Natchitoches populist. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1898-1899, 1899-01-13
a Retrospect OF the Year 1893.
IScicntific American.

The year which has now drawn
to a close will go down to history
AS marking one Of tho three great
opochs in the history Of the United
States. The year l77G saw the
birth Of the Republic 5 in 1865 its
unity was proved and declared to
be forever indissoluble and, IN
less the present signs miscarry,
tho year 1898 will mark the cru of
its worldwide exr ansion. At each
crisis the guidance of the good
ship of state was in the hands of
mon of unqnestioned patriotism
and integrity, who acted for q
strong majority Of the people.
The brilliant history which records
tho making Of this, the latest and
most yirilc of the great peoples of
the earth, proves that in 1916 and
1865 the majority was right. And
what Of 1882 The chief cxocu,
tive of the nation declared war
upon Spain with the practically
unanimous consent Of the country,
and in less than thirty days we
found the widespread colonial pos
sessions of Spain within our grasp,
and the tremendous problem of
worldwide empire confronting us.
In the contemplation of the only
alternatives OF advance or retreat
We have deliberately, and with, we
believe, q clear sense of the grave
and altogether untrisd response
bilities involved, decided to break
away from the traditions of the
past and take our stand SIS one Of
the great colonial powers Of the
world.
Whether this momentous step
will rebound to our profit or lead
to our undoing will depend upon
the spirit in which VIC enter upon
our new possessions and admins
ter their affairs. men at some
times are masters of their fate"
and the ''fault will not ba in our
stars but in ourselves" if we fail
to bring peace, contentment, and
prosperity to the new and strange
peoples that have become subjects
to our administration. We believe,
however, that the very magnitude
of the trust imposed will impress
upon Congress the necessity of
abolishing so-caEled "politics" from
our colonial affairs and administer
ing them with q single oyo to the
fair name of America and the best
interests Of the races which we
have rescued at the cost of much
blood and treasure from a burden
some despotism.
By no means the least fortunate
result of the war is the repairing
Of those bonds, ''strong ss steel,
yet light as air." which once again
unite England and America--bonds
Of common lineage, language, laws,
religion, and feeling, the severance
Of which tho great Burke SO elo-
quently deplorcd o contrary and a
quarter ago. The best guarantee
Of tho depth and permancnoo of
the present understanding is the
fact that lis existence is not now
md probably never will be imper-
lied by embodying it in the terms
Of a formal treaty.
Brief as it was, the war served
greatly to,increase the prestige of
our navy in respect of its disci-
pine, personnel and material. AS
regards the army, it proved that |
he lighting qualities Of the Amer
can soldier Of today are fully up
% the high standard. shown on the |
desperate battIcields OF the Civil |
War. Manila and Santiago take |
rank with Mobile Bay and the
Mississippi, while San Juan ana
81 Caney are comparable in tho |
desperate bravery of the combat
ants to Antietam and the finai
charge at Gettysburg. Ii we ex-
,ept the monitors, cur ships ac-
quilted themselves admirably /; we
10 not know OF q single case,
among the larger vessels, Of abso-
Iute breakdown, and the failure of
he torpedo boats was only what
everyone looked for. Gums and
mounts gave general satisfaction /;
and the breakdowns, both in ships
and guns, were in matters OF de-
tail only and were easily repaira-
bic. The war has brought home
to the country the absolute necessi-
~ for an increase in Our naval and
military forces, and It Id likely