The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-06-01
Noble Lessons oY War.
.ffit.nfu .JOujuui

| spirit OF AmcricanlSm in US all
No noblcr and no greater people
have lived in human history than the
southcrncrs who came, storm swept
and chastencd out from the crowning
shadows Of Appomattox.
Every heroic virtue grew in the
matchlcss inspiration of the war
Every noble quality horrishcd in the
stern and splendid discipline of these
unrclcnting years. Courage, patience,
sentiment, devotion, duty, unsclGsh-
ness, and dcathlcss patriotism flashed
like radiant stars across the gloom
and darkness Of the time. Men learn
cd there to love their country better
than themselves and to pledge this
loyalty freely with their lives. Wo-
men, raised in luxury, forgot their
selfish comforts in their solemn duties.
and the white hands of fashion swept
the looms Of labor and fastened the
bandages Of blood with self denying
hcr0sm that was indeed sublime.
|
When triumphs came, they rejOiccd
with rcvcrcnt gratitude They met
disasters in their turn with dignity.
without discouragcmcnt, and when all
was over, and the last shadow wrapped
the lost cause, this people chastcned
into hcroism. and disciplined into
grandeur. facing desperate conditions
without bitterness and without de-
spair, set themselves will naticnt
faith to duty, and wrought .th dill
gcncc the development, that must for
ever stand as the material miracle Of
our time.
War and suffering developed a great
ness for which defeat and poverty
furnished a field of glorious ilustra-
ton.
But peace came, and with peace re-
sponsibi)ity. and the stern necessity
for an industrial hcroism as notable
as the prowess Of our soldicry.
The colossal energies of battles
were consccratcd anew to the making
of money, and out of the industrial
travail, glorious in itself, has been
| developed the monster of Matcrialism,
selfish, sinister and threatening, mag
nifying the individual and making the
State subordinate.
No people OH earth could have con-
sccratcd for thirty years as we have
done, every faculty Of brain aud heart
and hand to mere material develop
mcnt, without decentralization and the
evidences OF our retrogression i'll moral
qualities are patent and lamentable.
The virtues that grew in our service
of Mars, are fading in our worship Of
Mammon.
The nobility born in the service of
our country is dying in exclusive SER
vice to ourselves.
1t may be that tie Almighty
moving in mysterious ways, His
wonders to PERFORM has brought this
new war to pass to rebuild and tonic
the dccaying virtues of our race.
For that war does revive the nobler
spirit of people there can be no
doubt.
John Ruskin says that "no great
art ever yet rose on earth except
| among nation Of soldiers. He holds
that the architectural triumphs of
Italy, the paintings of Rubens or the
plays Of Shakespeare would have been
impossible without the lofty attitude
of mind induced by the contemplation
of stormy and heroic periods Of his
tory"
He holds further that "war is the
foundation of all the high virtues and
faculties of men" and with all due
allowance for John Ruskin's exuber-
ance of expression, the universal drift
Of history confirms his sweeping state
ment and breaks rudely upon the
eulogists Of eternal peace.
The growing consciousness during
wars that dying is not the worst Of
"evils," and that honorable death is
better than ignoble life, is 9 motive 70
high endeavor and one Of the most
uplifting sentiments in the thought OF
! world.
Phe war sentiment in nation pro-
duces conservation, effaces self, and
stabbing the stubbOr, ego in the
human heart brings humanity to the
ideal satte Of patriotism and Of Chris
tianity.
We talk of peace and learning, of
peace and plenty, of peace and civil
cation, but brave old John Ruskin is
justified in saying that, instead of
these, the words which the Muse of
history couples on her lips, are "peace