Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1896-09-26
forever. Arbitration instead Of battle.

caused war between the United States
and England. England said, "Pay me
for the invasion Of my Canadian fisher
les" The United States said, II will
not pay anything" Well, the two NO.
lions say, II guess we had better leave
the whole matter to commission. y
The commission is appointed, and the
commission examines the affair, and the
commission reports, and pay we ought,
pay we must, pay We do Not pound
of powder burned, no one hurt so much
us by the scratch of o pin. Arbitration
instead Of battle.
SO the Samoan controversy in any
other age would have brought Germany
and the United States into bloody col
lision. But all is settled Arbitration
instead Of battle.
France will never again, I think,
through the peccadillo Of an embassa-
dor, bring on battle with other ma
tions. She sees that God, in punish
ment at Sedan, blotted out the French
empire, and tho only aspirant for that
throne who had any right Of expecta,
ton dies in n war that has not even the
dignity of being respectable. What is
the leaf that England would like to
tear out of her history? The Zulu war.
Down with the sword and up with the
treaty.
We in this country might better have
settled our sectional difficulties by ar
bitration than by tho trial Of the sword.
Philanthropy said to the north. "Pay
down a certain amount Of money for
the purchase of the slaves. and let all
those born after q certain time be born
free" Philanthropy at the same time
said to the south, "You sell the slaves
and get rid of this great national con-
test and trouble" The north replied,
81 won't pay cent !" The south re-
piled, ~ won't SELL" War, warl A
million dead men, and national debt
which might have ground this nation to
powderl Why did we not let William
H. Seward Of New York and Alexander
Il. Stephens Of Georgia 60 out and spend
q few days under the trees on the banks
Of the Potomac and talk the matter over
and settle it, as settle it they could,
rather than the north pay in cost Of war
81, roo, 900, 900, and the south pay 81,
750, 900, 900, the destroying angel loav-
ing the first born dead in 30 many houses
all the way from the Penobscot to the
Alabama. Ye aged men whose sons fell
in the strife, do you not think that
would have been betterP Oh, yes, we
have come to believe, I think, in this
country that arbitration is better than
battle
a Word For Poor Lo.
I may be mistaken, but hope that
the last war between Christian nations
is onded. Barbarians may mix their
war paint and Chinese and Japanese go
into wholesale massacres and Afghan
and Zulu hurl poisoned arrows, but I
think Christian nations have gradually
learned that war is disaster to victor as
we'll as vanquished and that almost
anything bought by blood is bought at
too dear a price. wish to God this ma
ton might be model of willingness for
arbitration. No need Of killing another
Indian. No need of sacrificing any moro
brave General Custers' Stop exasperat-
ing the red man, and there will be no
moro arrows shot out from the ambush
ments. A general of the United States
army in high repute throughout this
land, and who perhaps had been in moro
Indian wars than any other officer, and
who had been wounded again and
again in behalf Of our government in
battle against the Indians, told me that
all the wars that had ever occurred be-
tween Indians and white men had been
provoked by white men, and that there
was no exception to the rule. While we
are arbitrating with Chistian nations
let us toward barbarians carry ourselves
in manner unprovocative of contest
Let me put myself in their place. l
inherit large estate, and the waters
are rich with fish, and the woods are
songful with birds, and my cornhelds
are silken and golden. Here is my Sis
ter's grave. Out yonder, under the large
tree, my father died. An invader comes
and proposes to drive me off and take
possession of my property. He crowds
me back, he crowds me on and crowds
me into a closer corner, until after
awhile say: "Stand baok Don't crowd
me any more, or III strikel What right
have you to come here and drive me of
my premises: I got this farm from my
father, and he got it from his father.
What right have you to come here and
modest me?" You blandly say: "Oh, 1
know more than you do. belong to a
higher civilization cut my hair short
er than you do. l could put this ground
to q great deal better use than you do. ="
And you keep crowding me back and
crowding me on into closer corner and
closer corner, until one day look
around upon my suffering family, and,
fired by their hardships, I hew you in
twain. Forthwith all the world comes
to your funeral to pronounce eulogium,
comes to my execution to anathematlze
mo. You are the hero. l am the Gull
prit. Behold the United States govern
ment and tho North American Indianl
The red man has stood more wrongs
than I would, or you. We would have
struck sooner, deeper. That which is
right in defense of Washington home
is right in defense of home on top of
the Sierra Nevada. Before this dwin-
ding red race dies completely out 1
wish that this generation might by
common Justice ntone for the inhuman-
ity Of Its predecessors. In the day OF
Gods Judgment 1 would rather be a
blood smeared Modoo than swindling
United States officer on an Indian res
ervationl One was a barbarian and q
savage and never pretended to be any
thing but barbarian and savage. The
other pretended to be representative OF
a Christian nation. Notwithstanding all
this the general disgust with war and
the substitution Of diplomatic skill for
the glittering edge Of keen steel is sign
unmistakable that "the day is at hand. !"