Mrs May Wright Sewall on the American War.

White Ribbon, Volume 4, Issue 42, 1 December 1898, Page 9

Mrs May Wright Sewall on the American War.

Mrs May Wright Sewali may claim to be a representative American, for she is the President of the National Council of Women of the United States, which includes thirty seven different National Societies. When asked by a representative of the New A%t for her opinion of the Spanish • American war, she gave it without hesitation, and in no measured terms. “ I ain thoroughly ashamed of the war, and disappointed with my country. 1 would not l>elieve at first tliat U could be. 1 thought that America had passed tliat stage in evolutiou, and was

destined to show the world a great example without resorting to Itkxxisht d and barbarity. lam not one of those who think that war under all circum. stances is wrong ; 1 think it has played a necessary part in the evolution of mankind ; it has its historical place in social and moral development, but 1 thought we had left it Ixhind. it seems to me a terribly backward step for America to l»e following the arts of war instead of the arts of peace. ’ “Do you think, asked the interviewer, “ the Americans could have gained their point without war?" “ Yes, certainly 1 do. Diplomacy could have arranged it. Jt was really we who declared war ; we cannot deny that. The Spaniards went as far as they could to meet us, and they would have gone still farther. The matter might have t>een settled amicably. ' " What was it exactly that happened ? We have beeu rather under tne impression that as preliminary to the war, America was swept by a hurricane of righteous indignation " “Nothing of the kind Ihe people who made the war were the journalists. If we had had no newspapers there would have been no war. Two editors specially were to blame, one in New York the other in Chicago. If I could have l>een Dictator of the Republic for a few days at the beginning of the war, 1 should have made tliose two men serve in the foremost battalion of soldiers," “ What will lie the end of it ? ' “ Oh, that 1 cannot foretell. Rut 1 can tell you what 1 think ought to be done. America should sue for peace. Since she is victorious, there would be no humiliation in this for her, as there would be for Spain. She must give up the Rhilhpines ; their capture was simply a side issue, and w have no concern with them. Then we should establish a protectorate in Cuba, and let the inhabitants develop their own government. Finally, she should claim no war indemnity; her war expenses are the price she has to pay for entering on the war. We said we did this for righteousness' .'ike, and we should do to Spain, now that we have conquered her, as we would be done by . . . . Rut the war fever is an intoxication—an insanity-*and iike other insanities, it will pass. Rut again 1 repent, that 1 am ashamed of my country, and feel none of the pride in her success which you might expect from a patriotic American. Such 1 am." (Abridged from the Sew Age.)