Evening star., 1898-08-25
NORTON SEES DANGERS
Tho Pessimistic Professor Denounces
Americas Fight Against Spain.
Congress Crushed With Childish Pre-
cfritancy Into War''-A Momentous
Revolution at Hand.


tieth annual dinner in aid of Sanderson
Academy was given this afternoon, with
Charles Eliot Norton, professor emeritus of
fine arts of Harvard University, presiding.
There wera addresses from Rev John w.
Chadwick of Brooklyn, G. Stanley Hall,
president of Clark University of Worcester;
Rev DR.. P. S. Moxom of Springfield. Sher-
man S. Rogers of Buffalo and Booker T.
Washington the principal of the Tuskegee
Institute, Alabama.
The principal address was by Professor
Norton, who devoted himself to a discus
sion Of the late war. He referred to the
academy's prosperity during the year, and
continued as follows:
And yet our hearts have been heavy
with new weight of care, and the very
brightness of the sunshine has but deep
ened by contrast the cloud of our sorrowful
thoughts-sorrowful that our nation should
have turned it's back upon its old ideals,
and standing at the parting ways, should
have chosen that ancient path, familiar to
the old world, worn by the bloody feet of
hapless generations, and which has never
led to anything but ill-the path of ag-
gressive war of foreign conquest. of alien
territorial ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, the path that
leads from trouble to trouble.
The black and brutal viSage of war has,
indeed been lighted up from time to time
during the summer by the gallant deeds OIL
our men iii service and by the good conduct
and marvellous good fortune of our navy,
and by the general temper of humanity dis
PLAYED so soon as the actual fight was over
by both officers and men. But II has taken
on a deeper shade of gloom from the need-
less Sutterings which our brave soldlers
have had TO endure from the lack OF due
rrovision for their needs alike in camp, on
field and in hospital. 1t has been a miSer-
able spectacle of incompetency, for which
account must be rendered and penalty eX-
acted
After q review of the events leading up to
the war, Professor Norton said:
''Of all our privileges and blessings none
was greater than our exemption from the
fear OF war We We're set apart Tor peace,
we should have held ourselves consecrated
to it, for We professed to be Christian
nation, and, as followers of the Prince OF
Peace, to hold war in adherence.
''Ehnging common sense and moral prin-
cipie alike to the winds, under the infiu-
ence OF hysterical emotion, without decent
deliberation, without due preparation, the
representatives of the people rushed with
childish precipitancy into war, and, what is
worse, forced war upon d weak nation,
which, whatever it had done TO provoke
it, showed itself finally ready to make
every reasonable effort TO avert it and to
II Get every legitimate demand OF the United
States. Even If the good faith of Spain
were to be questioned, We put ourselves
in the wrong by refusing to test it. No at
teftion was paid TO her repeated offer Of
armlStlce in Cuba, of an international COM
mission to determine the responsibility for
the destruction of the Maine, of the grant
OF practical autonomy to Cuba.
Dead to the Sin of War;
The President and our minister to Spain,
both presumably better informed of the
conditions than any other men, declared
hair halj jaf bot
to seek could be secured by negotiation,
aid urged that the attempt thus to obtain
them should not be abandoned. But Con-
gress. representing the nation, refused to
listen to the counsels of prudence, of pa
uence and of peace. The national con-
science seemed dead to, the sin of war and
the national imagination was dull to its
results of evil
Peace has Eominally come. The actual
conflict has ended; but less than 100 days
OF war has resulted in revolution in the
United States. The foundations On which
the republic has rested have been unset
tied; the principles upon which the gov
ernment depends have been violated. We
nave undertaken obligations which neither
cur institutions nor our national character
enable US properly to discharge. We the
one great nOn-military power in the world
nave suddenly joined the ranks of the ma
tlons burdened with great armies and ma
Vies. We have loaded ourselves with an
enormous national debt and with an enor-
nous increase OF annual expenditures. a
permanent oppressive tax upon the indus
Try OF the people, and, further whatever
disposition may be made Of the Philippines
We are already, through holding them and
clalmlnS the right to dispose of them,
brought into entangling relations with the
hations OF the Old world, and run the risk
ot losing the inestimable boon, which has
hltherto been ours, of freedom from the
computations of the international politics
u '3l the ola world, and of remaining the in
uepehueht masters of our own fortunes IL
is lnoeed, momentous revolution.
we are threatened by enormous domes-
NC dangers, political and social. The re-
aunoS auios .! me war add to their peril and in
crease their number" "