Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1873-11-26
WILL THERE BE NEED FOR WAR;


The Nashville Commercial Reporter &C.
cuses the CHRONICLE of being an apologist
| for Spain, as we have not Joined the
popular cry for blood and glory, because of
the seizure and execution of the crew of
the Nirginius. We confess that we have
not yielded to a hasty and passionate public
demand for instant war. We think our
people have had so much of war and its at
tendant and subsequent miseries and bur-
dens that our Government ought not to
rush into trouble unless our national honor
and the rights of our citizens de-
mand it. We are rejoiced to see that
the President and his advisers in the
face of wild and inexcusable
clamor have the moral courage and high
regard for their duties to the people, to act
as becomes them in such an emergency.
Secretary Fish is denounced as "cold
blooded' and unmiDdful of the honor of
our flag or of the lives of American Citi-
zens. Yet, stripped of all bunCombe and
Fourth of July rhetoric, what is there in
the Nirginius affair that we should plunge
the country into n costly war, before we
the facts are now understood, the COM
mander and crew of the Nirginius went
upon an unlawful expedition, knowing it
to be unlawful, and that in doing so
they took great risks. 1t seems, too, from
the statement of Consul Pearne, that Fry
and his men went, not with patriotic mo-
tives to lend helping hand to the Cubans,
In
for the gold they We're to get for their
contraband of war. This we say is the
present aspect of the case. Subsequent in
formation may change it. But if these be
the facts, it would be criminal in our Gov
eminent to do more than it has
done We do not want war
unless the honor of our country de-
mands it. When it does, or if on further
investigation the facts of the Virginius case
make it clear that innocent American citi-
zens, on a noble and praiseworthy mission,
were illegally seized and butchered then
We shall feel that time for war has come
if satisfactory reparation can not otherwise
be made. Those who are the first and most
impOrtunate for war are generally those
who share few of its perils or burdens. 1t is
cheap for newspapers and public men to join
the maddened populace, misled by blatant
demagogues, to cry for war, but it is wisdom
to counsel moderation. War, when nothing
else is honorable, but peace, when it can be
maintained without national humiliation
or a breach of faith, is our motto.
AS to the butchery of the Virginius'
crew, there is but one sentiment every
where prevailing, and that is that is was
fiendish and wholly unjustifiable. But as
far as the facts are known, that inhumani-
ty affords no cause for war, unless Spain
refuses to make suitable reparation. Great
Britain, France, Germany, all nations
must join in protest against such barbar-
ill., to prisoners of war, and they should
refuse all intercourse with a Government
guilty of it, unless full reparation is offer
ed. We are entirely satisfied that the Pres
ident has made every demand the honor
of the country requires, and if full salts
! faction is not given then it is time to talk
of war. The honor of the country must be
sustained, but sensational newspaper ar
ticles nor are not needed to do it.