The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1898-10-08
CAUSES ARE DIFFERENT.

War Is no longer carried on as II once
was, purely for the love of fighting. In
earlier times war was the principal bust
ness OF man, aud fighting his choicest
amusement The German mobiles of 800
years ago were always fighting, Selling
upon the slightest occasion of controversy
10 war upon their neighbors The Italian
Republics were quite AS warlike, while in
Gratis was mainly military, aud so lightly
did the royal authority rest upon the higher
classes that the lords of cities aud Country
castles seldom took the trouble to refer
their disputes to the crown, but settled
them for themselves, 50 that all Europe
was praoti ally in a state OF civil war noble
mt and small states struggling with each
other about matters not in themselves of
the slightest consequence, and which would
now be regarded as insufficient cause for a
law suit, much less for way
| nder such circumstances war was al
most continual, disputes were handed down
from father to son, and thus wars were
pGotracted almost indefinitely. The hur-
dred years war between England and
France was an instance in point Under
present conditions it would never have been
waged at all the differences which operated
As cause and occasion would have been
settled BY meeting of representatives
from the two nations. AS with the hun
dred years war, SO with the Thirty years
war, which, however the historians may
attempt to exait it as q struggle fol reli-
gious liberty, was brought about quite as
much by political and personal as by reli-
gious consideration, AID long before it
ended Catholic and Protestant States were
fighting on both sides
Such protracted conflicts like the two
Just mentioned were not wars at all in the
modern sense, for the armies Of both sides
resolved themselves into thieving, murder
ing, plundering bands, avoiding decisive
engagements and limiting their operations
to seigts Of isolated castles or towns and
the defeat Of small hostile detachments.
Crecy, Poitiets, Agincourt, almost every
battle of the hundred years war, was
fought because the French were in number
so overwhelming az to be confident of a
victory, and the English army was placed
III position where it was impossible to
continue retreat; but the defeats suffered
by the French did not stop the war, which
dragged its slow length along afterward az
before these thrilling victories.
The spirit Of the modern age is one of
commerce, buying and selling. 1t is pre-
eminently peaceful spirit, and there is no
more serious, interruption to business
interests, nothing is more destructive of
business prosperity than war All nations
are now bound together by commercial ties
of such intricacy that disturbance of the
peaceful relations Of two states instantly
affects the general prosperity. War is
therefore, serious nuisance in the family
OF nations, deprecated by all, for however,
remote it may be from the leading centers
of finance and commerce, its injurious
effects are felt in London, in Paris, in Rer-
lin, in New York-in short, wherever there
are merchants, traders, banks and bankers
The battle in Manila Bay affected the
commerce of Amsterdam, Antwerp and
Bremen. Skaters attack on Santiago,
was felt in London and Paris. Miles ad