The San Francisco call., 1897-06-03

teChnlQue OF their trade, but would speak
10 them as one who believed that even
every scratch of the pen il the Navy De-
partment should be directed toward the
upbuildIng of the navy. He said:
century has passed since Washington
wrote. ITO be prepared for war is the most
effectual means to promote peace" We pay
to this maxim the lip-loyalty we so often pay
to Washingtons words, but 1t has never sunk
deep into our hearts. Indeed, of late years
many persons have refused it even the poor
tribute OF lip-loyalty. and prate about the in
iauity. Of war, as f, somehow, that was a
justification for refusing 10 take the steps
which alone can, in the long run, prevent war
or avert the dreadful disasters il brings In its
train. The truth of the maxim is so obvious
to every man OF really far-sighted patriotism
that its mere statement seems title ana use
less, and it is not owe -creditabls to either our
. intelligence or our love of country that there
should be- as there is, need to dwell upon an ID
amplify such truism.
In this country there is not the slightest
danger OF an ovezdevelopment of warlike
spirit, and there never has been any such
danger. In all our history there has never
been a time when preparedness for war was
any menace to peace. On the contrary, again
and again we have owed peace to the fact that
we were not prepared for war and in the only
contest which we have had with European
power since the Revolution, the War OF 1912,
the struggle ana all its attendant disasters
were due solely to the fact that were not
prepared to face and were not ready instantly
to resent attack upon our honor and in
te-est; while the glorious triumphs at sea,
which redeemed that war, were due 10 the few
preparations which we had actually made.
We are great and peaceful Nation; Nation
OF merchants and manufacturers, of farmers
and mechanics; Nation of workingmen, who
wgN. h.anI \ hpv, rc
idle to talk OF such a Nation ever being led
into a course of wanton aggression or needless
conflict with military powers by the possession
OF q sufficient navy.
The danger is OF precisely the opposite ch ar
acter. II we forget that in the last resort We
can only secure peace by being ready and
willing 10 fight for it, we may some cay have
bitter cause TO realize that a rich nation
which is siothful timid or unwieldy is an
easy prey for anY people which still retains
these most valuable of all qualities, the
soldlerly virtues. We but keep to the tradi-
tious OF Washington, 10 the traditions Of all
The great Americans who struggled for the
real greatness OF America, when we strive to
build up those lighting qualities for the lack
OF which in q nation, as in en- individual, no
refinement, no culture, no wealth, no material
prosperity atone.
Prepara tion for war is the surest guarantee
Tor peace. Arbitration is an excellent thing,
but ultimately those who wish TO see this
country at peace with foreign nations will be
wise if they place reliance upon a irst-class
feet OF frst-class battle-ships rather than on
any arbitration treaty which the wit of man
can devise. Nelson said that the British feet
was the best negouator in Europe, aud there
wes much truth in the saying. Moreover,
whlls are sincere and earnest in our ad-
voeacy OF peace, we must not forget that an
ignoble peace is worse than any war. A really
great people, proud and high-spirite d, would
lace all the disasters of war rather than puI-
chase that base prosperity which is bought at
the price OF national honor.
All the great masterful races have been
fighting races, and the minute that race
loses the hard fighting virtues then, no mat
ter what else it may retain, no matter how
skilled in commerce and finance, in science or
arr, it has lost its proud right 10 stand as the
equal of the best COwaTdice in race, as in
an individual, is the unpardonable sin, and
willful failure to prepare for danger may, in
its effects be as bad cowardice. The timid
man who cannot fight and the selfish, short
sighted or foolish man who will not take the
steps that will enable him 10 tight stand on
almost the same plane
1t is not only true that peace may be so
!gnoble and degrading as to be worse than
any war; it is also true that it may be iraught
with more bloodshed than most wars. OF this
there has been melancholy proof during the
last two years.
Thanks largely to the very unhealthy infiu.
ence OF The men whose business it is to specu.
late in the money market, and who approach
every subject from The financial standpoint
purely; and thanks quite as much TO the cold
blooded brutality and calculating tim idity of
III any European rulers and statesmen, ;he
peace OF Europe has been preserved, while the
] urk has bean allowed to butcher the Arme-
mans with hldeous and unmentions BILE bar
'barity. and has actually been helped to keep
Crete IN slavery. War has been sverted at The
cost Of more bloodshed and infinitely more
suffering and degradation to wretched women
and children than have occurred in any Euro
pesn struggle since the days OF Waterloo. No
war OF recent years, no matter how wanton,
has been so productive OF horrible misery as
the peace which the powers have maintained
during the continuance of the Armenian
butcheries. The men who would preach this
peace, aud, indeed. the men who have
preached universal peace in terms that have
prepared the way for such q peace as this
have inflicted wrong on humanity greater
than could be inflicted by the most reckless
and war-ioving despot Better a thousand
times err on the side of over-readiness to
tight than to err on the side of tame submis-
sion to injury or cold-blooded indifference to
the misery of the oppressed
We OF the United States have passed most of
honor the architects OF our wonderful material
prosperity; we appreciate the necessity of
thrift energy and enterprise; and we know
that even these are OF no avail without the
civic and social virtues. But we feel after
all that the men who have dared greatly in
war, or the work which is akin to war are
lhose VINO deserve best of the country The
men OF Bunker Hill and Trenton Saratoga
and yorktown, the men OF New Orleans and
Mobile Bay, Gettysburg and Appom attox, are
ulose 10 whom we owe N ost. None OF our
heroes OF peace, save a few great constructive
statesmen, can rank with our heroes of war
The Americans who stand highest on the list
OF the worlds worthless are Washington, who
Iought 10 found the country which he after
ward governed, and Lincol1, who saved it
through the blood of the best and brayegt in
the land; Washington, the soldier and the
statesman, the man of cool head. dauntless
heart and iron will, the greatest of good men
ana the best OF great men; and Lincoln
patient, kindly Lincoln. who for four wears
toiled and suffered for tue people, and when
his work was done laid down his life tbat the
flag, which had been rent in sunder might
once more be made whole and without a seam
It is on men such as these, and not on tha
advocates OF peace at any price or upon those
SO shortsig hted that they refuse to take into
account the possibility of war; that we must
rely in every crisis which deeply touches the
true greatness and true honor of the Republic.
The United States have never once in the
of preparation for war or because of entering