The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-04-22
BUTCERTAINTY Is
MORE TERRIBLE
MILITARY MEN PREPARING TO
GO TO THE FRONT.
FEARFUL WOMEN MAKE ANXIOUS INQUIRY
The Call to day viii be for 100000 Men and
the Entire Militia Force of North Caro-
lima VIII be Asked to
Volunteer.

than yesterday. Perhaps never, since
the COS has there been such day of ln-
tense anxiety and dread uncertainty.
Everybody was talking of possible
war. All along the streets men in the
various walks of life were gathered i'll
little knots discussing the situation.
Even women stopped you on the street
TO ask: whats the news? Will my
brother have to go? Can they send my
husband out of the State:
Is it over the brink-or what?
Are these three weeks and more Of
nerve-racking excitement and wild ru-
NOR to really end in the boom of cannon
and rattle of musketry?
For days and days the air has been
electric. 4 great people-rulers, lawyers.
doctors, merchants, clergymen, laborers
have been in a whirl, tumble and a
scream.
The most ignorant negro and the high
est official alike stop you on the street
to ask: will there be war;"
Newsboys fly through the streets and
yex your ears with screams of war.
The eddies-the cruel, strangling, en-
ticiilg tides-we have been hurled along
by them. Now we are upon crest of the
cataract. Is it over?
Already the hungry roar of war deaf
ems us and the horizon has Il scarlet
tinge. One-legged heroes of the last
war and two-legged heroes of the next
war are offering their services.
That means carnage and destruction.
weeping widows and mourning mothers.
The action of Spain yesterday means
war if it means anything, and the sun
may set blood-red even to-day.
There has been much elequence over
the situation in Washington these
weeks, but matters have now, both there
and in Madrid, have passed beyond the
influence of speech. The frenzy of war
is III the air.
Conservative men look with sorrow
and chastened memories upon the mad
scene, but it is sorrow for the necessity
for the release of the war dogs and not
that the nation is able and ever ready
to battle for freedom and wipe from her
ascutcheon any stain OF. dishonor that
may have been put there.
Since the blowing mp of the Maine
things have happened very rapidly.
Events have chased events like cyclonic
clouds sweeping over 4 wonder-burdened
sky, and each day has brought us nearer
70 war-nearer to the Niagara.
Will it be over the brink to-day--or
what?
Ii not to-day, will it he tomorrow or
Sunday? 1t is said that wars always
begin on Sunday and on the Sabbath
the greatest battles have been fought.
A call for volunteers to fight these
battles will come today. North Carroll
na will be asked to do her part. And
she will do ii. She has never yet failed.
Mai. Il. NJ Hayes, T.. s. A., and
Acting Adjutant General. is now in
Washington. Yesterday he telegraphed
Col Eugene Harrell, Quartermaster
General, as follows:
1.-THE call for 100000 troops; North
Carolina two or three regiments"
Commenting on this Col. Harrell said:
You may add that the Guard viii be
called for as they now stand. Their
present organization will be maintained
and all line officers viii retain their
commissions.
'sThey will be modified here in Raj
eigh, with their present officers and a
Brigadier-General will be appointed He
will be recommended by the Governor.
appointed by the President and confirms
ed by the Senate.
THE North Carolina troops may be
brigaded with the Alabama or Missls-
sippi troops, but in any orders affecting
them their wishes will be respected as
far as possible"
The jingo is now singing low, and the
strutting Observation-Disclosures is hunting
for a hole to crawl in.
Now that the holiday parade feature
of military life has faded and the stern
reality of cracking rifle and belching
cannon confronts them, they are of the
opinion that military life is not what
it was cracked up to be-
More than one officer in the Govern
or's Guard even has shown a weakness
for staying at home, and the white feath-
or has been found in the cap OF several
priyates.
Mothers. wives and sweethearts are
even now getting red-eyed in anticipation
of the time when they are to see their
boys" march away to fight the cause
of freedom and humanity in Cuba
Fathers who know what war means
who went through four years of fire
and lead quarter of century ago-now
look troubled; and mothers anxiorsly
inquire if the dread news can be true.
THE ABERDEEN S. A. L. AGENT.
4 gentleman at Aberdeen. writes us
that there WAS n misunderstanding be-