The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1901-08-24
Chickens Come Home to Roost. )"

Chickens Come Home TO Roost"
From the Baltimore Sun.
When Generals Sherman and Sheridan were
burning houses and destroying farm products
in the South during the Civil War, it probably
never occurred to them that their savage way
of making war upon noncombatants would one
day be cited in the British Parliament in vim
dication of British brutalities in South Africa.
Yet that is just what has happened and what
was bound to happen when British politicians
were compelled TO defend the barbarous meth
ods which have been adopted to conquer the
Beers. 1t is significant however, that the
Hon. Joseph Chamberlain, who is the spokes-
men of the Government, fatters himself that
the British commanders in South Africa have
not yet resorted to measures as extreme as
those of Sherman and Sheridan. Regarding
the devastation policy" Mr.. Chamberlain is
reported as saying, 1T was nothing compared
with General Sherman's campaign iii the
American Civil War" The British Colonial
Secretary added that he had talked with Gen.
Sherman, and the Northern commander justi-
fed his action son the ground of humanity"
Not only is General Sherman's humane"
incendiarism advanced as complete vindica-
ton of British methods of making war in South
Africa, but the policy of the United States
Government in the Philippines is also cited
by Mr.. Chamberlain as precedent for threat
ening the Boer leaders with banishment from
South Africa and treating the burghers now
in arms as 'sbanditti y Mr. Chamberlain is
certainly close student of American history.
He has watched the progress of our war with
the Filipinos, and has read General MacAr-
thurs proclamation informing the followers OF
Aguinaldo that if they persisted in guerrilla
warfare they would be dealt with as bandits
T. 1. "a. c a.. ,Nn.l
States has made precedents in the past 40 years
which may prove invaluable to Great Britain
| in the present crisis. As to arming the Katfirs
and using them against the Beers, Mr.. Cham
berlain could silence American criticism by
recalling the fact that the United States Gov
ernment had nearly 200, 600 negro soldiers in
its service during the Civil War. Nobody
| north of Mason and Dixon's line ever admit
ted that it was wrong to arm the slaves in tine
South and array them against the Southern
white people, If it was right to use the black
troops against the Southern Confederacy il
cannot be wrong, in Mr.. Chamberlain opin-
ion, to use the Kafir hordes against the South
African republics, should Great Britain ever
need the aid of such allies.
1t must be mortifying to every humane
American to know that when the British Gov
ernment is assailed for its cruel methods of
waging war in South Africa ii is able 10 retort
upon American critics as effectively as Mr..
Chamberlain did in his speech in the House
of Commons of Thursday. OF course two
wrongs do not make right and never will.
Sheridan's tactics in the Valley of Virginia,
and Sherman s policy of devastation inGeorgis
and South Carolina were practical illustrations
of the savagery of war. 1t was Sherman who
said tersely: ''War is hell p When Great
Britain is now accused of making a hell o
South Africa, Mr.. Chamberlain may perth
emily reply: Americans are the last people
who ought TO object TO tactics Of that kind
We never knew how TO wage war i'll the mos
efficient way until the United States Govern
ment showed the world how it could be done
in the Civil War. We have simply adopted
your own tactics, and you ought to be proud
that the Mother Country is willing to learn
from your republic. Imitation is the sinceres
form of hattery, and to the best of our abilit.
we are praeticing in South Africa the sam'
humanity which your generals displayed il
their house burning, cattle-stealing, crop
destroying expeditions in the South. We may
not be quite as efficient as you proved, but IL
time we hope to show ourselves masters of th
game.
That is the defense which the Englishmal
nuts forward when he is assailed by American
and European critics He shrewdy hide.
himself behind Uncle Sam whenever he IS de
nounced for his brutality in South Africa
Little did the humane persons who cheeret
Sherman's S march through Georgia or Sheri
dams policy of devastation in the Valley imag
inc that they were establishing precedent
which would one day be cited in the British
Parliament in defense of similar savagery ii
South Africa. Little did they think that ;
great empire would plead the atrocities com
mitted by American generals in extenuatioI
of two little republics. 1t is TOO bad tha
when the worlds Indignation is aroused b.
the devastation of South Africa Mr.. Chamber
lain should be able to say to Americans; "You
at least, ought not to protest as long as yo'
honor the memory of Sherman and Sheridan
We can justify everything we have done b,
| the tactics of these heroes.