Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1890-06-07

Philadelphia at fires sometimes kindled just
for the opportunity of uproar and despoila-
ton. In 1s49 hiss at theatre would have
resulted in New York city being demolished
had it not been for the citizen soidiery. Be-
cause of an insult which the American actor.
Edwin Forrest had received in England
from the friends of Mr. Macready,
the English actor, when the latter ap-
peared in New York. in Macbeth. the
distinguished Englishman was Kissed and
mob5ed. the walls of the city having been
piacaried with the announcement: ''Shall
Americans or English rule in this city"
Streets were filled with crowd insane with
passion. The riot act was read, but it only
evoked louder yells and heavier volleys Of
stones, and the whole city was threatened
with violence and assassination.
But the Seventh regiment under Gen.
Duryea, marched through Broadway, pre-
coded by mounted troops and at the COM
mand: sFirs! Guard Firew the mob scat
tered, and New York was saved What
would have become of Chicago, two or three
years ago, when the police lay dead in the
streets, had not the sharp command of mill
tary officers been giyens Do not charge
such scenes upon American institutions.
They are as old as the Eohesian mob that
howied for two hours in Paups time about
the theatre, amid the ruins o. which stood
last January. They were witnessed in 1879
in London, when the weavers parallel
the streets and entered buildings to
destroy the machinery of those who, because
OF their new Inventions could undersell tina
rest. They were witnessed in l7S1 at the trial
Of Lord George Gordon, when there was re-
ligious riot Again, in 17l9, when the rabble
cried, Down with the Presbyteriansl Down
with the meeting housesw There always
have been, and always will be, in great COM
munities, class of people that cannot govern
fl,af olxyac NJ sob
not govern, and there are exigencies which
nothing but the sword can msst. Ave, the
militia are the very last regiments that it
will be safe to disband.
Arbitrament will take the placs of war
beween nation and nation, and national
armies will disband as a consequence and
the time will come-tIod hasten iti-when
there will be no need of an American army
or navy, or Russian army or navy. But
some time after that cities will have to keep
their armories, and arsenals, and we'll
drilled militia, because until the millennial
day there will be populations with whom
abitrament will be as impossible as treaty
with cavern of tyenas or jungle of
snakes These men who rob stores and
give garroters hug. and prowl about the
wharves at midnight, and rattle the dice in
gambling bells, and go arme1 with pistol
or dirk, will refrain from disturbance of the
public peace just in proportion as they real
izs that the militia of a city, instead of be-
ing an awkward squad and in danger of
shooting each other by mistake, or losing
their own life by looking down into the gun
barrel to see if it is loaded, or getting the
ramrod fast in their bootleg, are prompt as
the sunrise, keen as the north wind, potent
as a thunderbolt, and accurate, and regular,
and disciplined N their movements as the
planetary system.
Well DONE then, say to the legislatures
and governors, and mayors, and all Off
cials who decide upon larger armories and
better places for drill and more generous
equipment for the militia. The sooner the
sword can safely go back to the scabbari
to STAY there the better; but until the hilt
clangs against the case in that final lo1g-
ment, let the sword be kept free from rust:
sharp all along the edge, and its point like a
needle, and the handle polished, not only by
the chanois of the regimental servant, but
by the hand of brave and patriotic officers,
always ready to do their full duty. Such
swords are not bathed in impetuosity, or
bathed in cruelty, or bathed in oppression,
or bathed in outrage, but bathed in heaven.
Before speak of the doom of the sword
let me also say that it has developed the
grandest natures that the world ever saw. 1t
has developed courage-that sublime energy
of the soul which deties the universe when it
feels itself to be in the right. IL has de-
veloped a self sacrifice which repudiates the
idea that our life is worth more than anything
else, when for principle it throws that life
away, as much as to say 1t is not necessary
that live, but it is necessary that righteous
ness triumph There are tens of thousands
among the Northern and Southern veterans
of our Civil War who are ninety five per cent.
larger and migbtier in soul than they would
have been had they ncC during the four years
Of national agony turned their back on home
and fortune and at the front sacrificed all for
a principle.
It was the sword which on the Northern
side developed a Grant, a Mcclellan, a
Hooker. Hancock, Sherman. a Sheridan
aud Admrals Farragut and Porter. aud on
the Southern side a Lee, a Jackson, Hill.
Gordon and the Johnstons, Albert Sydney
and Joseph E.. and Admiral Semmes, and
many Federals and Confederates whose
graves in national cemeteries are marked
Unknown yet VINO were just as self
sacrificing and brave as any of their Major
Generals, and whose resting places all up and
down the banks of the Androscoggin, the
Hudson, the Potomac, the Mississippi and
the Alabama have recently been showed
under with white flowers typical of resur-
rection, and strewn with red flowers COM
memorative of the carnage through which
they passed and the blue flowers illustra-
tive of the skies through which they as
cended
But the sword is doomed There is one
word that needs to be written in every throne
room, in every war Office, in every navy
yard, in every national council That word
is disarmament. But no government can af-
ford to throw its sword away until all the
great governments have agreed to do the
same. Through the influence of the recent
convention of North and South American
Governments at Washington, and through
the peace convention to be held next July in
London. and other movements N which
prime ministers, and kings, and queens, and
sultans, and czars shall take part, all civil
lied nations will come to disarmament, and
if a few barbarian RACES decline to quit war,
then all the decent nations will send out a
force of continental poles to wipe out from
the face of the earth the miscreants.
But until disar nament and consequent ar
bitration shall be agreed to by all the great
governments, any single government that
dismauties its fortrasses and spikes its guns,
and breaks its sword, would simply invite its
own destruction Suppose. before such gen
eral agreement England should throw away
her sword; think you France has torsott en-
Waterloo? Suppose before such general
away her sword how long would
Alsacs and Lorraine stay as they
are? Suppose the Gar of Russia be
fore any such general agreement should
throw away his sword; all the eagles and
vultures and lions of European power would
gather for piece of the Russian bear Sup
pose the United States, without any such
general agreement of disarmament, should
throw away her sword; it would not be long
before the Narrows of our harbor would be
ablazs with the bunting OF foreign navies
coming here to show the folly of the mon
roe doctrine"
40 hvre 81 40 tha -
Complete armament until all agree to dis
armament At the same command of tHaltr'
all nations hating. At the same command
of Ground armsw all muskets humping.
At the same command of Break ranksw all
armies disbanding That may be nearer
than you think. The standing army is the
nightmare of nations. England wants to
get rid of it, Germany is being eaten up by
il, Russia is almost taxed TO death with it.
Suppose that the millions of men be
longing to the standing armies of the
world and in absolute idleness, for
the most part of their lives
should become producers, instead of con-
sumers. Would not the worlds properties
improve, and the worlds morals be better?
Or have you the heathenish idea that war is
necessary to kill off the surplus populations
of the EARTH and that without it the world
would be so crowded there would soon be no
reserved seats, and even the standing room
would be exhausted? All ! think we can
trust to the pneumonias, and the consump-
tions, and the fevers, and the Russian
grippes to kill the people fast enough.
Beside that, when the world gets too full
God will blow up the whole concern and
start another world and better one Be-
side that. war kills the people who can least
be spared. 1t takes the pick of the nations.
Those whom we could easily spare to go to
the front are in the penitentiary, and their
duties detain them in that limited sphere
No; it is the public spirited and the valorous
who go out to die. Mostly are they Young