New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-06-21
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
Mythology.
MILITARY MANNERS AND CUSTOMS; by JAMES
~A'- ASsoN FARRER. Henry Holt 70.

v4,. wall that At n time when the civi1zed WORTH
.s.ms agreed to deceive itself with smooth phrases
A 70 the mtig CATION of the horrors OF war; VIZ
.houid have taken the pains TO aha,y~o ILL.,"
laws and customs in order to make IL ciear 'i''
vithstanding all pretences war is ana ever Zoo
rI',Ssars feroc;ous and brutal In this very In
terest,np volume Mr. Farrer has collected eio"'
.r,ov Of facts and illustrations concerning MS CUM
Nav suh;ect and he has succeeded in demonstrating
not only that the military usages OF the DAYS u
cb;valrv were thoroughly cruel ana pitncs'' ou'
that despite all international conventions III "ouo,"
times. and despite the alleged growth oi huni" ~
and sensibility to-day is as ruthless Us anu ,.
mora destructive than in the Middle Ages vi 'ho
classic period uost
In the course of his inquiry he Strips INC n"'n
off many historical personages whose names n".o
come down as the types OF chlVaHy' io ST..
that that mirror of knighthood. the CheVaiiei
povord thooght IT not derogatory to his honor 10
massacre surrendered garrisons, and even 10 oiuoi
+bo Wholesale slaughter of women and chidren
xyb;Ie the BLACK Prince was savage ana mercioS'
i, renrisals AS any Apache WARRIOR ferhaps 'n0
highest interest of Mr. Farrers researches my"
ever hes In the strong light they throw upon 'n0
nersistept barbarism which underes war Ill al aso'
Tba soco,,ed claws of war" are seen to DC Ill IaoV
mere subterfuges, the surface humanity Oh wnion
melts and disappears at the first hostie coih'iun
illustrations
Franco-German War; in the course OF wh,cn d
po,ror hoas.ino itself one of the the most enght-
ened on earth, frequently resorted 10 me'n'u' 90
ferocions rs savagcry ever conceived or empioSou
The fajlacv of the theory that improved weapons
and means of destruction tend 10 shorVen
wars is conclusively exposed by reference W MS
tory. It is made evident that the horrors Vi wa
increase with all these improvements anu 'ha'
while armies are larger than ever battles arc oi0
costly in life.
One of the strancest exhibits made is that of the
silence Of the Protestant Churches in the lace
of the war spirit. While it is true Una.
dnrnc Catholic supremacy the Church dld no'
succeed in putting stop to war, and not seiuou'
melted il for alleged religious purposes IL is ho.
less clear that Rome recognized it as an evil anu
that the prelacy urged contest asaius'
With sucb Influence as conld be brought to Dear
and freoueptly with success Thus the Truce VI
God was the proposal of Pope, and IL was COT
taiply of great value, for at the time al E"'op
was plunged in state of anarchy whlch 'hieat
ened depopulaton and general reversion 10 oaroar
ism. But since the Reformation the PROTESTANT
Churches have done nothing to check war; Inc
,ulpits of Cbristendom have either ignored the
snbect or they have been used to encourage ue-
fence for aggression. This curious separation Oh the
Churches from one of the most vital interests VI
mankind demands a much fuller inquiry wa"
oor,d he o;veu TO il in work of this kind, but MI
Farrer has sad enough to show the gravity OF the
the question. and it is to be hoped that tne ciegy
will feel the weight of the reproach implied ny tne
facts and that some endeavor Will De maze W CA
plain or defend what on its face appears W oe ~
serious neglect of duty.
The early Christians refused to hight AT ALL anu
this was one of the standing complaints against
then, nv the Roman Government For several GEN.
turies the heads of the Church lifted up their pro-
test against war; The leaders of the Reformation
held that Christian might lawfully render MIL
tarv service provided that the cause for which he
fonght was inst. But the Anglican Church. III us
a7tb Article has omitted this vital condition. thus
putting itself on the side of war, just OF unjust
And Mr. Farrer says of the present Church OF Eng
land: before the most gigantic evil OF our time
her pulpit stands mute, and colder imam mu'e'
Whatever sanction or support body like the Peace
Society has met with from the Church or churches
of England during its seventy years struggle III
behalf of humanity has been, not the genera RUE,
but the rare exception; and recent events wouu
even seem to show that the voice OF the pulpit. SO
far from ever becoming pacific agency. is destined
10 become in the future the great t0csin OF war; the
loudest clamorer for co insels of aggression"
The tenor of the whole inquiry into the laws
and usages of war is to prove that 1t IS lmpossiDe
10 civilize that which is III its essence barbarous
overthrow all laws and to substitute physica force
IN ito most ruthless manifestation for reason and
maxim If must remain what 1t has always been
namely collective MURDER pillage and destruction,
and must become only more calamtous i'll its effects
the further its agents are developed by the aid Oh
modern science If therefore, war is inevltaoIe ID
the pressnt state of human civilization, it must be
recognized that there is no ground for expecting
any mitigation of its horrors The facts snow 'hat
these horrors increase instead OF DIMINISH ana
with the invention of explosives of higher power
this tendency must gather force constantly but
there is no reason TO believe that time Will come
when the tremendous power Of destructive agencies
will puta sop to fighting. SO long as any two
great Powers possess equal means of defence and
attack they will risk encounters. Not, apparently,
until the common sense humankind reaches the point
of refusal to sacrifice life in wars which are so often
causeless can there be any change for the better,
and that period still too remote to be specuiated
upon.
Mr. Farrer apart from the general tendency OF
his book. has brought together valuable body OF
historical information concerning recent warfare
the laws of war. contraband, military reprlsals'
military stratagems, discipline and duties One OF
The broad conclusions TO be drawn from these chap
tiers ia that war has established for sefa separate
moral code of the strongest character code which
no philosopher or religious teacher could recognizes
which seeks to convert the soldier into an irrespons
ible machine and to erect for him a standard OF
duty compelling him to the performance even Oh
the most iagitious acts which deprives him OF OPP
ton in regard to the justice Of the cause he nights
for. and deliberately educates him in opposition
10 all sound theories of citizenship. One result OF
the perusa of this most interesting work must be
to CONTRA Americans in their traditional dislike
to q large standing army. l