Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-12-28
War PrObabilitles.-U.

Having shown in general way that war
il an unavoidable incident of national growth.
it may be expected that the truism, so pain
fully evident, should be susceptible of
closer analysis and illustration. And so it is
if time and space would permit. The philoso-
piers of the present century have not been
slow to realize the importance of this field of
investigation, and they generally agree upon
n scheme of evolution or development or
a natural selection, which involves the sur
vival of the fittest, without caring to explain
certain undenable facts Of history, quite in
consistent with their theories. Yet we must
admit the prevalence of law in human affairs,
and it is the function of philosophic states
manship TO study and apply it. Now, it so
happens that of all things in this world his
tory is the most exact. IL is by no mere
accident that any man is born, but it is mani
testify by appointment that great men are, no
matter what direction they may take short of
downright villainy; and often even then, as
in the case of Henry VIII of England.
q man who can set at naught the
canting humbug of an ecclesiastical fyran-
ny. may be of service to mankind To an
ordinary reader, nothing seems more capri
cious than the way public men disappear
from the stage of action. But when arranged
by their names and dates, a wonderful order
becomes manifest, one man presupposing
another, in a regular series; Shakespeare
following Claucer with the same precision
that Tennyson and Longfelow succeed
Shakespeare. Thus, history is at length
elucidated, or rather energies from the pris.
tine chaos, in which every branch of knowl-
edge is Mt first involved, with an awful amount
of darkness on the face of it; a fact of pro-
found significance to all concerned.
The life of nation differs from that of an
I'll.
eral generations of individuals. A new
generation gets fairly on the scene every 80
years. After that, man dev elopes and makes
his mark at ~ or 10. At 60 there is a climax
but this may continue till -, and be none the
worse for it. At ST. however, the end has
come. II man survives after that. he takes
on q second childhood, so far as his physical
condition is concerned, and if still vigorous.
10 apt to renew his sight and even his teeth,
rs many have done: the process cf becoming
relatively old. and then young again. being
well attested fact of human physiology. IL is
precisely the same with organized society.
The State of Maine. for example, was origi-
nally settled by the French, under the name
of Acadia (l604.) In 1877 az years after)
the territory was purchased by the English
In l749, another term of ~ years, Nova
Scotia was settled, and then began the old
French war, which ended in the transfer of
Canada to the English in 1903. Now, from
1749 to 1921, when Maine became an indie
pendent State, is a third term of - years,
and this on the very date of the Missouri
compromise. What has happened since? To
understand il correctly, we must cut up our
72 into sections of twelve years. Then
we get 1888, As, 81. 60, 81, '93. But
following the general rule above given,
we get, at the end of 80 years, 1851. Is that
historical or notg At the end of ~ years,
1858; and of 40 years, 1870. Sixty years
would make 's0-'sl. The likelihood is that
the date of this State is lSl9-'20. since the
disgraceful scene of 1880 indicates a
memorable point in our history which exact
ly tallies with the 60 year climax; that is to
say,-the verge of war. Between so and the
lustrum Of 1904, we had better have a
care for the safety of the State, which is BY
no means as assured as it ought to be-
How is it with the United States? The
war of the Revolution ended. 1888; to which
add 80, and we get 1918. Add 40 and we get
1882, very near war in South Carolina
Add GO, and we get lS43, when Texas was
added; and the war on this account began
soon after, and ended in lS4S, so far as
Mexico was concerned, but being transferred
to Kansas and Nebraska in '55, it marked the
72nd year with due regularity, while 90
mArkeu tne cftn. All THIS trouble arose
from the constitution of ISIS, and accord
ingly we get ~ years from that date to 1860
or 81 years from l776; thus exhibiting a
struggle for national existence at both ends
Of the line.
The question then recurs, what relation
will the year "a bear. first. TO 1854? Second,
to 1912? Third, to 1885? Fourth. to 1924 "a
climax from the election of John Quincy
Adams)? Fifth, from 1912 (war date); and
lastly from 1900? The latter is an Irish date
and has a concurrent figure at 1912, when
O'Connell was around. thorough review
of these dates would ventilate our politics
considerably. 1900 is the date of the city of
Washington, and, of course, the Washington
monument is due in "a. We have stumbled
upon this undertaking good deal, and will
understand the philosophy of the Egyptian
monument after q while. 1924 are also
terminal years, the one involving Louisiana
and Canada and the other the Mexican re-
public. In our present utterly defenseless
state, It 10 not pleasant to think that we have
southern base line which required to be
reconquered in '63 and has not been held by
very substantial tenure at apv time.
Having passed the next point, tis7a5 success
fully. It remains to be seen what wiz come