The progressive farmer and the cotton plant., 1905-01-10

csc fleet; of Generol Makarof, the brilliant Rus
sian naval leader who went down with 674 seamen
when the Petropavlosk struck the fatal mine a
few weeks later; of the japanese Hatsuse, the
most powerful warship in the world, which sank
with 480 officers and men on May 18th; of the
naval battle of August 10th, one of the greatest
sea-fghts on record; and of the unnumbered as
saults in which Cossack and Jap fought each 9th
er with almost fendish ferocity.
Through it all victor and vanquished alike have
displayed a heroism worthy of Greek or Roman
in the brave days of old. Evidently the Russian
commander would personally have preferred to
make good the telegram to his family: "Port
Arthur will be my tomb" but he was finally con-
WINGED that to permit further loss of life would
amount to nothing less than murder. Even on
Sunday morning one of his officers reports that
his determination to fight while one man stood had
not been diminished.
"cBu we cannot fight said his generals. Our
men cannot move. They sleep standing. They
cannot see the bayonets at their breasts. We can
order, but they cannot obey
""Then you generals fight said Stoessel,
c~lenching his fists"
But if the Russians were brave, the japanese
were both brave and resourceful. An able gen
eral of our Civil War said in Raleigh last week
that General Nogi need do no more fighting: what
he has already accomplished has proved him one
of the greatest commanders of our time. Accord
ing to this general, the Union Army began our
Civil War with ten times as good chances of cap
turing Richmond as the japanese had of captur-
ing Port Arthur.
Prospects of Peace Little Improved.
But important as is the capture of Port Ar
thur, there is no prospect of early peace between
the warning nations. In fact, the Russians seem
to have been infuriated rather than disheartened
by the loss of their fortress. And that their
great Empire and world-power should ever accept
terms of peace dictated by a little island kingdom
is to many unthinkable. And but for the disaf-
lection of the peasantry, it is safe to say that
this would never occur. But his people have been
too much oppressed to have any intense love of
country, and in this lies the Cars peril. If the
war lasts much longer the discontinued at home
may be as hard to deal with as are the attacking
Japanese armies.
1t is also worth recalling that this is the second
time the japanese have won Port Arthur. Ten
years ago they had it as a prize of war after the
victory over China, but the Powers would not al
low them to retain it. Just what would be done
here in case of Japanese success in the present
war, cannot be foretold.
Legislation for North Carolina.
The General Assembly of North Carolina form
ally organized last Wednesday by electing Mr.. O.
ii. Guion of Craven County Speaker of the
House and Mr.. G. A. Webb of Buncombe Presi-
dent pro tenn of the Senate. The week was spent
largely in the work of OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES the
wheels in motion. Some bills of Importance were
ntroduced-one for increasing salaries of judges;
one for repeating the ~anti-jug law; one for a mon
ument to the late Senator Ransom to be erected