Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1865-12-29
The BeIIigerent Tendency Of the Times


From the Richmond Times.l
Fighting seems 10 have become the no.
NAL condition of this continent. 1t Is sand
that laughing is catching" but we know OF
nothing which shows contagion more PLAIN
ly than war and bloodshed on this hemis-
phere. Measles, mumps and whooplng-
cough among children, itch among school
boys and distemper among horses, do not
spread more rapidly than wars have done
among the nations of American, even since
North and South initiated the example.
The nations Of North and South America
have always looked to the United States as
,xemplars in everything. When we eslaD-
lished a republican form of government,
they did likewise, with one exception and
whenever we get into war, (even II 1t be
among ourselves they think they lose caste
and respcctability if they do not follow suit.
Hcuce from Labrador to Patagonia, most
pugnacious disposition has been exhibited,
and at this present time, fighting, or the
prospect Of il, is pretty prevalent everywhere
ON this side of the Atlantic, except in the
United States, where we have just had a
surfeit Of IL in every aspect. Nor are We al
together at peace, for the Indians keep our
frontiers in a state of chronic liberation.
tions against Canada, which are sorely exer-
cising in spirit and amiability the peaceful
and mild-tsmpered people Of that country,
we find that the "plot" Of war chickens
rs we advance towards the South. The
present and future Of Mexico give little
promise of more peace than her past This
unfortunate country is the sick man" of
America, and will never recover until such
elg al H.
regular old practitioners like Uncle Sam.
In Central America, the little nations are
always fighting like dogs and cats of the
smallest species. They have never had
months peace in that quarrelsomc locality
since the settlement of the country by white
men, and we do not suppose they ever will
In Ecuador, Columbia, Venezuela and Peru
they have been fighting from time
whereof the memory of man runneth
not TO the contrary" Either foreign or
civil wars are constantly going on in these
States, and the Republican doctrine of rota-
ton in Office is so vigorously enforced that
their Presidents shoot like rockets into and
out of Office whenever any man.n the coun-
try can get soldiers enough 10 make an APP
plication of the rule. Even the more staid
and conservative nations Of South America
are at present belligercnts. Brazil, Buenos
Ayres and Uruguay are allied in construct
ing war upon Paraguay. Chill and Spain
are also At war, and we believe the Patago-
mans are fighting among themselves Leav-
ing the mainland, we find that Greelev's
"sufragans" in Hayti and Jamaica have
been cutting Threats and mutilating dead
bodies in way that should give satisfaction
20 every advocate of negro suffrage and adj
mirer Of the black man.
The EsquimauX alone, Of all the promi-
ncnt and renowned nations of America, at
present are enjoying profound peace and
quiet But il is whispered in "high official
circles" that they design making war upon
the Greenlanders as soon as Baflin's Bay is
frozen over hard enough to admit of their
passage. The report that the Commissary
General of this great and powerful people
had contracted largely in New Bedford and
Nantucket for whale oil looks very much
like the preparation of subsistence stores for
an active campaign. And the report derives
additional significance from the further re-
port brought TO the city yesterday, by re-
liable gentleman ON the Central cars, that
the Quartermaster General had made heavy
contract with some onterprising Yankee TO
furnish the Esquimaux Government with
very large lot of dogs and sleighs, which are.
no doubt intended for the transportation of
warlike stores across the ice into Greenland.
Putting all these facts together, il is very ev-
ident 10 our mind that a great war is about
20 be waged right under the North Pole.