sand. Seule édition complète, interdite pour la France. Bruxelles, , Méline, Cans et Cie (1861). 3 vols. 16°.Google Scholar

page 458 note 2 Billboards paid for by the Parti Indépendant de Genève.

page 459 note 1 Apparently by the time the Congress opened many more subscribed. „On comptait plus de six mille adhérents dans Genève et les environs”, states Fazy in his Mémoires de James, Fazy, Genève, Editions Celta, 1947, p. 212.Google Scholar Fazy was, among other things, president of the Institut de Geneve's Sciences Morales et Politiques Department which took charge of all prepaiations.

page 460 note 1 Journal de Genève, 1 Septembre 1867, p. 2, Dispatch from Turin, 28 Août.

page 461 note 1 ibid., 8 Septembre 1867.

page 462 note 1 Annales du Congrès de Genève (9–12 Septembre 1867), Genève, Veresoff & Garrigues, , 1868, p. 104.Google Scholar

page 462 note 2 Journal de Genève, , 11 Septembre 1867.Google Scholar

page 463 note 1 La Suisse Radicale, Lundi 9 et Mardi 10 Septembre 1867, Genève.

page 463 note 2 Supplément du 9 Septembre 1867. Also, L'Illustration, Journal Universel, Paris, Samedi 21 Septembre 1867, p. 182.

page 464 note 1 The Geneva railroad station, along with all foreign trains operating within Switzerland, did not become the property of the Swiss Confederation until January I, 1913.

page 464 note 2 With four horses and two postillions.

page 464 note 3 Commonly called Lake Geneva.

page 465 note 1 Charles Lemonnier, La vérité sur le Congrès de Genève, Berne et Genève, Veresoff et Garrigues, , 1867, p. 14Google Scholar; and Annales, op. cit., pp. 112–113.

page 468 note 1 A point ignored by Garibaldi's detractors; see letter wiitten from Genestrello, at the end of this article.

page 469 note 1 From here on through Article io Garibaldi abridged. The more complete listing of propositions were those he submitted in writing before the Congress opened. In that listing the original 8th, 9th and 10th articles were: 8. The ministry (priesthood) of revelations and of ignorance to be supplanted by the ministry of the divinity of genius, science and intelligence. 9. Propaganda to be undertaken to promote the moral aspects of democracy as manifested in honest people. 10. Propaganda for the religion of God to be by instruction and education.

page 471 note 1 Yarmolinsky, A., Dostoevsky, his Life and Art, New York, Criterion Books, 1957, pp. 245–245Google Scholar; also, Dnevnik Dostoevskai, A. G., 1867, Moscow, 1923.Google Scholar

page 471 note 2 Bakunin's extreme proposals were responsible for at least one resignation from the Congress; see Pierre Dolgoroukow, Lettre à M. le Président du soi-disant Congrès de la Paix par le prince Pierre Dolgoroukow, Genève et Bâle, Georg, H., 1867, 16°, 12 p.Google Scholar

page 472 note 1 See p. 16, footnote i and the Genestrello lettet at end of article.

page 472 note 2 Annales, op. cit., p. 203.

page 473 note 1 Registre du Conseil d'État, 2 me semestre, 1867, 420, p. 213. Also handbill: Adresse des Catholiques à S. G. Mgr. l'Évêque d'Hébron, Genève, 1867. „Nous nous sentons pressés de venir auprès de vous protester contre le langage outrageant qu'a fait entendre dans notie ville l'ennemi déclaré de la papauté… la Sainte Église, qui est la patiie de nos âmes.” Subsequently Mgr. l'Évêque d'Hébron, commonly called Bishop Mermillod, wrote a detailed letter to Pius IX protesting Garibaldi and the Congress, and although this letter remains unavailable in the Vatican Archives the following letter from other Christians, including Catholics, protested Mermillod's letter to the Pope: Lettte au Pape pour servir de Supplément à celle que lui a édite son vénérable Frère Gaspard, évêque d'Hébron, Auxiliaire de Genève, dans le mois de Septembre 1867, Genève, Impri. partie, de Trivier, C. L., 1868, 24°, 10 p.Google Scholar plus documents.

