The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1915-02-09
Grape Shot vs.. Grape Juice

Grape Shot vs.. Grape Juice
When the Lusitania, British ship, acting
under the orders Of its government, hoisted the
American flag it sailed through home waters
that were supposed to be infested with German
submarines and thus in safety gained the har-
Dor at Liverpool, it offered pretty anti-climax
to the recent American British celebration of one
hundred years of peace following the signing of
the treaty Of Client. ~ -......>. .....@.
One hundred years ago reactionary England
was finishing her titanic struggle against Napo-
leon, the master of the French Revolution, the
destroyer of the servile and superstitious belief
of kings divine rights and the actual conserver
of the modern worlds freedom to indulge with
comparative impunity in liberal and humane
thoughts. Reactionary England destroyed Ma
poleon ONLY to be defeated in turn by the terrific
outrush of liberal ideas which followed the term
ination of that epochal struggle Napoleon in
other words, made possible in England such a
figure as Lloyd George. -.
AS means for her desired end in those days.
England, mistress of the SEAS cynically and bru-
tally and stupidity disregarded the rights of
neutral nations. Most particularly was this true
of her attitude towards the them numerically
small and governmentally immature United
States. Needing more men for her gigantic
fleet than British patriotism could volunteer or
press gangs could commander, England took to
stopping merchant vessels of this nation and kid
mapping large proportions of their crews, despite
proofs and protests to the contrary, under the
charge that they were British born citizens
Thus England not only secured men for her navy
but she also sadly hampered the growth of the
struggling little American merchant MARINE
much to the delight and profit of the already
mighty British merchant marine.
The result was war between the two coun-
tries, waged from 1912 to 1874 with disastrous
results to American trade and commerce and
pride. Our foreign trade was harried to the van
ishing point, our armies were beaten back from
attempted invasion of Canada, 1000 Ameri-
ran without firing shot before 5000 of
Wellington's Peninsular veterans in Maryland,
and from safe distance afar had the pleasure of
seeing the national capital at Washington go up
in smoke under the brands of the invaders.
The President of the United States at that
time, James Madison, great believer in main
tanning peace by keeping his country in a state
of utter unpreparedness for war; bravey led the
head of the American force in it's precipitate re-
treat while his wife, Dolly Madison, remained
behind in Washington till the last moment before
the British invaders entered with the torch, res
cuing important state papers.
Americans are taught in our schools, or at
least were when the editor went to school, to
believe that our country won the war of 1872
Closer study, however, of that war than is given
in schools reveals the fact that outside of the
victories of Perry Lake Erie and Jackson,
with his advantage of vastly greater numerical
strength at New Orleans we were about as de-
servedly whipped and insulted and Inundated as
was ever any other equally unprepared nation of
boosters. Only miracle saved us from the utter
consequences of our folly Napoleon's unexpect-
ed return from Elba and the even more unexpect-
ed enthusiasm with which France rallied under
his eagles, startled England, who did not know
but what she had another ten years struggle
ahead of her, into granting peace to her bewild-
cred and badly spanked ex-colonists in the
United States.
Beginning in 1914, we find England again en-
gagged in titanic struggle for mastery of the
earth. Cunning ability to fool other nations into