The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1898-05-27
Present.Day Thoughts.
BY "NEMO.'

1HeCc lS IL Ienueucy among SOIlle
thinkers to regard the present war as
a terrible reversion to barbarism.
They think Of it as turning Of the
back upon civilization. l will agree
with them IL they are speaking Of
Spain, but | will not agree with them
il they are speaking Of the United
States. The argument they advance
are familiar enough and well under
stood that war arouses the worst
passions OF men; that civilization
gains more during the quiet times Of
peace than in the bustling hours Of
war; that the advancing thought Of
the world favors bloodless arbitration.
We should be unprogressive indeed if
we did not agree in general way
with all these statements for they are
all true; but they are not always
tsue. They are untrue in relation to
ourselves. This we can dare to say
though fully aware that here and
there in our forces are men Of violent
feeling who rejoice in killing; but
these no more color the general char
actsr of our hosts than one blot Of
ink coiors the great, rolling, health
giving sea.
First then; why are we fighting?
Because the best impulses of ma
tion's heart have been stirred. Even
in the excitement Of actual warfare
those same good impulses impei US.
Like David's men of old we take our
swords in our hands and we reckon
our lives as little, il we may but be
able to place cup Of cold water at
'-"A lips. 1t is an hsroic war;
Parc..> king to gain except the
as we nave no. thing to lose
il the fortunes Of war should tn.
against US. We did not seek the
fight. Peace is attractive to our
great comercial nation. But because
we have feelings and because we our
selves have suffered from oppression,
we from the highest motives stoop
from our lofty estate to throttle tho
dogged blood-thirstiness Of dying
nation. Right under the shadow of
our noble land, this creation Of the
fifteenth century in the agony Of its
own approaching dissolution was
seeking to drag down to similar dis
tress and dectruction thousands of
harmless ones. What could we do?
Speak against it? We did and failed
to stop it. Then what? Argue with
Il man deaf to mercy, and make signs
to man blind with bloody hatred?
No! we smotc and shall smitc, be the
cost what it may, until this remnant
of the dark ages learns that the policy
OF pirates does not pay at the end Of
the 10th century.
So far from it being true that we
are hot to kill | dare to affirm that
there is in this country's great heart
a feeling of real sympathy for the
rank and file Of the Spanish army
and navy. 1t is against the Spanish
official system that we war, and we
sorrow over the poor, conscripted
boys who are made mere implements
Of murder in the hands of their supe-
rior officers. These poor fellows are
utterly unlike our boys-who realize
that they are "the people, that "the
people are the country and that
when the country is at war "the peo-
pie are at war. But our ill-clad op-
having no quarrel with
Cuba and 40 reason to hate US, are
forced into combat ill-fed, and heart
lessly. What did the victory at Ma
Mia indicate, or the prompt disman-
tlcment of San Juan, or Cardenas, or
Matanzas? That Spain was so un-
and SO altogether unfit
for rule that it became simply muir
dercr Of its own people, by placing
them in dangerous positions and yet
leaving them absolutely unprepared
for successful combat. Badly officer
ed, and absolutely bereft of the feel
ing that makes the American soldier
Of his oneness with his Of
ficcr, rhey have been led out like
sheep to the slaughter. They have
been sacrificed by official neglect and
official greed; for it is well under
stood that the money set aside by the
Spanish government for food for