The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-04-10
SOMETHING ABOUT WAR.

horrors. In theory the mission OF Christian
ity'has overcome the necessity for war, but
in the light of history the most cruel wars
that have ever deluged the world in blood
have been conducted under Christian BAN
ners. 1t is useless, however, to theorize. We
have got to take the world as we find it, and
il in the progress of events obstacles are III
the way that can be removed only by war,
war will be employed. The real question is,
after all, does war elevate humanity? After
the smoke of the battles has cleared away,
the dead buried and the wounded cared for,
does humanity occupy a more elevated
plane? II not, then the blood and treasure
expended have been worse than thrown
away, and war becomes the most hideous
CRIME recorded in the book of Gods remem-
brance. In commenting upon the nine
months war between Russia and Turkey, a
contemporary refers to its horrors and its cost
by saying that typhus fever is raging in the
domains of both belligerent powers, but in
those of the sultan most fearfully. About
200 refugees are dying daily in CONSTANT
nople of disease or starvation. More than
2OO00 corpses about Erzeroum alone lie
buried only two feet under ground, frozen
but not decompOsed, and ready to spread
contagion tor hundreds of miles as soon
as the summers sun shall strike the
soft earth. Thousands of unbuned
bodies choke up the passes of the Bal
kans, and cry to heaven from a score
of blood stained battle fields to the God of
justice and mercy invoked by the Christian
conqUeror. The health of all Europe is
threatened by these pestilential breeding
spots, and no one knows what fearful conse-
quences to the non. combatant nations may
follow in the deadly trail of the champion
of the cross. Official returns give the Rus
sian losses in killed and wounded as about
10000 officers and men, but, as we showed
lately by letter of the London Times cor
respondent, these figures do not nearly tell
the awful story. Over III 900 Russian SOL
diers have died in battle or in the hospitals,
and $4,000 have persisted by sickness and
famine, while the Roumanians add $4,000
men to the roster. On the Turkish side it is
estimated that so, coo have died IN battle and
$4,000 in the hospitals To make the fright
full list complete it would be necessary to
add the uncOunted thousands of massacred
women and children.
After all these horrors the question recurs
has humanity made such advancement as
compensates for the terrible cost? 1t may
be too early to answer the question. 1t will
require time to determine what benefits have
been secured. It may be remarked, how
ever, that the conquest Of Turkey is a tri-
umph of Christianity over barbarism, the
home over the harem. 1t is the triumph of
industry over idleness, OF progress over in
ertness. In ali of this there is occasion for
hopefulness. The Russians move, the Turks
stand still. The Russians demand the broad
light of civilizing influences, the Turk pre-
fers darkness. The sultan is the Sitting Bull
of Europe while the car is the aggressive
Yankee to make him yield to the demands
of civilization or move out of Europe.
There can be no doubt as to ultimate results.
Russia can not remain a despotism forever.
The human family is steadily advancing.
The leveling up process is forever going on,
and the time will come in Europe when the
declaration of the self-evident truth will be
made that all men are born equal and there
will be recorded more revolutionary wars,
and up through fire and smoke humanity
will rise to its God decreed independence.
Wars for higher civilization and for free
dom will continue no doubt until barbarism
and tyranny disappear from the earth.
They will cost money and blood;
they will necessitate indescribable suffer
ings, but it is to be believed, for it has ever
been so in the worlds history, in the
future as in the past, the more
intense the suffering the more
substantial have been the blessings achieved.
In the light of subsequent events it is de-
monstrated that the Crimean war which
cost the countries. engaged in it S2,315, O0O,-
600, was so much money thrown away. 1t
was opposed to the logic of events, and pro-
duced no benefits whatever. Not so with
the war just closed between Russia and
Turkey. The full text of the treaty of San
Stefano indicates pretty conclusiveIy that
the changes proposed will confer advantages
upon large population that has
hitherto been subjected to the
cruel rule of the Turks. 'sThe treaty"
says an exchange, "erects Montenegro, Servia
'aEd Roumania into three independent prin-
CAPABILITIES, extends and fixes their territorial
boundaries, and constitutes Bulgaria a
tributary Ottoman principality, with a
Christian government, a national militia,
and additional territory south of the Bal
-kans. II declares that all the fortresses of
'the DanRbe shall be RACED, and that there
shall be no more fortified towns upon the
banks Of the river, nor ships of war in the
waters of the principalities of Roumania,
'Servis and Bulgaria. The notifications to
be made in Bosnia and herzegovina are TO
BE agreed upon by Austria. Russia and the
porte the arrears of tribute money are
mot to be exacted, and the future sum to
'to be paid By these provinces is to be
fixed by Austria Russia and the porte.
New and liberal ordinances are TO