Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-09-01

ASNSHe No1tNNhtioH IA SOIlHccllSut, ~
clared among other things that war
breeds national insanity" Those
who have observed in the public press
OF late the hysterical depunciations on
the war department and the wholesale
charges Of Incompetence, negligence,
and corruption. cannot but feel that
the Peace Union has sound basis
laratiDn. The truth about our camps
and hospitals and transports is bad
enough and sad enough, but the cx-
aggeration and sensationalism of the
yellow press are magnifying ten fold
their horrors to the public. Moreover,
in the Seagerness to blame somebody
and to heap abuse and vituperation
upon a man or a department, do not
the press and the public forget many
important things which should be
taken into consideration before such
sweeping Judgment is passed?
General Sherman's famous char
acterization of war is as true of the
present as it always has been of the
past, and it will ever be true of the
future War is hell because it is war.
From it's very nature it can be nothing
better. 1t is tragedy, sublime at
times to be sure, but always awful and
often revolving and disgusting.
Through it's terrible forms the divine
purpose may sometimes be seen. and
the uplifting of man to higher planes
of progress and liberty are often the
grand results that follow in its path.
But in itself war always means death
and devastation, sorrow and suffering.
1t is inevitable that this should be so.
No human foresight or effort can
change the character of war.
The battle is never the worst feature
of war. In every war the camp is
more deadly place than the battlefield.
and that this has proven SO in the
present war is simply in obedience to
an unfailing rule. 1t is most unjust
and unreasonable to charge all the
sacrifice and suffering among our SOL
ment, or to any person or persons high
in authority. There may be incom-
doubtless made mistakes. but they are
patriotic men who have tried to do
right and are far from deserving the
abuse which is blindly hurled at them.
The responsibility and the amount of
work which they We're called upon to
assume were enormous.
If a man doing a, business Of few
thousand dollars a year should sud-
denly increase his business xNlndred
fold and along new lines. he could not
fail to be confused at first and make
mistakes. He would learn many things
through bitter and costly expsrience.
So with our war depa m 6t. by an
unlocked for turn. aof yku IA kheel it
was suddenly obliged to increase the
little regular army of some $4,000 men
to a great host of almost 100000 men.
These had to be fed, equipped, clothed
and cared for in new camps, and
transported all over this country and
over both oceans. After third of a
century of peace, in which the people
and Congress had been criminally
negligent of the needs of our army and
wilfully blind to the possibility of war.
the department mad to assume her.
prepared for. years before.f Consider
ing the difficulties the work has been
done remarkably well, and wonderful
results have been accomplished. The
whole world has been amazed at the
ability and vigor with which the war
was waged to an overwhelming vic
tory.
! Lessons have been learned, however,
which had to be learned at the opening
of the Civil War; and which will!
doubtless be learned over again if an
other war comes, a third of a century
hence. 98 SSs
When our boys volunteered at the
nations call they knew that wal
meant hardship and sprivation in the
camp as well as danger on the battle
field They knew that they would be
deprived Of all the comforts and most
of the necessities of home. They knew
that a military camp could never~be 4
health resort. and that troop trans
port had little in common with an ex-
cursion steamer. They knew, If laley
had heard the stories of their fathers
or needed the war chapters in their
school histories, that war is hell, but
they rallied around the flag by hun
dreds of thousands. placing their lives
at their country's service. The govern
ment does not fail to appreciate the
sacrifice they have made. 1t has done
everything possible, with the time i,
has had and the means it could pro-
cure, to prevent needless loss of lives
Ial Yyr-- -