Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1898-09-01
Opposed to War.

Mr.. William Lloyd Garrison, one OF
tbe most bitter of sectionalists has just
gone into eruption, and fire, smoke ana
melted lava are pouring from his crater,
on some imaginary persons. These are
thew who brought on the war, but VINO
did it. and how they did it, are conJec-
tural with Mr.. Garrison as with others.
He says in part
"The late war witt Spain was WORKED
I'D with the unspOntanelty OF a lapoIeu
drama. 1t was not called ZOE py .ne
neonle. was earnestly opposed by DIS |
Interested thinkers who had the public |
or and the aversion of the evidently |
sincere President and Secretary OF the
NAVY gave hopes of a peaceful settle
ment.
"A remarkable series of fOrtuItouS
events strengthened the hands OF the
yellow Journals and the jingoes in Con
gress. beginning with the theft OF thej
Spanish Minister'S private letter from
the mails for publication, the still un,
exclaimed explosion which destroyed
the Maine, and the carefully worked up
speech OF Senator Proctor, ostenslDly
in behalf of the starving reconcentra-
dos who were soon to rue the Senator
friendship. All contributed to fire the
| heart of the nation and force the IN
prepared administration TO instant
| war. -;
81 ike the Franco-Prussian war, lnl-
tiated by falsehOod. our hostllltles
with Spain were hurried regardless OF
truth or national honor. In the llght OF
today's knowledge of the Cuban lnsur-
rection and the real character OF The
insurgents, of the eagerness OF Spain 10
avoid fighting by generous concessions,
of the brutal and blind declaration OF
war by Congress regardless OF prepara-
tion or season, the verdict OF history
must pronounce the inception OF the
struggle to be without justification.
"Behold country that has had its
century of dishonor with the Indians
land it's infamy with the negro. pratlng
of it's new.found duty to swarms OF peo-
pie of whose nature and needs 1T knows
nothing! Admire the assurance OF a
people which shuts its doors against
foreign commerce, proclaiming the ne.
cessity of conquest for the sake OF trade
Note the anxiety of q nation that Dars
out the Chinese, hurrying to annex
whole populations of Asiatics. ThlnK
of a republic which jealousy warns OIL
foreign nations from the American con.
tinent, low claiming the right TO hold
, dominion in the Philippines because Ad.
. miral Dewey destroyed a Spanish fleet
, in the harbor of Manila. What a spec
tacle is presented by democracy, per
> picked by it's own miscarriage OF seii-
: government. undertaking with jaunty
confidence to govern hordes OF people
, in the tropics, alien in manners, tradl'
lions, and habits to all that Americans
hold dear!
t when one assumes that the Revolu-
: tionary and civil wars were good ones De
cause certain benefits resulted the ques
i ton is begged. 1t is so easy to point &c
/ the seen and ignore the unseen. Mon
cure D. Conway has well said that with
out the revolution this country Woulc
inevitably have attained full politlca
freedom without bloodshed. Today, il
g one is asked where the best constitutional
s government exists, where public honol
3 IS most conspicuous, life securest, ano
Justice most certain, the country O.
George III suggests itself before that O
j George Washington.
= FLING AT THE SOUTH.
S "Iet those who hold that the civil wa
a settled the right of the black mel
s in this country to equal civil ant
+, pOIiticaI liberty test the Southern at
= mosphere on the race question. lndeed
: a stranger might infer that the Soutl
O triumphed, so general has been tn
!. acuuiescence of the North in the socia
- and political lettering of the blacks o.
the shot gun and State legislation"
When a half savage people are turned
into citizens with rights accorded then
= greater than were ever enjoyed by an.
: people of their civilization, it is remark
able that the ''shot gun policy was no
: more prevalent. Let Mr.. Garrison
live few years longer and he will Sc
" the 'Krag Jorgeson policy of tn
United States visited upon the "Patri
otto Cubans," and the followers
Auguinaldo. 1t has already been begun
at Santiago, and this is not a marke
to what will be done in the future
other points. 1t is not to vindicat
the shot gun policy" of the South w
call attention to the rawlings OF thi
. bitter man. He cannot speak withou
venom. and he cannot be fair for
moment. 1t has been claimed tina
the war Just ended had wiped ava
sectionalism. 1t has done so in
, measure, but blood stains are hard t
efface, prejudices deeply rooted in
ID mind fond of prejudice, can be eradici
ted only when the eyes which woul
III not see but one side, are closed, tn
e. tongue which would not speak but
" scorn and derision, is silent, and whe
u the brain so fond of evolving abusiH
I'll thoughts and belittling slurs, has bee
III quoted in death. Never till such me
~ have passed to that bourne fro
IL whence no traveller returns, will bl
terness cease entirely between tt
T. sections. And the bitterness is no
x more marked in the North than in tt
4 South.