The Portland daily press., 1871-03-31
DAILY PRESS.
CORTLAND.
War with the Modern improvements.
FRIDAY, MARCH 81, 1877.


War is one OF the oldest branches of human |
"industry" with which mankind has any ac-
quaintance. Though the manner and means
OF pursuing it have changad greatly since men
wresied with each other for the mastery, EN-
ploying only such rude weapons as they fouho
ready to their hand, though the step ifonl
ubs to needle. guns and chassepots is long
one.-war has up to very recent period hau
one constant feature Its one unchanSng
chal acteristic has been the effusion OF ploou.
We halieve thst even the "AroOstook war"
had few broken heads to save its preten-
tious design alton from being solely work of
the Imagination, though bestowed in derison.
Up to the present year there is no account in
sacred or profane history of a war wherein
uot drop OF blood was shed. And now
comes Mr.. Sumner declaring that for some
time past the United States has waged war
upon the Republics of Hayti and San Domin-
60. The peculiarities of this envenomed con-
test are SO striking that they richly deserve
serious consideration.
San Domingo and Hayti, as all the world
knows, are normally at war not only with
each other, but with their own citizens
Quiet is there regarded as an unnatural and
phenomenal condition of affairs. But since
the United States has been waging war upon
those republics the sound of a musket has not
been heard. Instead of the roar of artillery,
the sharp crack of the rife, the shrieks OF the
wounded, the yell of the victors and the
groans ofthe dying-instead of burning villa
ges, peasants driven from the ruins of Their
homes, honest industry robbed of its gains
cities sacked and pillaged and fields desolated
and ensanguined by the conflicts of maddened
hosts of hostile men-instead of these old
fashioned accompaniments of war sounds o.
peace have ascended to heaven from all the
bills and valleys of the beautiful island =
Since the war begun, b.oodshed has mainly
ceased. Since the war begun there has beer
unusual attention paid to the arts of peace
and uncommon security of person and prop
erty. Since the war begun there has probab
ly been less violence committed in the island
than during any corresponding period since il
was discovered by Europeans. aea
Another astonishing feature of Gen. Grants
war on the Haytians and Dominicans is tha
since the beginning of "hostilities" the peopl
d OF those countries have in no instance, ethe
officially or otherwise, made any complain
on account of the violence offered them.-
There has been great complaint and grea
suffering on account of it in Washington AM
elsewhere In this country, but none whateve
in Hayti and San Domingo.
Moreover, the singular spectacle is present
ed OF ruthless oppressor who is the mos
popular man in the world among the people
against whom his Quaker guns are pointed
In San Domingo Grant, the dictatoraf usurp
er, the pitiless butcher, is universally revered
while the singular people, like Fledericl
Do igass, regard Senator Sumner, who ba
thrown himself between them and the Pres.
dents bullets, as ian enemy to their race"
"But," says seme sagacious commentator
"this levily is unbecoming. Or course Srns
tor Sumner did not mean an actual but on
atschaicdl war;" Very good, we concede il
But this technical war is such war as man,
Presidents before Grant have waged, ant
never dreamed of impeachment. And it il
SO much better than an old fashioned peace
80 far as the security and happine IS OF The
people affected are concerned, that we won.
der all nations do not engage in it. The old
aphorism "You make solitude and call il
peace" must now have its complement in
"You establish quiet and safety and call il
war"