The herald., 1897-08-22
WAR WITH ENGLAND

HE jests at scars who never felt a
wound" sings the great dramatic poet.
Upon the slightest provocation certain
of our leading politicians jump at the
conclusion that war with England is
all the United States require to restore
prosperity and-improve their own wan
ing political and private fortunes.
These ultra patriotic men have their
special organs, no less patriotic journals,
whose circulation and advertising bus
mess would. they fondly believe, find ex-
tension and imitation in the ready-made
warlike breeze. Hence the flaming
headlines and blood edi-
torial leaders, double loaded and double
shotted. upon the slightest pretext, real
or made out of hand, to arouse the slum-
bering anti-British spirit of this nation,
and to excite the people to rise, as one
man, and put the knife to the throat OF
"perfdious Albion"
The country has been treated to sew
eral editions of these politico- -belliger-
ent, oratorical and editorial pyrotech-
mics. within the last few months. United
States Senators Morgan and Lodge
were, during the late special session OF
congress. very liberal in bestowing uptn
the country gifts Of the character indi-
Gated and even-that supposedly cooler
headed statesman, the present secretary
Of state, Mr.. Sherman, wore the tradi-
tional chip upon his shoulder, and even,
in semi-confidential chat with sundry
representatives Of the press, staggered
in the premises akin to any ordinary
braggadocio.
From these and other indices Of jingo-
istic policy and opinion, one who had
never tasted the bitterness of actual
war might be excused for believing that
conflict between the United States and
England would be, as far as the former
Is concerned, mere before breakfast
affair, provocative more of an appetite
in our soldiers and sailtrs for the matu.
tinal meal than for any serious damage
to the lives and property of the Ameri-
can people.
1t is only thirty-two years since the
close Of our civil war. Thousands oi
men, Of the armies Of the union and Of
the confederate states, survive to recall
its horrors, while the whole Unite;
States continues, and will remain 10,
years vet to come, burdened with the
enormous public debt it bequeathed te
those who had neither act nor part ir
bringing it upon the country, and who
might well say with the mortall,
wounded Tybalt in the play, "A plagu,
on both your houses!"
| Great, as to the numbers of combat.
ants. directly or indirectly engaged, an.
great as to the sacrifices of human live,
and the waste Of untold treasure there
in. as that war unquestionably was, i
did not, in our judgment, entail upon ou
country one-half the disaster which
would follow in the wake of a war be
tween the United States and England
And this, too, irrespective as to which
of the two national combatants Nigh
come successfully out Of the conflict
The consequences Of such a war, fought
as 1t would necessarily be, to a finish. ar
beyond human calculation. 1t is who'll,
needless to go into details. The stand
ard of intelligence of the readers of TIL
Herald is too high to render that neces
sary. No man familiar with the effect
| i've destructiveness Of modern engine
| of war, on land and sea, need be tol,
what to expect when two of the bes
armed nations in the world, guided b,
equal warlike genius, and manned b,
equally brave and gallant fighters, NEE
| in deadly combat
| And the immediate material loss, nee
essarily beyond calculation, would b
only trifle in comparison to the tire
mendous setback in the enlightene
moral and scientific progress Of tn
world which such a conflict would en-