The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1917-03-23
WAR is THE WORLDS SUPREME
MYSTERY

(Note-The most tense and inter
esting: the most timely and stirring
article on war-that supreme tragedy
in the life Of nations-that has come
under our observation is the one that
is here reproduced from the Southern
Woman's Magazine. 1t is from the
pen of a woman. too, who. while her
eyes overflow with tender, sympathet-
ic tears, her soul is stirred to its
depths and rises to lofty heights of
patriotic ardor by the rumblings OF
the premonitions of war that are now
agitating our land. The article meets
the crisis which faces us. and dwarfs
into nothingness the pleadings of
those who would buy peace at any
price. We believe that it will find a
in all sections of our common country.
Ed. Banner.)
SOemnly. and with a deep sense of
duty and of service to mankind, Amer
lea contemplates a possible entrance
into the world conflict, whose result
will determine what manner of civili-
cation is to dominate humanity in the
generations to come.
And more profoundly than ever,
since the matter is now vitality our
own, do we ponder the question as to
why even in the hearts of a peace-lov-
ing people like ours. the heroic waste
fulness that we call war continues to
be the only sure way of establishing
the ideals in which we trust.
This much we know and from the
depths of our souls, that when war
like this becomes a necessity, the
need for our appeal to it rises from
something far more compelling than
mere brutality and greed Of power
By no process Of reasoning can We
understand the instinct that so might
lily holds us We can but feel that
war is the worlds supreme mystery
the master-tragedy in the destiny of
nations-and that it owes its persist
ence to impulses deeper than all logic
and as old as humanity itself. And
we can only trust that, behind the
anguish of such fearful test of fire
and sword, there is some fathOmless
miracle of love and spiritual rebirth.
The instinct for war was born with
our race, and persists from generation
ito generation, innate and ineradicable,
a battling heritage of glory and of
Woe We buy life with death and
peace with blood. No great people
ever begins its history with an era
of commerce or of agriculture 1t is
always the successful ending of some
great conflict that establishes a ma
ton, and strength of arms and pre-
paredness for war that holds it to
its destiny On the service and self
abnegation of its dying soldiers rises
the fabric of each new countrys life !;
from the trampled battle s0ds of
struggling armies grows the golden
grain by which its people live and
work, and there bloom also the scarlet
flowers of sleep which still their souls
with visions and with dreams.
we may not fathom nor analyze this
instinct that so holds us. 1t is lust
for blood. call to duty or to glory,
what you will. We only know that a
{ fame of courage and devotion leaps
30 meet the flutter of flags. the roll OF
drums, and the rhythmic tread of feet
1t is an instinct with the valiant spirit
of physical bravery as its surest test
and the mingled agony of blood and
tears for its sign and seal
And we know. too, that by some
strange alchemy, this defiant fearless
( ness of bodily harm and hurt is trans
muted by it's contact with the soul
and issues from out the beastliness
and horror of wars carnage and death
endowed as by a miracle, with the
4ndying qualities of chivalry and
patriotism. of courage and good faith
Like the frail and dreaming son OF
the great Emperor, mankind shrinks
in sickening horror from the blood
and pain of reeking battlefields. But
like him. too, we feel above our brows
the shadow of some eagles wing, and
let but the bugle blow its distant
call. let but the captain order the
charge and the soldiers shout their
battle cry-and to us. too. comes the
delirium of fight. the ecstasy. of bat
tie. the lure of danger. and the frenzy
of the fray.
Trafalgar, Marathon. Salamis-
Hastings. Gettysburg, Waterloo
Crecy Agincourt. or Thermopylae-
where are names that stir the blood
| like these, Men die by the thous
ands for the square of cotton that
happens to be their country's flag, OF
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