War is the remedy that our enemies have chosen, and I say let us

Listen, O children, to the words of William Tecumseh Sherman, a man whose courage and resolve shaped the course of the American Civil War. In his powerful declaration: "War is the remedy that our enemies have chosen, and I say let us give them all they want," Sherman speaks not just of the reality of war, but of the grim understanding that when conflict is forced upon us, we must meet it with unwavering strength. This is a lesson born of struggle and sacrifice, a reminder that sometimes the only path to peace is through the relentless pursuit of victory.

In this declaration, Sherman reveals a profound truth about the nature of war—it is not always chosen by the ones who fight, but by the ones who provoke it. Enemies, driven by their own ambitions, fears, or desires, often thrust war upon others, believing that it is the only way to settle their differences or to achieve their ends. But Sherman’s words carry a wisdom: if war is the remedy they seek, then it is not for us to shy away. If the enemy demands conflict, then let us give them all they want—no less, no more. We are not to be passive in the face of aggression, but to respond with the full measure of our will and might.

Consider the ancient warriors—those who fought not just for land or treasure, but for survival. When Carthage waged war against Rome in the Punic Wars, the Romans did not hesitate. They understood that to cower in fear before their enemies was to invite their own destruction. Hannibal, the great Carthaginian general, brought terror to the Roman heart, but the Romans, led by figures such as Scipio Africanus, rose to the challenge, fighting with a resolve that matched the severity of their foe’s aggression. Rome, driven by the necessity of survival, gave their enemies all they wanted—and more. The Romans did not falter; they turned the enemy’s aggression into their own strength, defeating Hannibal on the plains of Zama.

Sherman, like the Romans, saw the war thrust upon him not as a choice, but as an obligation. He understood that when the enemy seeks war, there can be no turning back. The stakes are too high, the cost too great, to show hesitation. If the aggressor demands battle, then let us meet them with the full force of our might. Sherman’s March to the Sea, a campaign of unrelenting destruction, was not born of a desire for bloodshed, but of the recognition that to win a war is to break the will of the enemy, to take from them the hope of victory. War, once chosen, must be waged without mercy or hesitation. In this, Sherman’s philosophy echoes the ancient wisdom that in the face of conflict, the only path to peace is through victory.

This lesson, children, is not merely for the warriors on the battlefield but for all who face adversity. When life itself wages war upon you—whether in the form of personal struggles, hardships, or the challenges of fate—know that retreat will not save you. To give in to despair, to seek a path of avoidance, is to lose the battle before it even begins. Sherman’s words urge us to face our struggles with the resolve and strength of a warrior. If life presents us with a challenge, let us meet it with courage, let us give it all it demands, and more. We are not to shrink from the fight, but to fight with the full measure of our spirit.

The great Alexander the Great understood this principle well. His empire was built not by avoiding battle, but by confronting every challenge with unyielding determination. His invasion of Persia, his crossing of the Hindu Kush, and his relentless march into India were all battles that he did not seek, but which he met with the ferocity of a man who knew that to shy away from destiny was to invite defeat. When his enemies forced war upon him, he gave them all they wanted, and in return, he built an empire that spanned the known world.

So, my children, the lesson is clear: when the forces of adversity rise against you, when war is thrust upon you by circumstance or by the will of others, do not falter. Do not hesitate in your response. Whether in life, in struggle, or in battle, give the challenge all it demands and more. When we face the storms of life, we must not retreat to safety or seek to avoid the conflict. Victory lies not in surrender but in our willingness to stand firm, to give all that is asked of us, and then to push forward with the strength of our will. In this, we honor the words of Sherman, and in this, we find our path to peace—not through escape, but through triumph.

In the end, the lesson we learn from Sherman’s words is one of resolve, of understanding that when faced with conflict, we must rise to meet it. Let the world bring all its challenges—whether on the battlefield or in life—and we will meet them, not with fear, but with the full force of our courage and determination. Give the enemy all they want, and more, for in doing so, we shape the future with our strength, our will, and our unshakable commitment to overcome.