Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1901-08-30

iilE Out uS uu oDIWicHL VI tht spun
ish war he has finally become per-
suaded, from an observance of the
temporary swing of public opinion, --
accepting this apparent and momcn-
taiy voice Of the people as the voice
of God-that the ensuing war for con-
quest precipitated by the administa-
ton has been in obedience 10 great
and divine popular instinct working
out the destiny of the nation.
If sharp and clear popular judg.
ment has been passed in support of
Mr.. McKinley's policy of alien con-
quest and subjugation, unconnected
with other matters deemed by thou.
sands of people as of more urgent OF
Immediate Importance, the fact is not
generally known. If such Judgment
has in fact been rendered, the proof
that ii represents the permanent anC
abiding conscience and conviction of
the people, is wanting. And the mind
which conceived the ''vox populi, Won
dei'' saying would probably have some
! conditions understood them
that time for reflection and full gen
eral acquaintance with the facts OF
the case, should intervene; for the
voice OF the people which elected
| the pro-slavery Democratic president.
of the ante-bellum times does not now
prove to have been the voice of Goo
as 1t finally found expression through
the people.
But let this pass-as well as tn,
| amazing assertion that the Louisian,
purchase Of adjacent and practically
uninhabited territory forms consis
tent example for the recent conduc
of the government, as well as n pre-
cedcnt to be indefinitely followed Il
the nation Is not to be cheated of
realization OF the divine intentions
We may muse all the year round OF
the question of the progress and des
tiny OF nations, and we shall come {,
no satisfactory conclusions, except n.
there be asserted for nations thos,
rules of conduct which are accepted n,
|
applying to individuals. Otherwise w,
shall fetch up in that quagmlre O
fatalism, and worship of the brute in
stincts Of men when pursued I'm ma
tional masses, into which our letter
writer has SO evidently fallen; w,
snail be driven to the conclusion, n.
he has been, that whatever happen,
| is for the best and could not nos
sibly have been ordered better-b,
which we are led to pay the Almight,
the tribute of having inspired tn,
greatest crimes of history; or are le,
to deny that there has been any crim
or untoward thing in history.
The law Of national life, progress
well'beirg and glorious destiny is th
fundamental Christian law relating I,
the individual person. There is II,
other dlscoverable as far as humo,
thought has gone, and in the transgres
sion OF that lazy natINus have, plantc,
| the causes of their decline and fal
The philosophy of the day, which al
tempts to apply the Darwinian hypc
thesis to the life of human soclety
| has endeayored to trace out othc
laws, but the only law which II In
40 far succeeded in discerning Is tn
law of chance and of brute instinct
which concededly, for nations at leas
leads only TO destruction.
one OF these philosophers to whoi
so much Is due for the current popula
twhddle about destiny and fate an
eVerythlng-that-happens-is-for-the-bes the bes
ahd-could-nothave been-bettered, aft,
asserting for human progress the In,
of struggle, survival and climinatio
or the UNIT, goes on to declare In ON
part of his long work that the. ha,
parian Invasion of Rome put tn
clock of civilization back lust lOO
years. II ever people followed III
law In question, 1t was the BARBARA
horde when, in all the vgor OF II
forest Ire, 1t descended upon the onl
civilization that existed. which ha
been following a similar law, an
scattered II TO tho windsor IN
monastcries. Here were struggle
elimination" with a vengancc. Her
was destiny vigorously at work; an
yet we are told by philosopher q
the Instinct or destiny school tina
1000 years We're needed to start OF
, civilization again from the polu
reached when destiny hit 1t throug
: the club OF the barbarian.
; SO much for the brute instinct In,
/ of human progress 10 say that wha
2 did then happen could not better hay
happened ON the whole; to say that
was all for the best that the Roma
: civilization gave itself up in its latt,