The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1921-01-21
THE TRAGEDIES or WAR

occurring on the field OF battiethe
CHASTITY spectacle Of heaps Of dead.
some limbless, some only showing
headless trunks, and the whole in
tensified by the groans of the dying
and the awful smell Of pollution; but
they have yet other tragedies TRACE
dies that live on and on and are re-
grettable as the tragedies that kill.
Among those tragedies are false ac-
cusations, base insinuatioas. inbound
ed criticisms-the assassination Of
character in sundry and various
forms.
The assassination Of character Is
but little removed from premeditated
murder.
During our revolutionary war the
character Of the commander -in-chief
of the continental armies did not es-
cape attempted assassination.
How well we can remember the In
situations and denunciations that
were hurled at the Lincoln and Davis
administrations during the continu-
ance Of our civil war.
There were grave charges OF favor
itism shown both in civil and Military
annointments: charges of inefficiency
and ;ncomnetence in civil appoint
ments and incapacity in military
assignments. and everywhere were
heard charges OF graft and wasteful-
ness, all calculated to provoke discon-
tent and dfstrust.
Our war with Spain, though but
speck compared with other wars, did
not escape the same species OF critf
cism.
We ALI know how furious and unjust
were the criticisms that fell upon the
shoulders Of the Wilson administra-
ton in the Great World War.
Yet never was a war so successfully
conducted and never was criticism so
baseless and unjust
But such is the penalty Of all wars,
except, perhaps, in modern times the
wars of Napoleon and his escaped
criticisms. such as we have named,
because he was given unlimited pow
er.
We are led to make these obser-
vations because Of an extract in the
series of articles OF gripping interest
now appearing in the Saturday Even
ing Post by Princess Cantacuzene,
daughter Of General Frederick d.
Grant and granddaughter of General
Ulysses S. Grant.
Speaking of the war between Rus
STA and Japan Princess Cantacuzene
says:
For many months no one in st.
Petersburg talked of anything but
Siberian news Little by little
change occurred in the tenor of the
conversations. There were tales Of
disappointments, disilIusions, criti
efsm. bitterness, pity, the desire for
rest ard peace, and an ever-increasing
anxiety: tales OF battles and ships
lost: tales of the incompetencv Of the
commander in chief and some of the
other favorites; tales of confusion
and sufferings among our troops:
tales of officers and men under fire
doing heroic work. all circumstances
against them; tales. on the other
hand. of entertainments on the special
train Of the commander in chief. and
on that of the Grand Duke Boris, who
with gay party Of jeuuesse doree had
volunteered for service only. it was
said, to gather golden sword OF St.
George and to treat his blase tastes to
q new sensation. A few others were
also criticized. but generally the army
was admired The inefficiency Of the
war ministry and attendance depart
ment was proved Also one heard
constantly Of the weight of political
power in the army: how the command
ers were hampered from St Peters
burg; how there was jealousy. Of fear
os letting the head men in Siberia
handle the situation and perhaps
Gain more mower and glory thar wa 7
good for them.