The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1900-01-06
THE CATHOLIC PRESS.

In an article entitled "a Menace t,
Civilization" Harper's Weekly thu.
justifes its sympathy with England il
her war with the Beers:
1.-THE reverses with which Great Brit.
ain has met in her war against the
Boer republics cannot be lightly view
ed on this side of the water. Not only
our nearest kin and our friends il
need are stricken, but the work which
the English have done in the tropics
is threatened. We cannot face this fact
with a light and careless heart. Wheth-
ed we think the war against the Beers
was unjust or for the welfare of civil
cation, what eympathies we have to
express today should be for the suffer-
ings Of the mother-country. We may
deplore the attack as one upon the es-
sential principle of self government; we
may question the motive of the states
man who compelled it; we may point
out that in general the evils of blood
thi1'stiness are, in this stage of the
worlds progress, those of the victims
own needless making; we may dwell
philosophically upon this new evidence,
underscored by Boer rifles, that in a
land ruled by the highest civilization
and the most intelligent righteousness,
and where reign justice and fair deal
ing, the aptitude for war is disappear
ing; but we cannot lose sight Of the
stupendous fact that British prestige is
in moral danger; nor can we fail, if we
have a proper pride of race, or a de-
cent sense of gratitude, or a conscious
ness of what the English have accom-
plished in the homes of the savage
races, to mourn over these disasters
This of course is all very nice as a
bit of sentiment. but it has the radical
defect of overlooking the fact that jus
tice is always justice and it cannot be
denied to any individual or nation,
without entailing grievous penalties.
When we find high class journal
referring to England as a nation
ruled by the highest civilization and
the most intelligent righteousness" it
is hard to keep back a smile. Wherein
has there been righteousness in Eng
lands dealings with Ireland? A black
or page cannot be found in history than
that which records the cruel treatment
meted out to Ireland by cruel and ra-
Dacious England. Indeed We could fill
he whole page with instances of Eng
ands unrighteous deeds, but it is to
he contention advanced by Harpers
Weekly that we now address ourselves.
Aside from the maudlin sentiment |
contained in the above quotation there
s the startling proposition that not
the obvious fact that the !
Dutch Republic stands on right and |
uSllcG III us Will ILlAe7 lellAeA,
hat some right and justice should be
rampled upon because fcrsooth Brit
ah prestige is in danger What a
,ity! We would like to see the pres
ige which seeks only the glory of
,ower and gold shattered and driven
rom the face of the earth. 1t is be-
ause the people of all advanced nations
f the earth appreciate fully what
English greed is that the sympathy Of
he whole world goes out to the little
,oer Republics struggles to be free.
1t is pity that such a paper as Har-
er's Weekly finds itself in such fnan-
ial straits as to be compelled to treat
s readers to the pro-British rot which
-e quote above.