The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-08-17
HIGH-PRICED VICTORIES.

A scrap of history is now and then inter
esting, especially when it has bearing
upon things as they are now. We have no
| immediate reference to the beleaguered
garrison at Lucknow or anything of like
nature; but looking at a recent article in
the Louisville Couricr-JOurnGl with refer
ence to the great affair at Balaklava in
1854, reminds us of the fact that history is
sometimes misunderstood, or misconceived
by those who make a study of it.
The great fight to which we refer occur
red on the 25th of October in the year
named. The Russians presented solid
and apparently invincible front to the allied
forces of the British and French, and the
question as to which was the superior
power was about to be determined. The
heavens must have shrunk upward and the
elements themselves receded into
their caverns before the awfulness
of that impending struggle. The
armies met, the fighting was fearful,
neither could for a time dislodge the other.
The Cossaclks met the iron hail and the
sheets of flame from the allies without
flinching, and all at once it occurred to
RAGLAN, the British commander, that by
turning or overcoming a wing of the Russian
amy whichheld particularly advantageous
position, the morale of the enemy would be
DESTROYED, he ordered the light brigade,
composed of go men, to charge them. They
did, and but few of them ever got back
alive. They encountered canon to the
right of them, canon to the left Of them,
cannon in front of them" They were
moved down mercilessly and fearfully. 1t
only lasted twenty-five minutes, but was
awful beyond description while it lasted.
In the meantime Field Marshal
PEL1ssIER, commanding the Fren CHI forces,
and in supreme command of the allies, who
was absent when RAGLAN made the order
to charge, rode up and seeing the situation
of the hardy light brigade, said, in the SEN
tentious French manner of speaking
;;C'est mdgniFqtte, mas &c n tSt pas la
g,terre.' That told the whole story in. a
few words. They won, but what did they
win, and how! The same results in the
absence of hot-headed determination to &C
complish an immediate purpose, might |
have been effected by generalship without |
subiecting the brave men who engaged in |
the charge to indiscriminate slaughter. |
at is magnificent, but it is not war;" |
said the Frenchman, and he knew whereof |
he spoke.
History repeats itself, not literally but
with respect to the results &C
complished by contending forces. As long
as man is man, there will be a contention
for the mastery. Place him where you
will, make his circumstances never so
lowly or never so proud, so long as one OF
more of his own kind are in sight, or their
influence can be felt, there will be hostili-
ties sooner or later commencing generally
with the advancement of either. The sad
lest part of it is that in the determi-
nation to crush an enemy, we
sometimes transcend the rules and lose
more than we gain, when by other and
better tactics we might accomplish just as
much or more. In other words, we may
make a splendid fight as fights go, but it is
always legitimate struggled And when
. man or a party wins an advantage by
means of sacrifice of honor, principle it
nav be life itself, and the smoke has
cleared away from the field and the situa-
ion is for the first time estimated at its
rue worth, how often do the winners say ]
% themselves if not to the world-It was
,xcellently done, but it cost too much! s
In Salt Lake city we are almost on the {
we of a contest for political supremacy in
municipal affairs. On one side is party
# conservative ideas and principles whose
4hot,crt1 bnrt1altr and M nm |
O the most advanced standard at all times,
S nevertheless honest, sincere and patri-
tic. Its administration of public
fairs has not been characterized
With an excess of red tape
r with the clamorous exclamation,
f those who grasp and hold the reins else
where. Plain, straightforward demeanor,
With such errors as occur oftener the t
esult of misdirected intention to do good
han otherwise have been the rule of con- !
uct, whatever may have been the excep- +
ions. And opposed to this condition of c
hings what do we find! A class Of people J
Tho offer US an improved moral status,
lore economical administration, wiser or 7
lore beneficent rule, cheaper privileges :
nd better advantages! All, no, while '
romising all things, they at the same time r
lainly exhibit their inability to give US
nything more of beneficial character I
han we now have. The hypocritical cry
( Stree water'' is worthy of the dema c
ogues who gave it birth. They know full !,
yell that nothing that is human can con- $
rol nature, that it can only be directed
nd arranged by US. 1t is as impossible
Or them as for those in charge or any
ombination of people to produce water =
,here it does not exist or make it plentiful
yhere Providence has made it scarce. =
hey also know that the absence of the in t
element at time when it is b
lost needed creates alarm at times and is o
ound to be source of discomfort among
Il, especially the more unthinking state
I things they propose to make the most of r
y promising something better, knowing
ull well that they cannot fulfil the
romise, but that a certain class who let
theirs think for them will be caught in the
leshes of their artifice and then give them