The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1855-07-17
Ancient and Modern Warfare.

War is always terrible. Even when waged
in the cause of freedom, there is much in it to
make the heart revolt. Millions squandered,
thousands Of lives lost, provinces devastated,
children made orphans, society demoralizcd-
these are the consequences ofjust wars, equally
with unjust ones. and should teach govern
ments to be certain before engaging in hoslili'
ties that their cause is right; for terrible is the
responsibility of u people who begin q war; un-
less. as Patrick Henry said, "an appeal to
arms and to the God Of Hosts is all that is
left
But dreadful as war is, it is merciful conf
pared to what it oGce was. In rohing has
civilization done so much for mankind rs in
mitigating the horrors of war. Not TO so back
to the remote and probably uncertain annals
Of Assyria and Egypt, there is sufficient proof,
in authentic ancient history, that war formerly
was one incessant scene of rapine, wrong, and
massacre. Often no quarter was given in bat
tie. Frequently all sexes and ages were put to
the sword. Always those saved were sold into
slavery. What now takes place exceptionally,
and VIXEN a town is given up to the sack, hap.
pened in ancient wars continually, aud was the
universal rule. 49,
We will take the first Punic wars as an ex.-
ample. 1t is customary to speak Of the wars
of the French revolution as OF unexampled du
ration aud atrocity; but the first Punic war
lasted longer, and was characterized by spirit
vastly more merciless. When Regulus in this
contest invaded Africa, he laid waste the coun
try before him, as if his army had been flight
of locusts, sent to destroy another Egypt
Villas were burnt, crops destroyed. cattle wan
tonly slaughtered, and thousands Gf persons,
many Of them bred to luxury, carried off and
sold for slaves. Three hundred walled villages
aud towns were sacked in this pitiless fOray.-
But the Carthagenians had their revenge and
availed themselves Of it as remorselessly.
In great battle, fought the following year,
they defeated the invaders, and not only saugh-
tered the Romans almost to man, on the field
of victory, but when the contest was closed,
when all Carthage blazed with festive lights,
burnt alive thu bravest Of the few prisoners: as
thank offering to Moluch. On another occa'
sion, during this war, the Ca'hagenans crdGk
| fed one of their unsuccessful leaders. But
the Romans were not Il whit behind them III
blood-lhirstiness. Frequently captive generals,
in spite Of their heroism, and Notwithstanding
they had shown clemency to Roman prisoners,
were barbarousy put TO death. The great
Roman fleet, with which Africa was invaded
was manned by galley slaves, most of whom
were captives ravishcd from Sicily, Sardinia,
or other Carthagcuian colonies. -
We moderns have made great advances in
the science of war, but lesson might often DO
taken in energy from the ancicnts The 10.
mans, in this same contest, built fleet OF more
than three hundred ships capable of carrying
three hundred thousand men, during one win
ter; and us they possessed no experience in
maralimc affairs, they made their galley-slaves
practice on dry land, the art Of rowing, while
the vessels were being constructed. The mag
n;tude, as we'll MS resolution, with which they
carried on hostiIites, may be inferred from, the
fact that in the naval battle at Ecomus, they
took I4O, 900 men into action, or seven times
as many as Nelson had at Trafalgar In a
great tempest, subsequently, nearly 100000
seamcn were lost, the whole southern coast OF
Sicily being, strewed with wrecks and bodies.
These statements it must be remembered, do
not refer to the mythical period Of Roman his
tory, but rest on the authority Of writer who
lived within 80 years Of the events he records.
Modern history, in short, furnishes no con-
tests so bloody. so protracted, SO desperately
waged, or calling out SO entirely the full re-
sources of the combatants, as the ever.recur.
ring wars of ancient Rome for even the wars
of Napoleon and Frederick the Great, when
whole hecatombs were inundated and entire
continents convulsed, fail, in these particulars,
to rival the wars of the ancients
PHILADELPHIA Ledger.
CoNrIDEHcE.--Upon little twig Of the tree
shading the window sits little bird with
iaunty air; and there he pours out his soul in
strain of melody, though the storm is in hearing
and the drapery Of the clouds darkcns the sky
overhead. Now the storm is around the bird,
the winds have come down in armies from the
mountains and from the sea, the twigs bend and
the proud head of the trees are bowed down;
and vet the bird feels no fear in its feathercd
breast, but sings and sings merrlly.
| So may we learn lesson of confidence from
the innocent bird; that when the foundations
are shaken, when the sky Of life seems darkened
for aye, when the lightning Of angry words from
discovered friends seattle the brain, and when
the strong boughs of earthly life are bent to the
earth, that we may sing and sing merriiy our
trust in Him who holds the sea i'll the hollow OF
His hand.
Spirit Of the Age.
The affections are the chief sources ofthought
and as these are directed the character is formed.
The sages of antiquity, struck with the unirlesl
power Of love-the perfection of its assimi ERe
principle-assigned to 1t divine character Tand
thus anticipated prominent truth ofChristianty.
Plato taupIt that love takes away others being