The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1885-04-04
WARS and Rumors of WARS.
n. @. Times Democrat. -.

n, u IlmeS-DenIocfht
Not since the days of Fenimore Coop
er's old tailor have there been so many
s'wars and rumors of wars as now,
while the last half century has not been
destitute Of them. They have, with
the exception of the. Crimean affair,
been one nation against another. Rus
sin fought Turkey, Germany France,
Prussia Austria; aud the attention of
the world has generally been fixed on
one single portion of the globe-"the
seat of war;" whereas to-day the wars,
or rumofs of them, seem ubiquitous.
There are actual hostilities, or prepara
tions for them, going on in every quar-
ter and one is compelled To study his
atlas very carefully to keep up with all
these affairs. Take the Euglishman,
for instance. He feels some slight in-
terest in the Indian rebellion in Cana
da more in the movement Of the Brit
ish force on the Nile and on the Red
Sea still more in the movements in
India and Afghanistan. His country
has complications on three continents
America, Africa and Asia, and is threat
ened with trouble in Europe.
France, which has not thoroughly
quieted Tunis or subjugated Madagas-
car, is involved in troublesome and
expensive war in Cochin China and
Formosa. To the south of us the sew
eral Central American republics have
got themselves in an ugly squabble,
with the prospects of Mexico also be-
coming involved in it. Then we have
the proposed division of Turkey by
Russia, Austria and Greece the send
ing of the Italian troops to the Red Sea ;
the jealous interference of Turkey, and
a dozen other threatened 'Ecomplica-
tions.' 1t takes three columns and more
of telegraph almost daily to give some
idea of the European situation-the
battles OF tue French with the Chinese,
the English with the soudanese, and to
explain the military excitement which
seems to be spreading over Europe.
What does it all mean We might full
ly credit all this news of threatened
general European wars were it not the
same old news that-we have been re-
ceiving for twenty years past. There
has scarcely been month i'll this Pc
riod when we were not, according to
the news mongers, on the very eve of a
terrible conflict
There have been so many cries ol
"wolf," that tlfey no longer carry feaI
to our hearts, for it cannot but be seen
that these very warlike stories are coin,
ed mainly by persons who want war
aud who see some advantage to result
to themselves from it, There is IL very
strong suspicion that much Of this Eu
ropean news is engineered very mucf
| like stories of short wheat crop il
this country, to affect the market A
/ the same time that this is true, the big
army mania which has stuck Europe
the attempt of all the powers to organ
| ize and support, in time OF peace, al
| immense force, after the fashion of Ger.
many, to be ready IN time of war, thj'
new system of an armed neutrality j.
one of the chief causes of this genera
| disquietude and fear of trouble. The
| Jealousy which every European powell
/ feels toward all the others, the army
which it supports in consequence of thi:
| jealousy has converted that continent
| into an armed camp, while rumors are
nlagnified into war, and where trifiei
/ are sufficient to unsettle every thing ant
produce panics and financial disturb
ances The present military establish
ment of Europe is not only sapping it,
resources, but rendering every kind o
| property unstable and uncertain.