page 474 note 1 Lemonniei, op. cit., p. 19.

page 474 note 2 La Suisse Radicale, 12 Septembre 1867: „C'est mal comprendre la liberté que de ne pas respecter celle de la conscience…”

page 475 note 1 L'Illustration, Journal Universel, Paris, op. cit., p. 182.

page 476 note 1 Lemonniet, op. cit., p. 23; Annales, pp. 266–267.

page 480 note 1 Lemonnier, , p. 27Google Scholar; Annales, 299.

page 480 note 2 Typical of the clerical opinion on the voting was minister David Munier's Le Congrès international de la Paix à Genève (Extrait des Étrennes Religieuses pour 1868), Genève, Imp. Soullier, Landskron et Wirth, , 1868, who on p. 37Google Scholar says: „Je n'aurais pas hésité à décider, en conscience, que la proposition était adoptée. M. Barni, en jugea autrement, et la déclara de nouveau rejetée.” For a contrary opinion, however, see Réponse de Barni, M. à M. le pasteur Munier, Annales, Doc. 5, pp. 379381Google Scholar, for a conclusive refutation of Munier's accusations.

page 481 note 1 Still it is surprising to read in Fazy's Mémoires, op. cit., p. 214: „…il y eut évidemment un vote contraire; néanmoins, le président déclara l'article adopté.” For a similar opinion, L'Illustration, Paris, op. cit., p. 182. Munier, op. cit., p. 37, disclaims that a vote was taken at all - Jolissaint walked out and never returned—(and) „le Congrès s'est dissous dans la confusion, avant d'avoir transmis à personne l'héritage de ses pouvoiis et l'exécution d'aucune mesure!”

page 481 note 2 Fazy, , Mémoires, p. 215Google Scholar, apparently agreed with Munier, for he speaks of the „dissolution” of the Congress and blames the “excentricités de suspects éminents” for it.

page 482 note 1 L(ouis) R(oehrich), Discours en vers… Imp. Bonnant, , 1868, Genève.Google Scholar

page 482 note 2 La Démocratie Suisse, Genève, 13 Septembie, 1867; see also Samedi 7 Septembre.

page 482 note 3 Mazzini's Letters to an English Family, 1844–1854, edited and with an intro. by Richards, E. F., London & New York, John Lane, 1920, p. 131.Google Scholar

page 482 note 4 Journal de Genève, 12 Septembre 1867.

page 483 note 1 ibid., 15 Septembre.

page 483 note 2 Also reprinted in: La Suisse Radicale, jeudi 19 Septembre 1867.

page 483 note 3 Vendredi 13 Septembre 1867 and in: La Suisse Radicale of same date.

page 483 note 4 Journal de Genève, vendredi 13 Septembre 1867.

page 484 note 1 Le Carillon de Saint Gervais, Genève, samedi 14 Septembre 1867.

page 484 note 2 Vendredi, 13 Septembre 1867.Google Scholar

page 484 note 3 Letter published in: Annales, pp. 378–379.

page 484 note 4 Reprinted from: Le Carillon de Saint Gervais, 21 Septembre 1867.

page 484 note 5 For lengthiei attacks from the Catholic side, see: Avant, pendant et après, ou Garibaldi à Genève, Imp. Catholique Duraford, J., 1867, 16°, 55 p.Google Scholar Numerous unfounded charges, some involving the Genevese police for „conspiring” with Garibaldi, are herein presented. Also, L. Mr. S.-A., Les quatres journées du Congrès de la Paix à Genève, Genève, Duraford, J., 1867, 8°, 76 p.Google Scholar Garibaldi is compared to Luther, Voltaire and Calvin by the author, who is a priest and thanks the Genevese Catholics for their actions in behalf of the clergy.

page 485 note 1 Annales, pp. 376–377; Lemonnier, , pp. 4647Google Scholar; for the Italian version, Edizione Nazionale degli scritti di Giuseppe Gaiibaldi, Bologna, Cappelli, L., 19321937, V, pp. 412413Google Scholar; as well as in many European newspapers of the times.

page 486 note 1 Editorial p. I, jeudi 26 and vendredi 27 Septembre 1867; and p. 3, Ier Octobre 1867.