The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1864-09-21
A Military Spirit the surss Of Freedom !.

! consequences. To obliterate that baneful
military spirit which is the curse Of any
! nation. There is no such foe 10 popular
| liberty as a general diffusion of military
tastes and habits. The tendency of so-
ciety ever is as fast as it ceases TO rely up-
on reason, to govern by violence. Those
who have the sword in their hands have
almost invariably refused to wait for The
slow operation OF argument. The sword
cuts away all opposition. No troublesome
contradiction, no unwelcome truth, viii
impede the progress of him who uses the
ratio ultima regum, and mows down all OBJ
stacles with the scylhe Of power. Hence
all enemies 10 universal freedom, and all
friends of aristocratical prerogative, delight
in war. Not satisfied with fighting foreign
nations, and keeping up an army even in
times of peace, they seek, after they have
once corrupted the mass of the people, 10
o render a whole nation mil itary. Those
who have great armies at their back haugh
tily bid defiance 10 the unarrned philoso
pher and politician who brings into the
field truth without spear and argument
unbacked by artillery
This military spirit always tends TO Goth.
icise nation, 10 extinguish the light OF
learning and philosophy, and to raise thi ok
fogs of ignorance and superstition, which
are The bane OF all happiness and the very
element of despolism.
The strict discipline which is found nec-
essary 10 render an army a machine in the
hands OF its directors, requiring, under :he
severest Pena lties, the most implicit SUBJ
mission 10 absolute command, has di-
rect tendency TO famiiiarize he mind to
civil desPotism. Men, equal TO their com
manders by nature, and often superior, ere
bound 10 obey the impulse of authority,
and 10 perform their part as mechanically
as the trigger which they pull to discharge
their muskets. They connot, indeed, help
having will of their own but they must
suppress it. or die. They must see, if they
see at all, with the eyes of others. Their
duty is not TO have an opinion Of their own,
but 10 follow blindly where they are led.
They become living automatons-the self
acting tools of despolism. Their minds
are soon broken down TO the yoke. The
energy of independence weakened, the
manly spirit tanned, like animals that once
ranged in the forest, delighling in liberty,
caught in snares, confined in cages, and
taught to stand upon their hind 4sgs and
| play tricks for the entertainment OF the idle
| They obey the word OF command given by
the keeper of the managerie, because they
have been taught obedience by hunger, by
the lash OF the whip, and by every mode
of discipline consistent with their lives
But they are degraded, contemplate ami.
B1als-as a soldier is a degraded man
Suppose the m asses of people thus tanned
and broken down by having served in the
army-thus made the tools Of whatever de-
signing knaves should gain their confidece
what has become of that nations libsr
| ty, of lis honorl The effort to render a
whole people military is the work OF de-
! signing knaves aud iyranls. The military
rage always iramples on liberty, and then
despotism. triumphant, marches through
the land with drums beating and colors
| flying. Erasmus said, 'sThere are those
! who go TO war for no other reason than
that they may with greater ease establish
desPotic authority over their OWE people al
home For in time of peace, the power OF
pariaments, The dignity of magistrates, the
/ rigor OF the laws are great impedi-
ments 10 a ruler who wishes TO exercise
arbitrary power. But when once a war is
undertaken, the chief management of it
devolves on few, who, for the general
safety, assume the privilege of conducting
everything according 10 their own humor,
demanding unlimited confidence The
princes favontes are all exalted to places
OF honor and profit Those whom he dis
likes are turned out or neglected. The
time of war is the time for raj sing as much
money upon the people as the despors
heart can wish. In short, the time of war
is the time that they feel themselves des.
| pos in very deed and truth, not in name
only, but despois with vengeance. In the
meantime The grandees play into one anoth-
er'S hands, till they have eaten up the
wrelched people root and branch. Do you
think that men of such dispositions would
be backward 10 seize any the slightest oc-
casions for war, so lucrative, SO hattering
10 avarice and vanity z"
How forcibly, hew painfully, does the
history OF our conuIy for the last ;hree
years bring 10 our minds these words of the
great Erasmus! But for the opportunity o.
WELDING despotic power, which the war
furnishes It's managers, and but for the
monsuous gains it brings to The few
friends of the Administration, the con-
flict would have been over long ago. In
deed, it would Fever have begun. To pros
long the havoc-to fas,en the intoIerable
despolism upon cur country--an effort is
everywhere made 10 cultivate taste and
admiration for military life. We are told