Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1882-05-13
Science VS.. Humanity.

There is no tyranny quite so relentless as
that of Science. 1t is inexpressibly cold
blooded and cruel. People who long for
its enhancement in human affairs should
ponder well on the moral of the Jeanette
expedition.
The Russian Car is called tyrant be-
cause he sends men to Siberia Bnt he does
not order them to find the North Pole, or
perish in the attempt. That terrible edict
is promulgated by Science. If the Car
should drive the Nihlists with bayonets to
the ''tundras" at the mouth of the Lena and
leave them there to die of cold, starvation
and despair, he would be execrated as a
monster by the whole civilized world But
the gallant De Long and his men laid down
their lives i'll that dreariest of all cxiles ut
the command of Science
Science, seated i'll its easy chair before Il
blazing fire, looked over its stock of Arctic
maps and found that one possible route to
the North Pole still remained untried. 1t was
the route via Behring Strait. If the Pole it.
selfconld not be reached through that open
ing other discoveries might be made of fish
flesh or fowls, plants, rocks, or ocean cur
rents: magnetic, meteorological or ethnolog-
ical As long as there is one mystery to
solve Science demands human sacrifice for
it. Every batfled Polar expedition with its
records of suffering, is regarded by Science
only as reason why it should be repeated
4 general who day after day should dash
his troops against an impregnable wall,
would be thought no better than butcher
But Science kept OH trying the Smith Sound
route with sanguinary persistence For n
change the Behring Strait approach was Sc
lected by Science for Lieutenant De Long
and, theoretically. everything could be said
in its favor. 1t was the only route against
which mo Thoroughtare" did not stand
written in large hand AS long as Science
| would not relax its remorseless purpose to
attain the North Pole, the route taken BY
De Long was the best one that could have
been choscn-tor it was the only one of
which failure could not be confidently pre-
dicted. We now know that Nature has pla-
| ced her icy seal on another part of the Arc
tic circle. And that is all we have learned
ut the cost of many precious lives.
1t may be said that science did not COM
pei these victims to die beyond the limits of
Siberian exile. They need not to have gone
to the Arctic regions unless they wished
All Arctic explorers are, in a sense, volun-
teers. Lieutenant belong and his men had
| their option of accepting or declining the
duties to which they were called. 1t may
be true that no one is forced into an Arctic
expedition against his will. But none
the less is Science responsible for the loss of
the Jeanette and the calamities of her off,
GERS and crew. When general calls for
volunteers to lead a forlorn hope there are
always fearless men ready to respond They
will go to death US gaily as gladiators in the
presence of Caesar. The Navy, like the Ar
my, of the United States, is never deaf to
appeals to honor, courage and national glo-
ry. Science calmly and deliberately plays
for desperate work, and always gets them
Science may be great, but Humanity is great
er. In the name Of Humanity, let us have
no more Arctic expeditions.--N. Y. Journal
Of Commerce.