The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1886-06-10
IL Is to BE.

In the history of nations, and of men,
the works of the tttest seem likely to
survive the longest. They may be
lost sight of for little season, but like
the flowers of June they come again
and renewal.
Passing over the events in cyclopedia
from the wars of Alexander to Grant,
from the pyramids of Egypt to the
Brooklyn bridge, and noting the drift
of sentiment in art, religion and in
vented improvements, we are forced to
conclude that, with all of the crime and
suffering OF the races on the globe, we
know but little after all of the cruelty
of war, the baseness of passion, or the
utter degradation of man in the present
as compared with the past.
The past was bloody, revengeful,
stupid, cruel, and barbarous in war,
reaching to the hand-to-hand contest
for kingdoms by poison or by intrigue,
while the present consents to battle
only as a last extremity, and treats the
vanquished with becoming regard for
their humanity. The past gloried in
blood and torture to men and women
over religious contentious, the present
grows more and more tolerant of per-
sonal belief. The past aimed at the
promotion of rulers, the present would
improve mankind. 1t mattered little
in the past that whole nations. were sub
jugated as serfs; to the present the in
tellect of sages is bent on humane
dealings between all conditions of life.
That the fittest seem surviving in
material as well as q social sense is
shown IN tue progress of educated ma
ions. England, America, Germany and
France, these are the progressive peo-
pie of the world in thought and science;
the restless invention enjoyable by the
masses who govern themselves by new
and original methods, and instead of
saying with Alexander that We fight
them, because two cannot govern the
same country, we compete with them
proudly and celebrate their advance
ment in fairs and expositions with re-
loicing, because we see in them an ele-
ment of profit and friendship.
There may be times when political
leaders look on the misfortunes of
neighboring nations with Alexander's
greed of conquest, or Caesars desire
for their gold, but it is not the senti-
ment of our time to foster such ambi-
ton. Men are learning to like each
other for selfish reasons If for no other.
And this is one of the surest elements
of universal progress desire to Gre
ate commerce by friendship. The
signs of the times to-day indicate that
the four great Christian nations, with
several more lesser ones in influence,
would cheerfully unite i'll treaty of
perpetual peace or an agreement to
arbitlate every national difference
hereafter.
With this sentiment comes q deep
feeling of security, love of home, and
desire to command commerce by de-
serving it. The people of the West
markets in islands on foreign shores,
while those of the East are taking in-
terest in farm lands and large ranches
TO bring them into greater production.
The people of the North and South are
busy in their FORCES and their forests
fitting and preparing the tools and
timber to be used by those who, in an
cient times, would have been enemies.
And what does all this argue-for the
scroll seems unrolling and the march
ing armies and tortured prisoners and
chariots falling from precipice rocks,
and martyrs burning at the stake, and
kings enjoying the combats of wild
beasts in the arena, and rulers plotting
the destruction of cities, while vast
armies, fording streams, are met and
murdered without truce or mercy,
seem rising in the Eastern background,
and industries with their palace loads
of grain aud blooded cattle are flying
back to meet them from the West
what does it mean, this startling senti-
ment of men? 1t means that union
of the good is before us. 1t means
that the implements of modern war
fare are to be forged in the friendship
of nations, that the war is to be war
of commerce, its battles to be fought
with skill and enterprise; that instead
of destroying productions we are learn
ing to applaud every means that will in
crease trade, cheaper good living, sup
ply luxury, and benefit mankind.-J.
W. DonoUat, ill the Current.