The age-herald., 1898-02-23
ECHTINGS FROM
 CURRENT TOPICS

There are wars and rumors of war abroad in the landl The tragic explosion which shook the dirty. disease-infected is- land of Cuba. and wrecked the battleship Maine few days ago, has sent it's rever-, berations across the American continent. The war-like spirit of the people Is arous- ed as it has not been before since the guns of Fort Sumter announced to the nations that civil strife had begun.
 
 Ammunition, guns and provisions are daily passing through this Alabama city on their way to southern seaports War-talk is everywhere. and the people are clamor- ous for an opportunity to shoulder a gun. or draw a sword in defense of American honor.
 Pugnacity and patriotism have possess sion of the nation.
 To be sure, in all this chatter and clamor about American rights and Spanish treach- cry, there are a comparatively few per sons who remember that thirty-three years of struggling and striving; thirty three years of humiiating, disgusting pow erty have succeeded the civil war of 1861 to 1865. few still bear in mind that more than quarter of century has passed since Lee surrendered at Appomatox, and the scars are not yet entirely healed; the people have not yet recuperated from the indescribable shock of battle and the south has not yet become prosperous. On every : hand are reminders of the fateful pathetic struggle of those four years, and a cen- tury will be required to blot out the crim- son stains that came from the fraternal fight.
 
 But, even war has it's side of brightness. There are glimpses of hope and sunshine which creep into the darkest caverns Of despair, and all this war talk of pugna- cious Americans has opened up avenue that may lead to a better and brighter tiine The great American warriors, those men who, according to their assumption or patriotism, fought the battles of the civil war without aid or assistance, now offering their services to the national gov ernmentl Some of the generals, colonels and majors who have been for thirty-three years supported by public office, because of mutilated fingers, the loss of an arm or leg. or a few scars on their faces, have now an opportunity to fight again, and allow long-suffering constituency to sup ply their places with new men, who may have fought, bled and starved in the trenches without demanding pay for their sacrifices from a sentimental people.
 There have been many men who have risen to elevated political positions, both south and north, who have drawn large salaries from their state and national treasuries, whose only claim to preferment lay in their military record. and the sen- timentality of their constituents.
 sss
 But time makes all things even, and now these warriors of renown must volunteer their invaluable services to the national government or be forever branded as cow ards.
 They must relinquish all hope of future preferment unless they keep up their record" and fly to the front, where Span- ish shot and shell await them. To be sure, they will not receive the same compensat- ing salaries as have been paid them for the past thirty-three years, but they can win more glory, and, if not too old, they will return with two records to boast of instead of one, which, if computed in the future as in the past, will make them multi-millionaires. Their absence, at the seat of war, will afford brave southern men, who fought for their country and were too brave to play the war racket" an opportunity to gather up a few crumbs, while the heroes are absent around blazing camp1res or saving dear little Dago ba- bies who may persist in slumbering just at the mouth of belching Calling guns.
 War, with its attendant horrors, and it's pitiful suffering does not often bring hope in its wake But tllfs Spanish-Americau embroglio holds out the hope that the o<g,- ,,adli ifoy-x ord-a record sometimes transparent when investigfated-wdn now be forced to keep up his fighting reputation. It is suggested by the men who fought four years and have fabored tireleezsly for the thirty-three sub sequent years thaIt these slnafa be foamed into battalions in each state and sent to the very front talese warriors who have posed so tdresomely before the public. A constant reites1ng of thedr warlike deeds, a uever-ending reorganization of their dar- ing acts of prowess must have kept fresh in tJhe nnds, of these office-holders all the regulations of army life. It is a matter of tfebate among the soldiers who wore the grey-as to which hero shall have com mand of Aaabam's battaqion. An eyes turn naturally towards that man who has had his war record printed at regulvar inter walls for thirty three years and who has not left the public dn ignorance as to his smallest act of gallantry on the field of battle.
 t No mistake should be made in this mat ter. Alabama owes 1t to herself and to these courageous men who have assumed all the glory of the civil war, that the same guard of honor shall stand In the very front of the thickest of the fight. But after granting the bathalion this privilege of adding to the Caesarian reputation what lies before the unoffending public? Will some of these warriors return and live to tell the tales of two wars. instead or one! The very thought of this possibility makes