Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1876-11-20
ABOUT A REVOLUTION.

There is some difference Of opin
ion as to the probable danger Of )
revolution now in this country. Some
believe that the general intelligence
of the people is too high to admit OF
wild appeal to arms in crisis like
this one. We join in that belief.
1t is questioning the ability OF
the people of the United States to
govern themselves to assume that be-
cause some difficulties of legal ma
ture have arisen IN the process of
clecting = President the country is on
the verge of revolution. 1t is also
a reflection on the civilization of the
age. If our boosted high standard
of general education and our system
of public schools are not sufficient
TO carry us over . crisis like the
present one peacefully, they 10 not
amount to so much after all, and 3
free government in the hands of even
che most Intelligent citizens is .
farce.
One of the chief characteristics OF
civilization as against barbarism is
willingness on the part Of persons in
a controversy to submit to arbitra-
ton and the decisions Of properly
constituted authorities. Indeed, that
system OF settling difficulties, the
ou,growth of advancing intelligence,
has recently extended SO far as to in
clude international affairs, and an adj
;ustment Of weishsy disputes accord
ing to the best equity and logic o!
the age, instead of 10y force, has been
attained. We sllpie, of course, to
the Geneva Court of Arbitration and
its work. This was something new
among nations, aud was applaudcd
by ali the peace soc'eties Us an evil
dence of the approach Of time
when the sword would really he
beaten into pillow share and the
spear into pruning hook. 1t was
surely the best sign that could be
given of such an advancement. 1t
vas hoped that in future war would
be wased only in suejugaiion of peo-
pies incompetent from lack of civil
cation TO enter the pale Of amicahle
srbitrament. The civilized nations
would. il was hoped, no longer set
their Intelligence aside and foster oil
thc pugnacity of the mos, sordid
brute on the field of battle. Nor
were these anticipations wholly with
GU. reason. True, Europe Is now on
the en.anruined edge of general
war, but heads are At work. The
heads are endesvor,ng n arrive at a
rational adjustment of differences. Ii
remains to be seen whether they will
render the use of hands unnecessary
in the matter. We have Thought all
along and think still that they will,
and that there will be no general WAY
scross the water.
Then with this general view Of
war and its prevention. il is admit
ting that we of the United States,
who assume TO he peculiarly fitted to
govern ourselves, are really incompe-
ten. TO do 50, when il is feared tina,
in this crisis a revolution is impend-
ing. The reason that We have not
had revolutions a, every close Presi-
Dental contest, the reason that We
have not been IN . perpetual state of
revolution, like Mexico, is because
the general intelligence of the people
is above that. 1t is above an out
break now. We are sssonished,
therefore, that such papers as The
Enterprise, The Gold Hill News. and
Others as ardently Republican a.
they. should express tears on tins
head. There is no ground for such
fears at all. The present excitement
is created by the politicians and the
press, who never take active par, in
war, aud who are not seconded on
this occasion by the thinking people
of the country. Again We say that
there is no fears OF II revolution, and
il is . shame that it should go abroad
that the newspapers think there is.
The papers too ofren sacrifice sense
for sensation.
TIE SAN FRAScIsco BULLETIN