The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1899-08-16
Cost of the War in Human Life,

Thursday statement showing the |
total cost of the Filipino instruction,
to the American army, in lives lost and
men wounded, since the outbreak OF
the rebellion in February. This state
ment shows that 20 officers and 233
men had been killed prior to the recent
engagements; that 10 officers and 50
men have died from wounds, and IL Of
fcers and 1859 enlisted men from dis
ease, making a total of al officers and
684 enlisted men.
The statistics of loss the volunteer
regiments returning from Luzon and
awaiting muster out at San Francisco
are particularly interesting, as they
constitute the final official reports of the
full extent to which the regiments have
suffered. These reports, as the Bos-
ton Journal observes, care made out in
the San Francisco camp, and, of course,
are no more subject to Gen. Otis aw-
full censorship than are the returns of
the artillery garrison of Fort Warren,
in Boston Harbor."
One of these regiments is the First
Nebraska which, it will be remembered,
asked to be relieved from duty at the
front temporarily, by reason of the ex-
traordinary hardships it had endured
in long continued service, with result
ing physical exhaustion of its members,
Its colonel had been killed in battle
and at one time it had been reduced to
about 200 effective men. The final
official returns show that this regiment
lost 3 officers and 33 men killed or
MORALLY wounded in action, and %
men by disease, an aggregate loss of
about five per cent of the total enroll
ment. The Second Massachusetts, lost
ten per cent by casualties in battle and
by disease during single month of
service in Cuba, while the Nebraskans
lost only half as much during a year of
continuous and arduous service in the
Philippines. The Ninth Massachu-
sets lost thirteen per cent by disease
alone. The Tenth Pennsylvania was
engaged in the attack on Manila. 1t
encountered the Spaniards, not the
soldiers of Aguinaldo. Col. Hawkins,
its commander, died on the voyage
home, the only death among its officers.
Fifteen enlisted men were killed or
MORALLY wounded in action, and six
died of disease, an aggregate of %, or
about two per cent of the regiment.
The Ninth Massachusetts was in the
Cuban service.
There is a worldwide difference be-
tween sentiment or sympathy and
reason, in taking account of the losses
Justly grieve over the loss of single
American life in Cuba or the Philip
pines; humanity would mourn for the
suffering of the sick or the wounded
lively public sympathy would be kim
died for the connections of the dead or
the wounded or the sick, but reason
would ask if the loss of life or other
casualties were commensurate with the
customary or ordinary experiences in
war, or with the results achieved, or
with the achievement that was the
ultimate end or purpose of the war.
If these inquiries were answered fav-
orally, while there would be tears for
the fallen and sympathy for the suf-
fering, there could be no room for
repining, and the voice of censure would
be silenced. All these conditions seem
to be present in the wars the United
States has been waging in the West
Indies and in the Philippines, and the
sacrifices are justified.
The native horror the killing of 9
human being inspires, but more the
criminal exaggerations of men and pub
locations opposed for selfish, partisan
or other causes to the policy of the gov
eminent, have combined to produce in
the public mind false impression al
to the cost of the war for the subjuga
ton of the Filipinos, in human life ant
suffering. The cost is great in itl
smallest, or actual, statistics. Exag
geration, falsehood or hysteria are no
needed to magnify it's proportions al
measured by the standard of human
feeling or sympathy, but there is {
yawning chasm between the facts O.
the real cost in the currency of BLOOD
and suffering and the inflated reports
the opponents of the government ar,
publishing to influence public opinion
adversely. These enemies of thei
country or libelers of truth will scoff a
official statements, and ask that thei
own unfounded and irresponsible ant
wholly sensational estimates shall b.
substituted in the public belief an,
confidence, but the real facts of thes
contests for humanity and for human