The times., 1898-01-16
SUNDAY, JANUARY 10, 1898.
Peace and National Decadenoe.

Peace and National Decadence-
For many years il has been dinned
into American ears by a certain well
meaning. but really dangerous element,
that war is such frightful and =
wicked thing that men and nations
ought TO submit to anything rather
than To fight The influence and propa-
ganda Of these hysterical and capon-
lied people has been much advanced
by the fact that their views have hap
pened TO accord with the interests of
foreign and native combination of
fnanciers and investors
The latter have subscribed literally
to the dissemination Of the meek and
mushy doctrines and appeals of the
peacemongers for arbitration, for ma
tional abstention from interference in
cuba, no matter at what cost of out
rage to precedent, honor or humanity;
and we are afraid that for some time
past a sentiment really has been grow
ing. more particularly in the provincial
and remote districts or the country, in
favor Of a national Chinese policy of
isolation. including dependence upon
prayer and submission TO afIront. ag
gression or oppression, IN the interests
of alleged piety and peace.
There is nothing in it! Man is
fighting animal If he were not 50 I'M
der the scheme of the Creator. he would
not have a temper and canine teeth.
Where these have been given healthful
exercise-so to speak-tribes and peo-
pies have flourished and held their own.
Where the yirile fighting force and
habit have fallen into disuse, popula-
tions have grown weak, feeble. submis-
sive and the prey of their more yigor-
oGs rivals.
The abstract idea Of universal Chris
tian brotherhood so persistently
preached by the peace societies is a
pretty one on paper: but the ambitions,
the necessities, the struggle for bread
among the nations. and their canine
teeth will all have to disappear before
it can become a possibility. The mawk-
ish movement in America in the line
of such doctrine already has been at
the expense Of vigor and patriotism.
The Illustration of what we mean is
presented boldly and uncomfortably
There is a case where a population
great enough to cope with all the re-
mainder of mankind, il it were properly
armed and trained in the habits of war,
can be terrified driven and overrun by
an insignificant force of modern troops
with improved arms and scientific
methods. The same thing will happen
to US one of these days if we do not
wake up to realization of our situa-
tion and its dangers.
Where among us is the spirit of the
Old Roman who said: "Dulce ct de-
corum est. pro patria mort ?'' Where is
the average American of the present
day who is likely to be caught dec1ar-
ing that it is sweet and honorable to
die for ones country? Yet that was
the spirit that wrote the names under
the Declaration of Independence; that
was undismayed at Valley Forge, and
fought the battles of Lexington, Sara
toga and Yorktown!
We need a revival of that sort of
thing, and we should have done with
the molly-coddle gush of the peace-at-
any-price cult War is an evil. but at
bad as cowardly acceptance of oppres-
sion. invasion, or even a serious affront
to national honor. All men must die
some time or other. In reality it mat
tiers but little whether one goes to his
long sleep a trifie sooner or a bit later.
In any case, it is better that a few
brave men should anticipate pain and
old age on the battlefield than that
millions of posterity should suffer be-
cause their forebears had lost their
manhood and courage, and could not
defend their rights in this wonderful
heritage of America; heritage now
ours, but not long to be so, unless we
take measures to protect it and its
people from the envy, jealousy and ul
terror designs of foreign nations.