Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 03.djvu/265



There is no fixed rule to determine the ethics of war—that legalized murder of our fellow-men for—even mining is admitedadmitted [sic] with its wholesale destruction. Each new weapon, in its turn, when first introduced, was denounced as illegal and barbarous, yet each took its place according to its efficacy in human slaughter by the unanimous consent of nations.

Gunpowder and fire-arms were held to be savage and anti-christian, yet the club, the sling, the battle-axe, the bow and arrow, the balister or cross-bow with the tormentum, javelin and spear, gave way to the match-lock musket, and that to the flint-lock, and that to the percussion. The rifle is now fast superseding the musket, being of further range, more accurate in direction and breech-loading.

The battering-ram and catapult gave way to the smooth-bore cannon, chain, bar and spherical shot, which is now yielding, except in enormous calibre 15-inch and more, to rifle-bores and elongated chilled shot (yet, on account of inertia, rifle calibre should never exceed ten inches).

Torpedoes come next in the catalogue of destructives, the modern ne plus ultra of warlike inventions. The world indeed is in throes of fire and marine monsters.

While war is looming up between Russia and Turkey, other nations are striving in guns, iron-clads and torpedo ships, for maritime supremacy. The powers of electricity in light-giving and heat-controlling to examine and blind an adversary by its glare at night, and fire-torpedoes for his destruction at all times, and the capability of steel and iron with Professor Barff's superheated steam in endurance, offensive and defensive, will be called into action to resist the 100-ton guns of Italy and other formidable calibres, also torpedo boats like the Thornycroft of France, the Lightning of England, and the Porter Alarm of the United States. Iron-clads are said to master the world, but torpedoes master the iron-clads, and must so continue on account of the almost total