The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-12-25
Christmas.

still the maintenance of the forces OF wal
The greatest expenditures Of civilization
are on the ornaments of the nations. Eve
in this republic more than one-hfth Of tn,
outlay of the Federal Government |
directly for our small army and navy
and to this sum must be added tn,
aggregate expenditures OF the differen
States on their militia forces. Include ais,
the o appropriated for pensions TO
past military services, and the interest on
the Federal debt incurred solely for the pur
poses Of war, except that which now must
be paid on the 500, 600, 900 borrowed dur
ing this last year Of profound peace, ant
nearly two-thirds Of the expenditures ar,
due to war and to preparations for defenc,
against military attack.
Never before in the history Of Christendom
was the training of society for service in wal
30 general and so systematic as 1t is now.
Practically all continental Europe Is under
arms. Every man who has not reached the
z incapacitating him for military service,
Is a soldier. His first function as a citizen
and a subject IL to bear arms.
Christian missions rave succeeded in
making little impression on the religions
OF the heather world. as we call It, but
Christian civilization has taught it the art
OF war, and Japan Is now showing n pro-
ficiency in that art which entities it to a
place among the great military nations Of
The world.
The first selections for appointments by
Governor MORTON were OF the members Of
his military staff. During recent years new
and large and imposing armories have been
built In this city at great cost, and another
IS now under way. Military drill has been
introduced generally into the parochiel and
Sunday schools Of the churches, and the
number of boys here who are now under mill
tary training Is thus greater than ever before
IN the history Of this city. 1t has become
a passion among them. NAPOLEON again
looms up as the most popular figure of the
day. His pictures and statues are every
where on exhibition in the shops, and the
demand for reputed relics OF his period Is
nctivc. Both cur army and navy are
attracting an amount OF public atten-
tion and interest which they have
received at no time before since the
civil war. Congress is asked to increase
the appropriations for each, and II it grants
the request, public sentiment will Justify
aud applaud its liberality. The feeling that
needs to strengthen the physi.
cal forces for its preservation was never
more general than it is now, when society Is
threatened by ~disrupting internal explosions
Of the nl-will of savage and satanic ferocity.
Thus the peace which exists, is preserved
by a display Of military power unexampled
In history. States are frightened from war
by seeing that the whole civilized world is
to the teeth, and thus is ready to resist
attack. Japan, having demonstrated it's
capabilities, will be let alone
by its Oriental neighbors and competitors
for a long time to come. 1t went into its
conflict with China for the purpose of max
ing its civilization dominant in the East, by
the display of its proficiency in the military
1t had learned from Christendom, in our
W military schools, for example; and it
has attained its desire. 1t has not been
Christianized, but it has been made a great
nation, even when judged by the
standards of Christian civilization. BY
force OF arms It has made itself respected in
Asia and Europe both, and thus has won a
place in the family Of civilized States.
IL, Their, peace has not yet come, though
nearly two thousand years have passed
Bince the birth of JESUS, as the consequence
or the prevalence Of good will, it is pre-
served to an extent remarkable in history
by the exercise OF force provocative of fear.
1t Ia true that 1t is the same power which
frt9htens and subdues ferocious beasts and
violent savages, but practically it is
effectual, and experience shows it TO be as
necessary now rs it ever was before. The
Ea v0 O.. element Gill rap,ai,a a., ,.oi...
and never, even in the days when
barbaruus chieftains disturbed the order
or Europe, or red Indians made their
wild assaults on American progress, was
It SO dangerous to civilization as IL is
so brutal in its f~erocity, 50 mad, and
30 closely akin to the destructiveness of
wild beasts. 1t is kept under sub
lection by the restraints of religion, but
where that faith has departed, it is awed
only by the physical forces of society con-
for its repression. Good will is
prevalent influence because il Is capable
Of overmastering the ill-will of the savages,
who are sneaking about with the torch and
dynamite 10 destroy civilization, and
are plotting To obtain even the protection of
itself for their incendiary enterprise. A
vile Congress in this country gave them as
slstance in their assault on property, the
corner stone of civilization, by singing out
Tor their envious and malicious attack a
special class of the prudent and thrifty, TO be
subjected to the punishment of discriminat-
ng and unconstitutional extortion in the
'orm of taxation but the people rose up last
month and swept it away with the con-
,emptuous indignation it had merited by
'eason Of its high crime against democracy
md against civilization.
Hence there is good reason for rejoicing at
his Christmas. The festival has come in
when the material prosperity OF the
has been greater, but it has never
them at a higher elevation morally.