The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-09-10
The Decline OF War.

The Decline OF War.
The admirable certainty with whic.
the machinery of war destroys human
life, its continuous advance toward per-
fection as an art, while it overwhelms us
with its present horrors shows us through
the murky smoke of battle the silver
lining beyond, nnd the shining shores of
perpetual peace awaiting the civilized
world. Surely the bloody testimony
now in progress, of tho folly and crime
OF destroying human life by whole
armies, without a shadow of excuse in
the beginning or grain of recompense
in the end, is not to be lost on the
obscure millions who are thus made the
victims of the sangninazy lust of empe-
rors and kings-iute3ligent as these
masses become, aaa clcar-sightud in re-
spect to their individual rights, and in
respect to the absurd pretensc of
crowned bigots and imperial despots to
rule and ruin. Indeed, no conflict
could have had q happier origin, or have
been characterized by more appropriate
circumstances, if it's purpose we're. as
wo trust it is, in the order of Providence,
to make historical a great lesson to man
kind, warming the nations against the
designs Of selfish rulers, and illustrating
by its consequences, which are likely to
consist chiefly of the ashes of the dead,
the most inconceivable human misery,
and most measurcless human shame
AS the New Orleans Times says, it is no
where pretended that France or Prussia
required this war. 1t had it's source in
the evil minds of selfish and ambitious
rulers, whose objects wero personal to
themselves, marshalling hundreds of
thousands of young and vigorous men
to the fields OF slaughter, that they may,
on the one hand. perpetuate an indi-
vidual dynasty, and on the other achieve
personal fame. The first lesson to be
CLEANED from the bloody annals lies in
the fact that the great powers hive de-
clared there shall bo no ACKNOWLEDGMENT
on the one hand, or ACKNOWLEDGEMENT of
territory on the other, to either nation,
as consequence of victory or defeat
This leads us to an assurance of pleasing g
progress i'll respect to future wars It
will leave tyrants without adequate pre-
texts for hostilities, and reduce intcrna-
tional conflicts, if they still come, to the
moral paucity Of IL combat Of gludiators
But after an exhibition of strife, so
needless and so sanguinary, may there
not arise among the leading powers of
Europe, IL sense of responsibility higher
and grander than that of fixing conse
quences? May not humanity SO far
vindlcate its nature and its God as to
inspire them with nn impulse rather to
direct the prevention Of wars thun to
deny belligerents the rewards OF merit
when over9 II may be we'll to say to
those: "You may fight, but we, the con-
servatives OF European integrity and of
the general peace, deny you other con-
sequences than mutual bloodshed" But
it would assuredly be better to say:
Eight not at all" How simple and
how grand spectacle might be made to
electrify the world and inspire delight
wherever the sensitive heart of man
thrills in response to emotions of joy, or
throbs in painful sympathy to n cry of
pain, by means of an international con-
vention of powers or States. met to in-
stitute code of solemn laws, to be
enforced in adjusting oil disputes be-
tween nations, prescribing forever the
bloody, and, in the present perfection of
constructive art and advancement of
military science, desperate recourse to
arms?
Ten THOUSAND ROUNDS OF CARTRIDGES.
We learn TINT 10, COO rounds of car
friflpac urriva6 ot thio ,,looa l,,t NJnr