Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1901-08-27


ably feeble. Against foe worthy Of
any healthy nations contention, defeat
and disgrace must have been the fate
Of our arms. Worse than this, the con.
duct of the war BY the war depart
ment was, morally as well as militar-
lily, rotten--as rotten as the food IT.
provided for our soldiers. The general
commanding our armies, the man set
by law and wortbily so, to command
the army. never did, never was given
n chance to do. an hours important
or critical service in the field. Nor
did the whole war develop one military
character to shed luster on our coun-
try. No man can help--I surely cannot
feeling pride in great soldiers who
lead armies and fight battles in just
wars, or wars honestly believed to be
just. Grant, Sherman, Thomas,
Meade; yes, Lee, the two JohDstons,
and Jackson, did win and deserve un-
fading laurels, both as soldiers, and
as men; but tell me what name, what
one name, has been added by our Span
ish war to our list of illustrious sol
dlers.
1.-THE Beacon Journal might be in
duced for consideration to name one !
Our Mexican war was not just
war, but it did train and exhibit great
soldiers and commanders. Our Civil
war added some to the worlds selected
list. Tell me, who can, of those added
by our Spanish war
Well, IL the Spanish war did not
glorify our arms, as such glory goes;
II 1t developed no great commanders;
IL 1t gave no occasions, like Gettys-
burg, or Gold Harbor, Or Richmond,
for displays of the prowess of Ameri-
can soldiers and generals; If its man
agement by the department of our
government charged with it's conduct
was humiliating in its weakness and
mal-adminisration what did it do?
/ answer: 1t profoundly changed the
spirit of our people, it profoundly al
| tered our standards of statemanship;
it wrested our nation from the politl
cal doctrines and faith in which il
was born and bred it launched us OIL
new seas, on alien and strange courses
committing us to policies intolerable
to patriots who abide in the old faiths
of Washington, of Jefferson and
Adams. Of Webster, and of Lincoln
Led by an INSCRIPTIONS and deceitfu
president, the Spanish war opened tC
us a career of vulgar, aggressive ex
pansion, upon which Congress and oul
people have entered with all the energy
and greed that Is apt to succeed wher
a long career of abstinence and mod
Ill OHtC blOhtns 4Ouhtl tull
leadership we have crushed by fir,
and slaughter liberty-loving peopl,
In the East, blotting out, or doing ou
utmost to blot out, by the sacrifice o
thousands of our own young lives, ant
hundreds of millions of the proceeds
of taxation of our own people, the onl.
!. hopeful effort ever undertaken in tina
vast East to set up free, republican
, chased the phantom of a chimerica
| commerce, proclaiming with the moutl
| purpose which the hand was eve
t making impossible. No fruit, say
9 dust and ashes, has been gathered
! nor ever will be.
' AS the outgrowth and strict result o
= this Philippine adventure, came ou
e adventure in China; for who can be
. lieve that If our army had not bee
+ in the Philippines we should ever hav
S been In China? Even conceding tina
t we went to China on proper errant
l and conceding, as l do, the cOmpars
g tive responsibility of our diplomat
l and military action there, what ha
S resulted? If there is any story @
L modern or medieval invasion muc
t more repulsive than the career of til
g armies of the powers in China, 9
/ whom we have constantly been on,
II l have not read it. 1t is easy [
explain. and measurably to excus
d the boxer outbreak, but who sha
d frame an excuse for the carnival {
It looting which has marked the NOV,
Z? ments of the armies of the powers
n China? Gen. Chaffee, commanding I'll
G United States contingent, repor
e officially thus: 1T Is safe to say thi
It where one real boxer has been kille
# since the capture of Pekin, 80 harm
;? less coolies or laborers ON farms, Il
I, cluding not II few women and chill,
& rem, have been slain. The boxer ell
/, ment Is largely mixed with the mas
d of the population, SO that by KILN
/, a whole lot perhaps one or two boxel
"A might ba sarured - 'rhis is tha xvo,