The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-04-08
IS THERE COMPENSATION IN wARs
II have no words-my voice is in N
sword"

II have no words-my voice Is in my
sword"
In these warlike times, when literature
takes upon itself a sanguinary hue and
the cry for war against Spain resounds
throughout the American nation, very
many OF our people ask the question IL
there is any compensation In war A war
for the defense OF sacred principle. Tor
the upbuilding of humanity and the over
throw OF oppression, has its warrant In
holy writ and It's justification In the his
terry OF the battling Of humanity, In all
the ages of the past. to gain . higher plane
OF civilization.
War Is no plaything, there is very little
humor In the mad rush of charging coli
uynns OF infantry and cavalry. or In the
bursting shell or whistiing bullet There
Is very little OF revenge on the CORY battle
field. very little commiseration, but there
predoulinates those high and ennobled
characteristics. a love OF country and .
sense OF duty iii an inordinate degree. Nat
urally war lets loose all the dark-viaaged
mental instincts of human nature. 1t
hardens the conscience makes callous
the heart ann blind the eyes Of men. Yet
the good accomplished by the soldier in
defense OF humanityif he be fighting for
the elevation Of mankind. Ii he be bat
ting for the overthrow OF iniquity mani
fold, such as that developed by the treach-
ted In Cuba, and intensified by the cow
ardly and inhuman destruction of the war
ship Maine, then indeed he IL carrying in
one hand the orifamme OF the cross and
In the ether the flag of his country. In
this crisis II is the blood of martyrs crying
TO heaven for vengeance. and we are sim
ply and solely the chosen instruments OF
God 10 chast;se the insoient and heartiess.
hsoedy~handed ard bloody minded Span
iards. IL IL duty one TO be done calm
ly, coolly and very effecualiy. A nation
that advocated and fought for the free
dom Of the black man a. home and sue
ceeded, Is surely the proper instrument 10
he used in the salvation of nation Ut
freenen who fought and suffered for
years IN the effort for eif-goyernment.
But is there any compensation in a war
such an oa,lined-a war for the uplifting
az men-a war whose success means the
aoolishing OF the scourge. the inian!sl;ion
and the murder Of the helpless. History
car alone answer the question. Joanna
Bailey declares that:
WAR Is honorable
IN those who do their native rights main.
tain.
In those whose swords an iron barrier
rear
Between the Iaw,ess spoiler and the
weak"
An1 EZRA Cook sings In this vein:
TnefeS enc whose fearless courage vet
has never failed In fight.
WAC guards with zeal cur eountry's veal,
cur freedom and cur right"
Piasarch- in his essay on Alexander. be-
!leNes the invasion and tongues. Of the
East by that great warrior. ..one Of the
mo-r bright ard Pleasing pages in hts
tory" Ralph Waldo Emerson declares
thai ''is had the effect OF uniting into one
great interest the divided commemorative
CT Greece and iafusins = new and more
enlarged ruasfc spirit fnto the councils
es their statesmen .sfs carried % de-
ciares Psutarch. the arts languages and
phxaecphy ef the Greeks into Tia sing