WAR AND CIVILIZATION. 769 



faithful performance of the public duty that lies nearest at hand. 

 " The old flag and an appropriation ! " is the motto of a certain 

 well-known brand of patriot ; but the true patriot not only drops 

 the " appropriation/ 7 but makes his reserves about the flag, which 

 may or may not be associated with a righteous cause. The motto 

 which commands his allegiance is, "My country's honor and 

 well-being ! " No less a cause than this is worthy of a good citi- 

 zen's devotion. 



Much is being said at the present time about the importance 

 of cultivating patriotism in the public schools, and, not only so, 

 but of preparing the scholars the boys at least by military drill 

 for more quickly transforming themselves into soldiers at a future 

 day. In several States of the Union this system is already in 

 force, and there are ceremonial occasions when the flag is saluted, 

 and so forth. Whether all this is for the best may well be doubt- 

 ed. It is difficult to put a gun into a boy's hand and drill him 

 without creating in his mind a desire to kill somebody. Do we 

 or do we not wish to cultivate this spirit in the rising generation ? 

 There is no doubt that the ease or difficulty with which a country 

 is led into war depends very largely upon the dispositions of its 

 population. If their thoughts run on war; if they have been 

 accustomed by a semi-military training in the schools to make 

 little of the horrors of war, and perhaps less of its crimes ; if they 

 have taken in the idea which continually haunts the military 

 mind that might makes right, there can be no doubt that, in a 

 given contingency, when a spirit of moderation and justice would 

 smooth over an international difficulty, the voice of such a people 

 will be given for war. They will perhaps then learn a needed 

 lesson ; but how foolish for people to set to work with their eyes 

 open to produce the dispositions which lead to such a result ! Ad- 

 mitting that the nation which had sedulously cultivated bellicose 

 sentiments in its youth, and at great expense put itself in a con- 

 dition to back up any aggressive or offensive policy on which it 

 might enter, should conquer in an ensuing war, would that be a 

 thing to be proud of, if the war were unjust ? If the blood of 

 Abel " cried from the ground," what of the blood of a hundred 

 thousand, or two hundred thousand, or five hundred thousand 

 Abels needlessly slain slain that a restless military class might 

 have the means of winning distinction in their chosen profession ; 

 slain that army and navy contractors should enrich themselves 

 by a nation's calamities ; slain that vulgar and ignorant passions 

 might find vent in bloody action ? 



There is no subject to-day on which public opinion needs more 

 to be enlightened than on the connection between peace and lib- 

 erty on the one hand, and between war and tyranny on the other. 

 Mr. Spencer's chapters on this subject, in the volume we have 



VOL. XLVIII. 56 



