The record-union., 1898-07-24
Weather Forecast.
Northern California-Fair Sunday; light
north to brisk west wind
THE SWORD AND THE PLOW
SHARE

We have never believed that the day
en- into plowshares; certainly there will
be nothing to support such belief IS
long as human nature remains what it
is. Man is naturally fighting ami
NAL The disposition to indulge the
taste for conflict is only modified. not
obliterated, by civilization. The ideal
ist is to be commended however, be-
cause the mere preaching Of and hoping
for the harmonious relations among
men TO which he looks forward Is hope
full and helpful to his fellows, broadens
the humane horizon and uplifts it.
War however Will always remain one
Of the means of man. Force always
will be employed to restrain the ambi-
tious and vicious, however much change
may be effected in the methods Of its
application. The highest civilizing
efficiency, always pressing forward,
will resort to force when other methods
fail to enable it to assert itself over
lower and less beneficent efficiency.
w al 10 q 1PNNANo -
savagery, but the evil is not to be elm
mated from our natures as we now
know them. Men viii continue to back
their assertions by physical force, and
this will be applied in the future as 1t
has been in the past for the advance Of
great moral doctrines and practice and
the assertion of rights. Say what they
may, the men of peace cannot deny
that their opportunities for preaching
the gospel Of love and perfect harmony
have been enlarged and defended by
war And so ii always will be.
But the war of greed and conquest
and the defensible and justifable war
are two very different things. 1t may
be said that wholly justifiable war is
not an evil in the broad sense, since
that which is justified by humanity, lib
erty and the assertion of human right
cannot be termed an evil though its in
itiative may be brute force.
1t is true that as men have centralized
and congested their communities under
civilization. wars have grown less fire.
QuenI, put II Is also true IIldl lilSy idfC
grown more destructive. The art Of
destroying and infiicting great injury
has kept pace with all the other arts,
and has outstripped some Of them. The
broader views we obtain of justice,
mercy and human rights. equip US more
fully and determinedly for their en-
forcement, maintenance and defense.
High conceptions Of justice in people,
enlarge their courage and augment
their ability to battle for It
The competition between peoples in
peaceful walks has steadily grown
sharper and stronger, and along with
this growth has gone that Of the spirit
not only of defiance but Of readiness to
contest in arms. Slight pretexts for
war are now sufficient where once grave
causes only moved men to draw the
sword, excepting always from the rule
the warriors who have gone out merely
for lust of fighting and the spoil Of con-
quest. But in this day adventure of
that order is practically impossible. Civ
ilization forbids 1t; freebooting. piracy
ana wars IOT lOollIS nave together uleU
out and become practically impossible
When we have war now, therefore,
there must be an openly stated cause
claiming recognition on the basis Of
right, whether the war be that Of as
sault or for defense.
Such a thing as both parties being
right in a war is of course absurd, but
it is not impossible that in war there
may be something of apparent right on
each side. The question is then simply
one of preponderance Of reason. Spain
has the right to defend her possessions.
Legally she is bound u protect them
from outside assault; but her right may
be, nay is, subordinate to the greater
one which has the bidding and justif-
cation Of humanity and the ground
work of justice for men, no matter by
what power dominated. 1t follows that
where one legally holds but immorally,
unjustly and viciously governs, when
appeals to reason and justice fail, force
alone remains TO be employed.
Which brings US to face with the