New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-04-18

MODERN INTENTION and PRIFf1E WAR.
The circular in which Patrick Joyce the
Fcnian secretary, congratulatcs all lrlshmen
upon the discontinue of John Bull through
the dynamite policy is a curious piece of incon-
sequence. II has been perfectly clear TO all the
world from the beginning that the policy re-
ferrcd TO, apart from its immortality, was lncap-
able Of cffcctinG anything beyond the eXaspera-
ton Of the country attacked. il might have a
negative influence 1t might hinder the Eng
lish Liberals from carrying out the programme
of Justice to ireland. BUt il could not, by de-
stroying innocent lives and public or private
property, assist the Irish people at all. Bat the
circular of Joyce does call attention, by its
boastful references TO the. efficacy OF
science and the resources of civilization 10
the important changes which the progress Of IN
veuti0n in certain directions is bringing about
in the possibilities OF private war. few years
ago al expression of dominant physical force
was monopolizcd by governments. Cannon and
muskets were the only means Of making war,
and only military organizations possessed them.
But the recent extensive advances in the
chemistry of explosives. have introduced novel
conditions The power of making war is 10
of those catastrophes which oyerawe peace
able communities is no longer impossible
TO small bodies of men, even to individuals.
And whereas formerly no formidable nsurrcc-
ton could be brought to a head without the
cumbrous movement. OF masses Of men, to-day
the most telling effects Of an instruction may
be produced in the absence of a popular rising
while such a rising, when it takes place, is cap
able of assuming the force and proportions of a
thoroughly equipped army.
Dynamite, in fact, has put tremendous
power In the hands Of individuals, and has REIN
forced all revolutionary and scdtiOuS tendencies
enormously, making mere folly and fanaticism
seriously dangerous, and increasing the natural
bent OF all lawlcss movements 20 gather
strength as they 20 on. And while a philosophy
which dscerns the faulty of international
quar1els has become widely ditiuSed, the inter
national preparations for future fighting (at
least in Europe) have never been so extensive;
so that governments engaged largely in elabOr
ating machinery for wholesale slaughter find il
difficult to present the usual front desirable to
the people who uphold the right of private war
fare. The extreme difficulty of detecting dyna-
mite conspiracics adds to the cmbarrassmcnts
of the situation embarrassments, moreover,
which cannot bc expected to diminish in the
future, but on the contrary will naturally in
crease. What measures can be adopted TO meet
these important changes is as yet undcter-
mined. Governments are bcwildered, and
show their perplcxity only too plainly. And
though tho use of dynamite for the furtherance
of political Or other ends may be shown to be
futile, 1t is evident that pure reason will not
control those who resort to it, but that in this
as in many other cases, "the sight of means to
do i'll deeds, makes i'll deeds done" The
indications are that the new problem forced
upon the world by the fertility of modern in
venton will give it serious trouble in the
future.