The San Francisco call., 1899-07-13
A HOLY WAR.

them on of signal bravery, all the slaughter IS
glor6ed by calling it a holy war.
When Alexander marched from the Aegean to
the Ganges he carried in his headquarters equipment
the su1nptuous religious establishment OF his country
and each morning before he ate paid obe1sance to the
priests and sought the augurs TO learn the Will OF the
gods. From that day to this the hallowing OF war
has been habit of the people who suffer from 1t
But these days are different days. There is in the
world larger guild OF thinkers, of philosophers, OF
men who look behind action its motive. These are
more and more influencing the worlds opinions
They are more and impressing history with the
truth They are and more promoting the
thought that sin in the individual cannot become sim
less in the many individuals who compose nation.
In the end the influences propagated by such men
prevail when the tumult of passion and the agitation
of bidders for passing popular favor have passed
away.
One reading majority of the Fourth OF July ora
tons is struck by the lack of thought of consistency,
of TRUTH in most of them In his Grafton at Metro
politan Temple on that day Mayor Phelan said of the
undecared war against the Fipinos: mo word OF
mine can add to the glory OF soldiers and sailors
who have laid down their lives in the most sacred
war of history"
Such extravaganza of expression is not needed to
perpetuae the worthy memory OF the brave dead, nor
to secure adequate recognition OF the vaor OF those
who have survived the rigors of tropical warfare.
Dead and living they have done their duty, and if
the nature of it shall impress the people with an
aversion to war and with the love of peace two
fold benefit viii follow their deeds. There is wide
zone between the cause in which soldiers may fight
and the bravery they show in battle.
Nearly thirty years ago Holland concluded to
"pacify" Acheen, inhabited by the same race as
Luzon She is still at it In that long war the Dutch
soldiers have shown the greatest bravery. While
investing an Acheen stronghold where the native
flag futtered from tall staff, one day Dutch SOL
dier was seen to run from his lines into those of
the enemy and the cry of Traitor" and some shots
followed him from the ranks he had lett I'M
mediately he was climbing the Acheen flagstaff
and when he reached the top he tore down the
native colors and put in their place the tricolor OF
Holland. AS he slid down the staff he was cut into
shreds by the kreeses of thousand Malays. In the
war against the hill tribes Of the Chra the English
soldiers added to the history Of heroism most brilliant
chapters telling the story OF individual bravery The
Scotch piper Johnny Fndletter, shot through both
feet, squatted his bleeding stumps and, without
missing note played to the end The Cock OF the
North the pibroch of the Highland regiment. In
that rough country the British soldiers through
ambushes lodged bullets and powders rained on
them from mountain tops, and acquitted themselves
bravey and we'll
deeds of courage and their countrymen will not for
get them history fail to perpetuate their memory
But reckless bravery in Acheen does not make the
Dutch war holy The poor hill people OF the Chitra
had never harmed England, National policy required
British domination of the poor land where they fed
their focks in peace, and British statesmen an
nounced that the Chitra was in rebellion and the
traitors must be punished, though the tribes had
never been under British subection and therefore
could not be rebels against it. Their country was
needed as buffer for the Indian frontier and their
humble huts were burned their locks scattered and
their braves were slaughtered for defending their
homes The bravery OF the British soldiers did not
make such war holy. It planted in every just
heart regret that such brave should be ordered
to death by their country in such cowardly cause.
Behind the Philippine war is the motive, but it is
distinct from the courage and sacrifice and suffering
of our soldiers who know their first duty is ODE
dience What harm had the FiliplnOs done to us?
The cause of human freedom and the upward trend
of humanity have never been served by offensive
wars The rise of man and the progress of the
world have been in the keeping OF those driven to
war defensively When men defend their homes
against invasion they have developed the genius of
self-government If war against those who defend
their homes is Sacred, then Mayor Phelan is right.
If it is Gods purpose to punish every people who
aspire to independence, or who resent invasion,
Mayor Phelan is correct interpreter OF the divine
will. If it is sacred, then the Mayor is worthy fol-
lower of Rev Mr.. Henson, who in his pulpit said that
our Declaration of Independence is "as damnable
lie as the devil invented, and of Whiteaw Reid,
who says it is "an absurdity.'
On the same occasion Judge Cooney said of our
undec1ared war against the Fipinos: Though it
looks like oppression this war in the Orient is not.
It is but lesson to teach the natives in the Eastern
isles the true WORTH of liberty"
That is what Cromwell said when his troopers
passed the Pale to pacify Ireland. 1t looked like
oppression when the Roundheads carried the pierced
bodies of babies on their pixies and left the mothers
groveing and defowered behind them. The differ
ence between the physical force of the Irish and
Cromwelians about the between the
Fiipinos and The Irish overrun, their
lands conhscated, their huts eveled, their crops
tramped into the sod. But from the Cromwellian