The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-08-14
Yallu - Eagle
NJ. N. MURDOCH. Editor.
PEACE TOO SOON.

And peace so soon; peace within
hundred days after the first war dem
onstration, and before thousands VIII
had made sacrifices that they Nigh
volunteer in defense of their country
and for the cause of humanity. wer
even permitted to see battlefield
While it is a peace with conditional
protocol attachment and two commits
slonership appendages, it is in all prob
ability a permanent peace. While th'
proclamation Of the president declaring
a cessation Of hostilities will be hailed
with pleasure by the representatives OF
the commercial interests of the country
it is doubtful if the rank and file Of the
army, who, after all, made the greatest
sacrifices, will not regret the termina-
ton Of a war the continued prosecu-
ton Of which meant so much, and the
sudden termination Of which leaves so
much undetermined. 1t is true that for
which we set out to fight has been con-
coded and more. Cuba will not only be
free, but Porto Rico and all the Span
ish possessions Of the West Indies. But
the war itself raised even greater issues
which are not settled, issues involving
the standing Of the United States as a
power, involving the interests of the
greatest nations on the earth, and in
voIving the welfare Of millions Of peo-
pie in the far away Orient, whose
cause our country, by the eXigencies Of
war, has been forced to espOuse. The
proposed peace commission may be
able, through diplomacy and the prest-
ige won, to protect and guarantee life,
liberty and the right to the pursuit Of
happiness to the inhabitants Of the
Philippines, leaving that people in such
an independent position as to success
fully stay the rapacious ambition or
European powers; but for the sure en-
comprising of such ends the American
patriot in the field and the American
boy behind the gun would have proved
more certainly efficacious than peace
commissions standing on a protocol
Whatever may be the conclusion of the
majority of the American people who
stayed at nome, 1T is safe to say that
nine out of ten Of the volunteers who
made the real sacrifice would have pre-
ferred the fight 10 the. finish, the
complete knock out" in which there
left f,r in
but unconditional submission; nothing
for the great powers but wholesome
dread Of ever wronging or even ques-
tioning the wisdom, patriotism and
power of the great American republic.
One hundred more days Of vigorous
war would have made US the recognized
outside power of the western Pacific,
with China, Japan and the Philippines
all safe from the designs Of European
greed and ACKNOWLEDGEMENT and all our
fast friends and allies.
There will be but one real regret felt
by the American people over the war
in which the fighting has ceased, and
that the loss Of the brave men who
went down to their death not in a war
of conquest but for humanity. Com
paratively very few have fallen in bat
tie, a greater number by disease, but
regrets for and praise is due one just |
as much as the other. Europe forces |
her male inhabitants into a military |
training of years, few men being eX- |
empt. America, in sixty days, of men |
from shop. store and field, put an army |
into the field which for drill, efficiency |
and bravery proved more than a match |
for a greater number of lifelong serv-
ice. Upon the other hand, there is the |
glory of unprecedented naval victories, |
victories which for brilliancy and COM
pleteness history nor the records of |
human conflicts show a single parallel; |
the glory of a war in which there has
been no defeat, nor so much as a re-
pulse or retreat; an unselfish war for
humanity and the cause of human lib
erty; a war inspired of human woes
and for the genius and spirit of our own
republic, whose rule in being against
crowns, will, in the end, be universal.