The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1882-06-30
Swords.

One of the most clearly marked
differences between man and the brute
beasts lies in the fact that with his
own unaided strength man is seldom
able to take the life of his fellow
beings. Consequently, when we wish
to put ourselves upon a level with the
tiger and the wolf, and TO qualify our
selves for the shedding of blood and
the taking OF life, we are obliged to
find some other weapons than those
nature has given us. Here and there
may be man who can kill another
man by the exertion of his unassisted
strength, but it is very seldom indeed
that human life is taken by human
beings without use of all artificial
weapon.
The first weapon used by man was
probably club and it is also likely
that in time this was made of very
hard wood, and somewhat sharpened
on one or more sides, so as to inflict a
more deadly wound Wooden weap.
ons of this kind are now in use by
some savage races. Then it was
found that more effective weapons of
the sort could be made of harder
substance, and short, unwieldy swords
were hewn out of stone, very much as
our Indians made their arrow-heads Of
flint. But sword of this kind
although terrible weapon in the
hands of strong man, was brittle and
apt to break; and so, in time, wher
the use and value of metals came to be
understood, swords were made of these
substances. The early Romans, and
some other nations, had strong, heavy
swords made of bronze. But wheI
iron and steel came into use, it was
quickly perceived that they were tn,
metals of which offensive weapon.
should be made.
| BY careful study of the form ant
use of the sword, from its first inven
tion until the present time, we may ge
good idea of the manner in which
in various ages, military operation
were carried on. AT first, men Tough
at close quarters, like the beasts they
initiated. But as the arts of warfar
began to be improved, and as civiliza
tion and enlightenment progressed, ,mer
seemed anxious to get farther an,
farther away from one another whe'
they fought, and so the sword grad
ually became longer and longer, until
in the Middle Ages, mans swor,
was sometimes as long as himself.
But there is limit to this sort O
thing, and when the use of projectile
which would kill at great distauc
became general, it was found that {
soldier was seldom near enough to hi
enemy to reach him with his sword
and at the present day it is seldor
used in actual warfare except by cav
: alrymen, and these frequently depen
, as much on the firearms they carry a
7 upon their sabres. 1t is said that ca,
> airy charges, in which the swords G
the riders are depended upon to rou
the enemy, do not frequently occur i
the warfare of the present day; an
e those naval battles of which we hav
! read, where the opposing ships are ru
q side by side, and the sailors of on,
!, cutlass in hand, spring upon the dec
| of the other, and engage in a hand t
! hand fight, are now seldom heard o
Our iron.clad ships fire at one anoth'
J, from great distance, or one of the
l comes smashing into another with i
terrible steel ram; and sword woul
be very useless thing to model
e sailor. Our armies lie mile or tw
r apart, and pop at each other with Ion
e range rifles and heavy cannon, al
! to the great body of the opposir
i forces swords would be only an
It cumberance.-From "!Soords,"
o John Leacees, IN 80. Nicholas f
o July.