The daily press. (Cincinnati [Ohio) 1859-1859, 1859-06-27
The Principle of War.

Il
The microscope reveals to us in drop
of water thousands of infusoria fighting
and devouring each other incessantly
The little sphere is but too faithful
miniature of the larger one where the
pugnacious infusoria are bipeds. We see
that history is mainly a record of wars;
and the great items of expense to all ma
tions, are the support of armies and ma
vies. What is the principle of war?
What is the secret thread binding the lit
tie infusorial animal and the Emperor Ma
poleon, together in one category? tits all
folded in the axiom that "selE preservation
is the first law of nature" In the forest
the roots Of the oak and the roots of the
chestnut are in conflict down under earth
for the nutriment to be had there; if
they be too close, one or the other must
be the dwarf or must die, the purpose of
each being to perfect itself without refer
ence to the perfection of the other In
all natural life we see the principle at
work, each struggling for its own free
existence alone and lawfully, only to pro-
pagate its own kind. Then we advance
to man, but man, as yet, controlled by
his primitive and animal nature We see
how the world began, in those who begin
the world anew now. In children we
find desire, passion, resistance, if they be
healthy. Boys, when not fighting one
another, set dogs and cocks together in
rings. 1t is the legitimate efflux of the
mere unqualified animal nature; but ma
tions also have their passionate childhood
There was a time when war was the
normal condition, and peace the exception
al AID singular thing And even now
when higher nations overrule this, some
crude bOy-nations exc out the propensity
with bull-baits and the like. We see
that it is inherent, because in that realm
where no shams can do any permanent
work, nations religion, the warlike pro-
pensities are deifed-Jupiter, Arjoon,
Mars, Allah are grand Men of Battle.
These childish generations had no higher
standard of manliness, self-reliance and
endurance, than that 1t is said that the
Jesuit Missionaries of former times found
it impossible to interest the North Amer
ican Indians in Christianity, until they
proclaimed that Jesus was most extra
ordinary chieftain, who had, on single
day, taken thousand scalps.
In childhood one interest works-the
desire for happiness, perhaps This is
controlling until, as we grow older, some
other motive enters to divide the sway
of the first As years increase interests
become more complex. Thus it is that,
in early times, nations, finding their hap
piness to consist in physical supplies,
will obtain it by the oppression of weaker
natiQns-the old instinct Of prey. In
stead of conscience there is hunger; in
stead of justice there is need of shelter
The palate is the revolutionizer. But
other interests begin to stir, and presently
awake man finds later that he cannot
live on bread alone; the want of social
intercourse, the craving of the religious
sentiment, the curiosity of the brain come,
one after the other, to divide the empire
of the animal Then Mars has terrible
foes.
Let us see how far we have come. Only
in Elizabeth's time, out of the European
waters, piracy was almost universal The
proverb was mo peace beyond the line; "
and the seamen shipped on the buc-
cancers bargain, "no prey, no pay"
In 1888, the celebrated Cavendish, who
was thought in his times good Christian
man, wrote thus to Lord Hudson on his
return from voyage round the world
September, 1888. 1t has pleased AL
mighty God to suffer me to circumpass
the whole globe of the world, entering in
at the Straight of Magellan and returning
by the Cape of Buena Esperanca; in
which voyage have either discovered or
brought certain intelligence Of all the
rich places Of the world, which were ever
discovered by any Christian. nayiga-
ted along the coast of Chill, Peru and
New Spain, where made great spoils. L
BURNT AND SUNK NINETEEN SHIPS OF SAIL,
SMALL AND GREAT. ALL THE VILLAGES
AND TOWNS | EVER LANDED AT, l-BURNED
AND SPOILED, AND HAD ! NOT BEEN DIS
COVERED on ThE COAST, IHAD TAKEN GREAT