The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-06-19
Some Lessons OF the War.


Some Lessons Of the War.
The war in progress today is likely to
prove a source of large educational
benefit to the people of the United
States. even though the lesson shall
seem to be an expensive one when the
debt incurred thereby comes to be
footed up and the final accounts bal
anced.
An entire generation had passed
since the muster roll of actual war had
been called within our borders, and
many of the youngest men in the ranks
now were not born until a decade after
the dawn of peace at Appomattox. To
their childish ears, war was pleasing
and an exciting tradition and mingled
with the regret that they were not
born sufficiently early to participate
| in its glories has doubtless existed, with
many, the hope that they might them
selves be afforded an opportunity to
manifest their devotion to the flag of
their fathers, as we'll as their own, and
to win in their own right some of the
honors of war. Hence. when the pres
tated, the martial spirit in the breasts
of these young men was quickly arous-
ed, and they promptly. ard even eager
ly responded to the call to arms. mean
while inadequately comprehending the
scope of the peril and hardship which
real war entails.
The first reflection Of this truth
is manifest in the stories of pri-
walton and discomfort already COM
ing forward from the distant camps.
To older ears these seem like an echo
from the tented fields of 1861. The
first lesson. therefore, which the war
conveys is being learned by these
young men, who. in large part, repre-
sent those peculiar forces, distributed
throughout the entire country, which
demanded, and as it sometimes seemed
almost unreasonably. that the war
should be undertaken no matter at
what cost. The lesson here learned is
that war involves sacrifice, privation,
destruction, disease and death; and the
survivors, on their return to their
homes, will become, during the next
generation, the nations monitors in
the interests of peace.
The next lesson is being learned by
the people as whole. namely, that no
nation should go to war until it is pre-
pared to do so. During the past fif-
teen years congress has been annually
appropr1ating large sums of money for
the re-creating of our navy. The money
has been honestly expended by the ad-
ministrations Of both the great politi-
cal parties and with entire freedom
from scandals of any sort. The result
is a family of noble battleships and
cruisers of which the nation is justly
proud. 1t is only reasonable to believe
that had not the United States been
possessed of this magnificent aggrega-
ton Of ships, the war between this
country and Spain would not now be
prevailing. So far as our navy is con-
cerned, OUR preparation for war in
times of peace has proved a wise pol
icy. We were ready to join issue on
the seas, and the result is no longer in
doubt.
Turning to the army, however, we
find different condition of things pre-
vailing. The country has felt secure,
even to the point of inordinate boast
fulness, in the fact that the so-called
national guard, consisting of the mi
Htia in the several states, afforded
guarantee of safe defense against any
foe that might venture to assail US.
Suddenly we awoke to the realization
that between the federal and the state
authorities wide gap exists. The Wo-
full exhibition presented by some of the
most cracked of the crack" regi-
mentS in the East affords evidence of
the fact that, after all, the national
guard is Slender thread indeed when
q test of its strength against the red
tape of the war department comes to
be made. In the case of the famous
Seventh, Of New York, regimentaI
pride stood out against the instinct of
duty to the national cause. The show
soldiers of the holiday parade were not
to be coerced by the federal regula-
tions. They would go only in a body,
with their own regimental officers, or
the country must either continue to ex-
ist, If that were possible, or go to per-
dition, if it were rot, without the aid
Of the luxurious Seventh. Many of it's
members, however, individually enlist
ed, to their credit be it said but the
spotless Seventh" is not Sin it." Thus
badly crippled through internal ex-
plosion and far away from the field IF
martial glory. the organization is prac-
tically disrupted, with a strong prob
ability Of it's disbandment by Gov.
Black. Thus the situation regarding
the absorption of the state militia by
the federal government remains sub
stantially as it was at the beginning
of 1861. The lesson afforded by the ex-
perience with these organizations
ought to result in a closer understand
ing between the state authorities and
the war department. whereby delay
should not result pending the arrange
ment of trifiing details and the nation
meanwhile be denied the services Of
this valuable auxiliary to the military
establishment. The possibility Of sud-
den war has been illustrated, and, if
the lessons thus supplied are properly
needed, the country will never again
be found in so unprepared a condition
to meet it.