Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1898-01-06
The .apada
a Democratic Newspaper.
RY JOS. Z. ROBINSON.
THE New YEAR.

Peace and good will, and ths
abolition Of war are still talked
of by well meaning folks as tht
New Year rolls in; but seldom
have the signs of good viii.
think what We may OF peace.
been so few and discouraging as
at present. All Europe is now
engaged with thoughts Ct E
"grap," as the newspapers frank.
~ put it, and each Of the gyaai
nations is watching the other for
the scramble to begin. Each.
however, hesitates, fearful CT
what may be the outcome Of the
struggle, and in this secret ap-
prehension may lie still the hope
Of continued peace.
Seeing what passes on the sur
face on the other side, and con-
occurring what is beneath it, the
kindly persons interested Ia tha
proposed arbitration treaty be-
tween this country and Great
Britain, hardly have the courage
to urge it. Should there be 9 gen
eral game Of grab, there are TWO
or three things about which we
are concerned ourselves, aBd
would it be prudent.and wise 1c
tie cur own hands at a moment
when perfect freedom Of action
might be highly important? Nat
uralty there is distrusb in Eng
land, who has always been Q
grabber, and who, it is felt pretty
certain. is making ready 60 do
her part in the scufd9 fer spoiIs
now impending that promises
richer reward to the strong thao
any for q long while.
The general European war"
which has been talked OF for SO
many years--may it not be the
coming event before the next
twelve months have passed awsy?
Not surprising is it that even the
mighty statesmen and di3ic-
matists, whose firm nerves have
borne them coolly through many
e crises, experience g shudderi1g
thrill when they think CT this
horror. What will the next war
between civilized nations be ike?
How will the cultured people Of
the earth. at the close Of the 1911.
century, equipped with all the
latest scientific development
proceed about the business ofda-.
stroying one an0tbN? What
mighty engines and dire ex3lo~
sivas will they use TO MAIN and
slay-tO lay waste farms so3
fields aud obliterate cities?
Noting the progress Of scion.
ti6o discovery, SO great that We.
are becoming callous to some of
the most prodigious wonders,
one cannot but be struck by the
fact that WHAT brought forward
is mere connected with thoughts
OF war than those OF peace. 4aai
marvellous inventions are almost
every one considered in their re-
la5lOns as means Of defence and
aggrasSiOn-hOW can they basLl
be used in the army or upon the
big battleships? Invention in the
sphere Of war is buster than any
where else, and the more ingen-
ious and deadly the new cont-iY-
auce the higher the honor paid
to the man who has conceived il.
No man Of an inventive mind Is
so certain Of a hearing from PEG
pie in authority, and SO certain
OF reward should he be able to
meet their wants, as the one no
can furnish a death-dealing can
non or projeetile more 5avasta-
ting than anything OF the SORT
hitherto brought forward.
With humanity in this mood.
and really butlittle changed from
what il was q century age, or O
century before that, SO tar as the
inclination for war aud conquest
goes. there is apparently not
much encouragement for lovers
OF peace who dream OF a univer-
sal arbitrament by the orderly
ways Of speech and pen rather
than those of the sword. Man
kind is moi yet civilized up 10 the
point of settling international
qparre!s round a table in a quiet.
room. The Kings and EnperoIs
OF 1893 appear very much like
those Of 1898. and even those
OF 1698-indeed like the poten
tates Of all times past, who only
said "let US have peace" when
they ERE most intent upon seiz
ure and spoliation.