Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-05-16
1t is possible they may force the
Spanish authorities into trouble.
Arbitration.

international arbitration, consequently
we cannot discuss the matter only In a
general way and upon the basis of the
general acceptance of the purport OF
that address. The speaker is under
stood to have said war is a great in
stigator of patriotism. and that IL we
come to a stage where everything in
dispute is to be peaceably settled we
will lose interest in the affairs of our
country in it's relations with other ma
TONS
In support of this he cited. among
other examples. that of the war of the
Rebellion, which he said was the great
object lesson to the nations of the earth
of the stability of Democratic form of
government Nevertheless there IS
nothing in international arbitration to
prevent a government from resorting to
arbitrament of arms to end rebellion.
and he must know that one of the most
conspicuous features of the Civil war,
and which afforded the best guarantee
of the stability of a democratic form of
government, was the fact that nearly
all the men who bore arms had not had
military training but came from all
classes and were recruited from the
ranks of labor in all it's diversified
forms; moreover when the war was
ended they returned to their avocations
and resumed industry almost as if four
terrible, bloody years had not inter-
vened Here is found ample reason to
believe that it is not necessary in order
to have a brave and capable citizen
soldiery that the country shall main
tain large standing armies in time of
peace or stimulate the warlike pro-
pensities of it's people.
In a sense war may be an instigator
of patriotism but patriotism is at its
best, is strongest, when it is animated
Men who have been the opposite of
quarrelsome, who abhorred war, who
were peace loving and mild in manner,
have been among the greatest war
heroes of the age when they knew that
right, justice, duty called them to an
irrepreSSible conflict. international
arbitration is not expected to do away
with war When each individual of the
human race shall have his passions
thoroughly under control and his view
of justice broadened to perfection and
his conscience quickened SO that com
hitting a wrong is a source of anguish
to him, then we may not have war.
Meanwhile we can perceive no good
reason why we should not use every
honorable effort to prevent the awful
conflict; why the nations of the earth
should not have an international board
of arbitration which shall stand as an
assurance that war shall not come
through any mistakes and misunder-
standings, that when it does come it
shall be an irrepressible conflict.
When such a conflict becomes newt
able we cannot, in view of the past, en-
terrain a doubt but that there will be
patriots to lay down their lives in the
cause. If on the other hand we must
have war in order to have patriots,
every nation must see to it that no
other nation has any more wars than
it does itself. otherwise it would have
more patriots and be a dangerous
rival Those who expect war to become
a lost art within few generations are
Utopian in their dreams. We do know,
however, that nations no longer resort
to arms as readily as they did COM
paratively few years ago, nor do rulers
consider it necessary, as they once did,
that war be had to keep their
subjects out of mischief. In time of
war not only is patriotism put to the
test and noble examples afforded, but
occasion is offered for the corrupt to
thrive, for prejudice to usurp reason.
inseparable from pestilence as from
war Women and men have risked
their lives in order to care for those
helpless and hopeless, sick with some
contagious disease. In the deadly
calm about the sick bed is often found
a supremer test of courage than in the
blind fury of the battlefield. Neverthe-
less we spare no pains to avoid con-
every discovery to that end. We can
| not believe this learned prelate in
| tended to convey the idea that war of
| itself is good thing, but rather that it
| is not an unmixed evil.
The kindergarten for the Blind.