St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-02-15
THE ART OF WAR.

Gen. SHERMAN was a master III TIE
trade of war. Like Gen. GRANT, he
tried the arts of peace, but with doubt
tul success. When the trumpet sounded
the battle he found his opportunity. LIZ
the counting room and the lawyers
Office he might have lived and died I'M
known. In the camp and on the battle
field he became king among men.
Nothing is so cruel as war. 1t is the
most awful of all things in the world.
Once upon time the hero of the march
to the sea replied to the charge of need
lessly having destroyed the property and
lives of the enemy. He said that his
critics talked as though war were din
ner party. at which men should be
courteous and agreeable. War means
destruction. SHERMAN was great gen
eral because he had the ability and the
will to destroy.
There never was any doubt about the
result of the late civil contest, provided
the North insisted on fighting and the
South was unable to secure allies from
without. 1t was war of four against
one, of rich people against poor peo-
pie, of a commercial and manufacturing
section against race of farmers. LeaV-
ing out of view entirely the comparative
merits of the two causes, the Union was
sure of the victory because it had the
resources. War is matter of dollars.
The Southrons might fight ever so
brayely and adroitly. They might win
battle after battle. They might rayage
the fair fields of Pennsylvania, and
drive MCCLELLAN back from Rich
mond; but in the end defeat WAS inev-
liable, because the North was the
stronger in everything which counts i'll
war.
The victory in modern battle is not
always with the side which pitches its
tents on the field when the fight is over.
The measure of battle is the amount
of destruction which has been done.
So many men killed and wounded means
SO many men fewer for the next battle.
SO much ammunition and accOuterments
destroyed means SO much more money
gone, and so much less left for the
future. SHERMAN did not march
through Georgia on dress parade,
to exhibit his troops to admir-
ing spectators. Every town pillag ed,
every farm house and cotton crop
burned, every man killed, meant that
the war was so mnch nearer the end.
He might as well have led his soldiers
up hill and down again in endless tier
alton, like the noble Duke of York. as
have gone through the country and left
it as smiling and prosperous as when he
entered 1t. He was anointed to destroy.
to ruin, to crush, and he did his work
grandly and awfully.
Thank God that now is the time Of
peace. In such a season, when every
one is striving to produce something
which will add to the worlds stock, it
seems impossible torealize that the ideal
and the ambition were once in just the
opposite direction. Then the minds of
the best men were bent on the deStruc-
ton of wealth. The whole country
north and south Of Mason and DiXon's
line was organized into vast armies in
tent on arson and murder. Now, when
great fire comes and burns up town.
or a great pestilenre carries the pale
torch of death to many homes, no
recompense of insurance saves us from
horror and distress at the calamity.
But a quarter OF a century ago
mems hearts leaped with joy when
they learned of thousands of slain, of
proud cities turned to ashes, of rich val
legs spoiled of their harvests and sown
with crops of cannon balls and dead
mems bones. When the weaker con-
testant could endure no longer, because
all that it had was gone, there were glad
p@ans of triumph, and men rejoiced be-
cause the work of destruction was per-
feet and complete.
Nobody questions that it was all worth
while. Everybody honors the men who
did it. But war is the cruelest and most
awful of all things. God save us from it.