The colored American., 1902-05-31

arises whether it would not have been
better tor their souls as well as for their
temporal salvation to have left the Fill
plnOS to the mercy of their Spanish mas
tiers.
1t is sad commentary on our bOaSted
civilization and religion that America
and England, for. greed and conquest,
should send great armies to far-off lands
to devaStdte them with fire and sword
under the pretenSe of establishing a
more humane form of government.
RecOncentrado camps under Weyler in
Cuba called out the just indignation of
mankind. But are they better in South
ern- Africa, where the Beers are driven
from their homes, or in the Philippines,
where the inhabitants over ten years of
lge are singled out for slaughter? !?
Should forgery which throws a man in
prison IN civil life make a hero of the
forgeE in the Philippines?
War is only splendid murder It
breaks to stones every law in the Deca-
jogue. Thou shalt not kill !; thou shalt
lot steal; thou shalt not lie Law is not
only legalized murder; it is legalized
theft. 1t IS legalized arson. When Sher-
nan made his famous march from At
anita to the sea he cut a swath 90 miles
vide, destroying plantations and, like
1evOurlng lOcustS, eating all the stock
md grain, pilfering the houses of hoard
ID treasures of money and jewelry, burn
ing towns, and everywhere leaving
,uin in the wake of his army. The ac-
lain of the North made him the apOthe-
is of the patriot. Sherman's own epit-
1mized judgment of the invasion was
hat War is hell"
Sheridan's Ride is classic in our lit
erature, as Sherman wears crown IL
he galaxy of the worlds great heroes
Yet i'll the fall of 1864, hearing that one
of his lieutenants had been murdered
lie ordered all the houses within an area
# FIVE miles to be burned 1t was nOt
moral question with Sheridan whether
he alleged murderer lived within the
uescribed territory or whether it wa:
air that hundreds of innocent womer
md children should be turned out OF
doors in the midst of an approaching
winter. 1t was war, and the more hellisf
var could be made the better.
1t was Seneca who said that 'in wal
lvarice and cruelty know no bounds
)arbaritieS are authorized by DEGREES OF
he Senate and votes of the people; and
.normities, forbidden in private persons
IRE ordered and sanctioned by legisla-
ors. Things which, if a man had done
his private caDacity he would have
,aid for with his life; the very same
hings we extOl to the skies when men
10 them with their regimentals on their
)acks."
1t was Burke who said; "War sus-
,ends the rules of moral obligation, and
what is long suspended is in danger OF
)eing totally abrogated. Civil wars
trike deepest of all into the manners ot
he people They Vitiate their politics
hey corrupt their morals; they pervert
ven the natural taste and relish OF
guilty and justice. By teaching us to
consider our fellOw-creatures N a hos
lie light. the whole body of our nation
becomes gradually less dear to us The
yerv names of affection and kindred,
which were the bond of charity whilst
we agreed, become new incentives to
hatred and revenge when the cOmmun-
ion of our country is dissolved"
The civil war in the United States has
been over 81 years. Yet with all our
preaching ours is still nation of bar
haric impulses and tendencies. Sec
tional bitterness IS still a smoldering
Volcano Brotherhood is caprice buff
feted about by caste prejudice and race
hatredS. Everywhere are seen the scars
of fratricidal hate and internecine ran
cor. Seventy-five per cent. of our citi-
zens are i'm sentiment the members of an
organized mob which a spark could
arouse to burn or kill By barbaric iDStru-
-. Il E.F