The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1870-10-08
THE PACIFIC
Commercial A06ertiser.
OCTOBER 8.
The War.

In an age wherein the triumphs of science by
steam, by telegraph, by enlightened and extended
commercial relations, have brought what are
termed civilized nations into closer determination
than ever before, we find two nations in the fore
most van of civilization, engaged in slaughtering
each other after the most approved wholesale
manner, and devastating one of the fairest por-
tions of Europe. These nations are denominated
Christian, although one be Catholic and the other
Protestant. This state of things superyenes, after
the religion of peace in one form or other has
been preached ard professed, nearly nineteen cen
turtles. We condemn the wars, of what we are
pleased to call savages, as brutal and barbarous.
But these latter have none of the so-called ciyili-
zation and refinement of Europeans, neither have
they any mitrailleurs. We send missionaries
among them to teach the true faith, that they
may not let their g angry passions rise " and dub
them the 90 poor unconverted heathen.'
Now, far be it from us, to object to all this it
is undoubtedly as it should be but the poor In
dian might well enquire in view of what is going
on, whether or not some of this religious enter
prise might not be expended-at home.
That q nation whose independence is assailed
and her territory invaded, or threatened to be in
vaded, should defend her rights to the u~ttermost,
is a ~platitude not to be disputed for a moment.
The regret of the philanthropist is, that in an age
of profound intellectual development, that mere
murderous, -physical force, should be necessary to
right the wronged. The comparison is familiar;
nations composed of individuals have their differ
ences like individuals. The latter, in their con-
tests in civilized society, are not permitted to
take the law into their own hands, but must re-
fer themselves to a legal tribunal the former,
however, if the stronger, or armed with a more
deadly weapon of destruction, imposes it's terms
upon the vaneuished, whether the right be on
their side or not. The killing of so many hundred
thousand men and the misery of SO many more
makes the merits of the case clear as mud.
1t is said, war has its good, as well as bitter
fruits. 1t is very hard for us to see it. The
biped in his rude state, being naturally pugna-
cious, knew no. better method of settling contro-
versies with his neighbors, than by the wager of
battle. One would think, however, that nations
that have produced such lights,-such benefactors
to their race as Won Humboldt, Goethe, Schiller,
Luther, La Place, Chateaubriand, Bossuet,
Fenelon, and a host Of others, might in this
enlightened age, have settled their differences
in reality there were any-without forestalling
the Grim Destroyer in his work, and deluging
this fair earth with innocent blood. They say the
worst use you can put a man to is to hang him
but that is supposed to be punishment for crime,
hold, the worst use is to put him up at a
hundred or a thousand yards to be blown to
pieces, for no crime whatever, unless it be, that
he was born a German or a Frenchman.
Indeed, in our peaceful isles, although we are
on the gui riUe for new from the seat Of war, yet
we have but a faint conception, removed SO far
from the dreadful arena of war and it's horrors.
The Devil, in his walk upon the earth, passed
by an awful field of carnage, and sententiously
remarked to himself,-that there was no occasion
for him to remain there, for his business was being
very well conducted without his interference, and
that in fact, the sight to him was refreshing, as
the field looked red and reminded him of home.
Or, as the ~vulture, when her young came and re-
ported up at the mountain eyrie, that an immense
disturbance of smoke, fire and thunder among
men was going on, in the plains below, said,
" never mind, my children, they are only prepar-
ing a banquet for u.s."
When will the nations learn the art of war no
more?