THE GROWTH OF THE WAR SPIRIT.
By Christian Cynosure
THE increase of European armies from six to ten million in seventeen years, with sixteen million more ready to be called out on short notice, marks the growth of one of the greatest of modern evils. Sixty war ships were launched by the great naval powers last year. Six of these were in the United States; and it must have been observed by every one that, in respect to the navy, our military spirit is gaining too rapidly in Congress, and the attempt to maintain the national pride in foreign parts seems to turn aside the better judgment of our rulers and law-makers. But, in addition to this, it appears that of late years there has been a steady development of the military spirit amongst the general population. A very intelligent English traveler, who has repeatedly visited the United States, and lately returned home from an extensive lecturing tour here, says that the aspect of American life which most impressed him during this last journey in particular, was the extraordinary development of popular interest in all manner of military shows and warlike pomps. It seemed to him that there was a wide-spread passion for the display of arms and uniforms, and for marching in long processions, with military style and martial music. It is true that the regular standing army of the United States numbers only 25,000 men, yet there are hundreds of thousands of carefully-trained militia and volunteers in the various States, whose evolutions and public parades have become marked features in the social economy of each district. Official and popular encouragement is being extended, in very powerful measure, to foster the increase of these local regiments. For example, New York offers the large bounty of $300,000 to each militia regiment of a certain size—usually from 1,000 to 1,500 men—on the condition of their building an armory of certain proportions. And in such cases the regiment, with its officers and friends, usually subscribes a similar additional amount. There are already six of these large and costly armories in New York City alone. The very numerous pensions paid by the Federal Government to the surviving soldiers who fought for the North in the Civil War, or435their widows or other representatives, amount, in the aggregate, to the enormous sum of $86,000,000 per annum. This wide distribution of rewards, for participation in past warfare, holds out a suggestive and tempting inducement to millions of citizens to regard with at least considerable complacency the possible recurrence of war in the future, with whatever nation or foe it may happen to be waged, because it is evident that any such conflict would be followed by a further wholesale distribution of pensions and other emoluments. The training of the young to the use of arms, or to military drill, is rapidly extending in the United States, and is attended by much popular approval and admiration. Thousands of lads, in their smart uniforms, are paraded through the streets of cities and towns, from time to time, amid the enthusiasm of their friends and crowds of interested spectators. The adoption of military dresses and processions is extending among large classes of the civilian population, and semi-barbarous character is fostered amazingly by all the secret societies with their pompous processions, flaming and often outlandish regalia and prize drills, and also by their badges, buttons, and various emblems which serve the purpose of pleasing a vain mind, and show with what devotion the decorations and medals of war are esteemed. But more than this by far, several of these un-American orders have a special department, known as a military degree, where the manual of arms is studied with care and military drill is brought to a high degree of perfection. These degrees are armed and decorated with great extravagance. Such military degrees are the Knights Templar Freemasons, the Patriarchs Militant of the Odd Fellows, the Patriarchal Circle, the Uniform Rank of the Knights of Pythias (which is organized with the same official titles and names of divisions as the army of the National Government), and the United Workmen. Besides, the continually recurring names of "Knights," "Templars," "Grand Armies," etc., are educating thousands with a false and conceited notion about militarism. Church parades of these secret lodges are becoming increasingly frequent; and as the brightly-dressed processions, with their shining arms and equipments, and their military music, file into and out of church or chapel, the effect produced upon the numerous spectators is, it may be easily imagined, anything but favorable to sober and pacific sentiments. In addition to all these influences of a martial tendency, we must estimate the work of societies of an avowed military purpose, as the Grand Army of the Republic, with its 400,000 members, and several subsidiary lodges. We say nothing at this time of the illegality of these bodies of armed men, nor of the threatening and dangerous crisis in the history of American liberty for which we fear they are preparing. Altogether, a huge tide of militarism is increasingly setting in amongst our vast nation of sixty million people—a nation which, it is evident, can never be conquered by any foreign invader whatever, and which, therefore, might reasonably rest secure from alarming apprehensions of invasion from any quarter. Some half dozen peace and arbitration societies are laboring faithfully and perseveringly among us to counteract, at least in some degree, this great current of martial enthusiasm, but unfortunately the influences tending in a contrary direction are incomparably more numerous and extensive.—Christian Cynosure.