Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1865-11-07
Desire for War.

There seems to be in some minds, says the Rich
mond Republic, an insatiate appetite for war
The leach crying "give, give" is striking en-
blem sfthsir ravenous thirst for blood. War with
France, war with England, war with Europe ell
combined, is in their imaginations on their lips
from sunrise to shutdown. It might be naturally
supposed that these turbulent war hawks are pro-
fessonal warriors born in the battle field, nursed
at the red paps of Bellona, and fed daily on gun
powder, blood and rum. Quite the contrary
The cd war horses delight in the clover fields and
still streams It is almost exclusively people who
never saw squadron set in hostile array and never
will but whose imagination is stronger than their
reason, or whose passion for contracts would feed
itself fat on carnage, that are all ways shutting
the scent Of battle, and arc only like the war
horse in this that tn ey snuff it afar of.
There ought to be q law directing that every man
who recommends war should have his name plsc.
ed record, to be established in every city town
and hamlet for that purpose and that when the
war comes, he should be the first drafted, and no
exemption for any cause. In the event Of con-
test with France about Mexico, which so many
seem eager to preciptate We should thus secure
large body Of belgerent patriots, who might, un-
der fighting commanders and strong row Of bayo-
nets behind them, lead the way across the Rio
grande and seal their devotion to the Monroe doc
tine with their blood. These loquacious bellig-
erent would then be able to appreciate some Of
the charming realities Of war, such as being run
through the abdomen with long piece Of cold
steel, or having the arm and leg fractured by
Minnie bullet, OF the head blown off with she'll
Lying, for days, on battle field unable to move,
convulsed with agonies of pain and thirst, or ra.
wing with delirium in crowded hospital would
enlarge their intelligence the subject Of war and
moderate their conception of its grandeurs and
glories. This is the miserable fate which they
are 80 eager to force upon their fellow-men, and
they ought, by all the laws Of justice and fair
play, to be the first to drain to the dregs them
selves the poisoned goblet which they commend
to others.
The world will become little better than hell
when nations 60 to war for any cause but self.
preservation War is the greatest of all the curses
and Affections that can befall humanity. 1t in
wolves all other crimes, calamities and miseries.
The man who speaks lightly Of it, and has no
feeling for hers, ought at least to feel for him
SELF and re eject whether he may not be hoisted by
his own petard or whether the children he has
may not be dragged from him to perish like
beasts in the shambles OF battle.
The policy of our country is peace, emphat
caly peace-peace abroad and peace at home
We have no quarrel with France or England
which is at all likely to demand the arbitration Of
the sword. We care not how skillfully Napoleon
may plant in the soil Of Mexico the exotic Of
foreign empire, nor what Notifications England
may build in Canada. If the United States can-
not overshadow and render impotent those feeble
distractions by the grand march of her peaceful
development, we shall be ready to believe that
the Mississippi can be arrested by the sand-banks
al its outlet to the The United States IL here
on the spot, master of tn situation, the greatest
and most formidable Of American States, having
elements Of wealth and power which render US,
compared to Mexico and Canada, what Ju-
piter is to it's satellites. Let these little stars
glimmer on in the neghborhood of u transcendant
planet. There is room enough in the vast uni
verse for us and them, even if the irresistible
law Of gravitation does not, as 1t must in time,
make them part of ourselves.