The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-09-21

An IRREPRESSIDLE CONFLICT.
We Fought Spain i'm Obedience tn AN
Impulse to Fulnll Our Destiny.
London Time

LONDON 4uftS.
War, said the Greek historian, often
breaks out on trivial occasions seldom
from trivial causes. Now that the war be-
tween the United States and Spain IS, hap
PLY. a; an end. II may not De Improbable
10 consider some II It's less Obvious lessons.
II would be unjust 10 the passionate pa
trtotisin OF a great nation 20 call the de-
struciion Of the Maine a trivial occasion.
But that catastrophe has not yet been
proved 10 have been due n an external
agency, nor, II an external agency is as
stunned, is there any proof OF compilci;y
either on the part OF the central govern
Tnent % Spain or On that Of the provincial
government OF Cuba. We may say then
that, even If the destruction Of the Maine
WAS The immediate occasion Of the war.
II was certainly not it, cause. 1t may have
been the match that fred the mine but
the mine was laid long before in those
reciprocal movements OF national progress
and decay which in their mutual reaction
constitute the march OF humanity. We get
a stage nearer the cause. bat only stage
when we say that il is 20 be sough; in The
growth OF the sea power OF the United
States. But this cause again Is not ultl-
mate. ror is 1t adequate liz itself 70 explain
the effect. The sea power of the United
States is no crafty prepared instrument
g vulgar aggression but the natural and
large,y unconscious expression OF the deeper
a
filling Its destiny Stretching across
great continent from ocean 10 ocean. born
of sea power IN her origin. nurturcd by SEA
power in her infancy. snatChng her free
dom from the conflict 81 SEA power indus
trial. commercial. progressive and adver-
turous in her civilization. the United States
has az last become conscious that sea
rover is her appointed heritage whether
FOR veal or for woe, Before that con-
scousnsss had leavele3 the mass OF her
people a generous feeling ~ humanity.
native love Of order ana peace an Unborn
hatred alike of anarchy and ~ oppression
no; unmixe4 perhaps with many less
worthy motives -brogch, hcr into sharp an
tagcn:sm with power IN he immediate
neighhorhood which rad for long genera
lions abused he privileges of empire and
morally forfeited It's prerosat!ves From
this point ~ view the Wal was i conflict,
juev.ia bic In the lCuE run. between forces
which. on any theory - tie moral govern
nlert - the world. must be regarded as
good and evi.. respectively. Nothing but
miracle or 4 cosmi- catastrophe could have
averted the ultimate collision l-tween me
growing sea power - the United States
and the waning empire of spain
Ey sea POWER alone the transmarine en-
pire q Spain has been undone: by sea
power alone, ~ tho spontaneous and a.
most for;uit0us return u 2 maritime race
~ Is native "3tlflff4t, ne tf&i3SiliSI4ne en-
pire 81 the United States has been inaug-
urat"t. The result Is lesson "a all pow
ers which either cherish tTansmarine aTnbi-
lions O. SCI purpose or yield because they
must. az the peop,e II the United States
rave found. - expansive impulses Inherent
n their polity and race The sull iu1rart
Of ;hat lesson can hardly be Glscerned "a
vet TIE fores'eht - 4 statesman. Ire IN
sight II a philosopher even the frnag;na-
zion y a poet Nigh: WI be taxes - read
Z Alright, for IL can hardly % -hat me rei-
lapse ~ he historic empire y Spain ard
tha fu.fiimeni by the United States Of an
Imperial destiny. for0rdained by the gen
tvs 81 her people 20 b expansive hut not
aggressive. vi. - unatteaaed hy cosse-
quences n v}tsi moment alike to the Ola
Vera and - thu New.