The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1898-05-17
w AR.

Nearly tWenty-SeVen centuries nave
elapsed since the voice of a divinely in
spired prophet was heard proclaiming,
"Men shall beat their swords into plow-
shares and their spears into pruning
hooks; nation shall not lift sword
against nation, neither shall war be
longer learned" That voice has been
drowned in the red deluge of centuries
and that prophecy remains unfulfilled.
The desolation and destruction on the
soil of classic Greece, the homage OF a
subject world for Alexander, the shak-
ing of Europe from center to circum-
ference can bear testimony to mans
inhumanity to man. The lowly Naza-
rine came and preached peace on
earth. good will toward men," but he
was given crown thOrns, was nailed to
cross, and turmoil has never ceased.
Despite increased intellectual power
and refinement, despite the long con-
tinued efforts of Christianity to remould
him the germ of strife planted in man
by so many generations of struggling
ancestry has not been exterminated; it
has remained through all the ages, self
propagating, generating contaglon and
matured by evil passion. Alas. for hu-
manity the erring human heart may
still conceal the deceits of Esau, the
treachery of Judas or the crueIties of
Nero, and the pride, selfshness and de-
sire for personal aggrandizemt and pre-
ferment which rankle in the human
breast find their expression in the con-
duct of human strife and contention
somewhat mitigated in its flow, but
redeemed at intervals by human blood,
still sweeps onward and the day of uni
versal peace to which we have long
looked forward seems to be a mere
chimera of the brain.
From the time of that primitive con-
flict when guilty terror and wringing
remorse a fratricide viewed his awful
deed, down to the time of our civil war,
has been determined principally by the
manner in which nations conduct their
warfare. Between the rude tOmahawk
and scalping knife of the savage and the
gatling-gun and marine torpedo of the
civilized man there exist the same de-
gree of difference as is perceived between
the degrees of civilization which they
represent. Strangely enough, carnage
has always appeared in the role of an
educator, has elevated the civilized man
above his erring brother who still lin
gers in the shades of savagery, has torn
the shackles from slaves, paved the path
of wisdom for free men, removed mighty
wrongs, until one bolder than others
exclaimed that Carnage is Gods
daughter" and a world of men though
shocked were silent.
Over eighteen million men trained to
arms are standing ready for battle in
Europe. Two antagonizing forces mo-
nopolize the situation. In the center of
the continent stands Germany, with her
allies, Austria and Italy. On either
hand are France and Russia. The MEM
bers of the Triple Alliance are interested
in holding their own territory, while
France longs for her old boundaries, and
Prussia is but waiting for good oppor-
tunity to seize Constantinople. Eng
land on account of maintaining her
supremacy in the Mediterranean is
drawn into much closer relations with
Italy while she is viewing with alarm
the encroachments of France in Africa
and is dreading the great influence of
Russia in Asia. Thus there are five
powers standing ready at a moments
warming to clutch at each others throats.
to devour each other as remorselesslv as
wild beasts are in the habit of devouring
their prey. Today war clouds are gath
ering heavily over America and Ameri-
can statesmen are advocating war, are
going to exterminate Spain unless she
makes certain concessions, which it is
highly improbable that she will do. So
war is discussed by the freside, advo-
Gated by the press, urged by the diplo-
mat, sanctioned by the pulpit and is an
inevitable thing. A mighty wrong has
been committed and force of arms is the
only arbiter. International arbitration,