The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-03

Of wears. devoted to the idoiatrous wor-
shin OF innumerabie false gods. and this
worship was often accompanied by circunn-
stances of fiendish cruelty, such as burn
ing their children In the fire as sacrifice
to Moioch and other bloodthirsty deities.
In spite of the teachings. warnings and
corrections by which the Almighty endeav-
oret to turn these nations from their wick
ed practices, this idoiatry continued. with
only temporary Interruptions, until Mo-
BANNED made his appearance. lie ana ms
iieutenants swept over these countries,
and. indeed, over q large part Of the then
known world, like hurricane or a whirl-
wind. and presented to these nations the
simple alternative of the sword or instant
conversion to Mohammedanism. No other
arguments or entreaties were made use OF,
and no delay WIS tolerated or compromise
accepted. A demand was made for the
instant abandonment of their worship OF
false gods and the prompt acceptance OF
the short creed, There is but one God, ana
Mohammed is his prophet" and failure
to accent this new article Of belief meant
the Immediate execution, by the sword, OF
every man who denied lite authenticity or
contested the power ana authority of it's
advocates and supporters The result OF
this conversion by the sword was the dis-
appearance OF idolatry and the ADOPTION
of Nohammedanism, which Is simply
halfway house to Christianity and the
nigh road which will ultimately lead all
these nations to the adoption OF the Chris
tian religion. The numerous conQuests OF
the Angio-Saxon race In modern times all
tend In the same direction.
Not the Exercise of Brute Force.
n was not my purpose, however. TO refer
10 yyell-known facts in this connection, but
/ desired to suggest that in all ages and no
matter what the Instruments OF warfare
NAV have been that were made use OF,
mind has always exercised and demonstrat-
ed its superiority over matter. The argu-
ment il frequently heard that war Is simply
the exercise of brute force and that nothing
IL determined by It but physical superiority.
To this 1 desire to take exception and to
state. on the contrary. the results achieved
nv victorious war are usually brought about
nv the mental and intellectual superiority
of the conQuerors. This superiority was
manifested by Alexander the Great, when
he declined to follow the advice OF his gen.
erals. who suggested or recommended
sudden attack by night upon the vastly
superior numbers of the enemy. but ne re-
minded them that victory secured over
this mighty host in the open field ana IN
broad daylight would have greatly In
creased moral effect, and the result verified
the prediction. A large but undsciplined
army was on the next day routed complete
~, Inc fkouldu iGetuhS if&so AAs~AS ~S~--
manders before julius Caesar assumed their
leadership, but no matter how thoroughly
organized and equipped they may have
been, or what their courage and endurance,
no such results were ever secured In the
same time and with the same number OF
men as were accomplished by that dis
tinguiehed soldier, because he brought to
his task a larger fund of mental and intel
lectual ability than was ever displayed by
those who preceded or followed him.
Gen. Grant affords a similar example Of
mental power, and to this superiority was
largely due the fun measure of his COM
plete success, where others. with equal OPP
portunities, only met with defeat and dis
aster.
Admiral Dewey presents another illus
trat.on of superior mental capacity. The
mental, moral and intellectual capacity or
development OF man marks his ascendency
over the brute creation. and in proportion
to the degree of that development he be-
comes more godlika in his character. hiS