Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1900-10-05
SPIRIT OF THE PRESS
FACTS AND OPINIONS GATHERED
FROM CONTEMPORARIES.
GROWTH OF THE WAR SPIRIT.


Deplorable as are the immediate eff
fects of war in loss of life. wounds, dis
ease. destruction of property and waste
of wealth, the evil results in arousing
passions and the lingo spirit run coun-
ter to civilization, and retard for gen
erations the orderly development of
ideas of humanity and justice, which
are the slow and painful growth of the
ages. The most superficial observer
cannot fail to have been struck by the
wonderful change that has taken place
in the public opinion of the world since
the peace conference at The Hague.
The Spanish American war. the crush
ing of the Boer Republics and the dis
turbances in China have not only un-
done the chief benefits of the conference,
but they have destroyed the human
itarian sentiment and the pacific state of
mind and feeling which sensibly per-
vaded the world. made the conference
practicable and gave promise of ampler
results in the future. The growth of
imperialism in this country, with its
trend toward militarism and its disre-
gard for human rights and the course of
exalted Justice, is apparent, while in
England the character of the people
seems to have been violently changed,
the whole nation has been drunk with
the lingo spirit and the Liberals, who
formerly stood for peace and progress,
have been swept of their feet and are in
full cry after imperialism. No more
striking Illustration of the change could
be advanced than the remarks made by
the London Spectator on the formation
of the Australian Commonwealth. The
Spectator. which is the most enlightened,
urbane and conscientious vehicle of
liberal thought in England, says of the
Australians:
"Their concern in history will be with
Asia, of which they are the far outlying
division; their market will be China; the
objects on which they will as soon as
they are 5, 900 900 cast covetous eyes are
the long chain of gloriOusly fertile and
powerless islands which stretch in a
double chain between their continent and
japan. The most beautiful valleys of
earth and probably its richest mines
exist in the eastern Archipelago. Aus
Europe has been all through her
history. by the irresistible longing for
wealth, and her people will be helped in
acquiring the eastern archipelago by a
power which they will derive from their
British blood, the power of dominating
brown races without ever displaying so
much setishness as to drive them to
despair. We venture to pre-
diet for them conquering career of
which the japanese, if they survive Rus
sian hostility; the owners of the Philip
pines, unless they are Americans, and
above all. the Germans, if they have alb
sorbed Holland and her colonies, will
feel the first effects"
The liberal doctrine now, instead of
a desire to do Justice to the world, as in
Gladstone's time, seems to be kind OF
cool, calculating, hard headed piracy.
Here are rich and fertile islands and
they are pOwerless. The conditions are
perfect, and the young nation is hidden,
with the parents good wishes, to speed
on its conquering career. The peace
conference seems long way otf.-New
York World.