The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-10-22 00:00:00

Seta! anb gistrict ',getin.

LECTURE ON THE WAR BY THE REV.

ARTHUR O'NEILL.

On Monday evening a tea meeting was held in
the Baptist School-room, Haubury Hill, to which
about 250 sat down. After tea a lecture was de-
livered by the Rev. Arthur O'Neill, of Birming-
ham, on the War. Mr. Tatlowe, of Birming-
ham, occupied the chair. There were also on
the platform the Rev. A. O'Neill, Rev. J. Rich-
ards, Bev. 1.1. Jones, Mr. J. Al'sop, stn., and
Mr. Millward. The proceedings were com-
menced by singing the 767th hymn and prayer,
by the Rev. D. Jones.
The Rev. D. Jones said he appeared before
them on behalf of Mr. Wright, of Birmingham,
who was to have been chairman, but that gen-
tlemad wrote to him on Sunday morning, stating
he could nut come as lie had to attend a meeting
at the Birmingham Grammar school; but lit
would give them his services on a future occii.
sion ; and his son, who is preparing a lecture on
the Holy Land, had premised to come and deli-
ver it to them. Mr. 'Tatlowe hail conic instead
of Mr. Wright, and he had great pleasure in
proposing that that gentleman take the chair.
This was carried unanimously.
The Chairman, on Hain., said on entering the
school-room he was asked' to occupy the chair.
Some time ago he had a day's mackerel fishing.
If,' was showing the fish to his children, when
one of the little ones said, " Father, I wonder
how the fish feel when they get on the sands ?"
lie suit lie did not know, but it stanek him that
the Oil the sands wire like Lim on the pre-
sent occasion, out of their element. He was
g, to s,.e they had the meeting earlier this
year than they had previously done. This was
very good plan, as they could pay off the debt
Ii we the 041 year ended, and commedv:e the
new year with a clear conscience. His friend,
Mr if.' e ii. .as going to talk to them, and lie
,iii no' do betti r than introduce him. His
opinion of the war was not very popul tr, mid hid
fri ui O'N. ili's opinion was MA very popular
nil had at IVolverliam 'don, contemporary with
Mr. O'Neil, two very great men, and at meet.
jig they eteearded the chair. 'the one who
ma e thy srceell 'wok is short oiw, and the
o ii r ng ,;:••• h. ptol the audience at
•• tat the one
mate Lit..: ..• •:••. !a most lit to I'.-
ii citairma an i did folloe his example.
The Rev. a .1., .• - hen introduced the Rev.
Arthur O'Neill to tin, itt..cting, and in the course
of his remarks aid many peeple believed that
this year we should have front Fran,.
ordurs for the potte. ii,.., for iron aud woolle,.
work‘t, aim tit.tt •11.,:1:.1 ht..- wares anti
spirits, and some of them who may not be like
him a teetotaller, niioit expect a quantity
champagne. He had been a teetotaller 30 years.
There were lioika that there wandd have been
nun., trade lo,•tween 4,•41 e. What
a disappointment it wie, .c• a trolll
whence they expected they should have received

!I:11d t.ll

.eir atyplies had. been devastated. Four mil,

)us of people had been rendered homeless, and
! 20 years to eorne we may not expect the
'

targets'. lima systeiss in the weld. Prue-
, -ia they took every eligible titan for a soldier
feom the age of 18 to 34. From some homes a
f alter and two brothers were taken. In Eng-
: s i• s dtfferent to tat. There was ns
compulsion. A recruiting sergeant had to set
his ribbons tlying, and then make a poor fellow
drank, before he could induce him to take the
shilling to make him a brave soldier. We have
greatly reduced our national debt. Last year it
was reduced by four millions, and left mily a
comparatively Slnail ant tint. We have stopped
that now, and when we shall go on with it he did
not know. 1,200,000 poor men had been taken
from their homes to go and fight each other—
against men whom they had never w en, and
against whom they hail no enmity, simply be-
cause two or three men quarrelled. Look at the
weapons each side used ; what it contrast with
those used in former days. He was in the 73rd
Regiment when he was a yoting man, and they
used the firelock. or as they called it " Brown
, Bess,- and alien they pulled the trigger it often
inksed lire, itild even when it did go of it gene-
rally missed hitting tiny one. Now they had the
chnssepot, the needle gun, and mitraillense, and
one man in Prussia had invented the enormous
Krupp's gun. Some of the expert Prussian
soldiers declare they can fire the needle gun 7
times a minute. but what wits that to be com-
pared to the frightful gun that could fire the 20
shots a minute—the mitrailleuse. In the dis-
tance it looks like a cannon, but it is not like a
cannon, only firing one shot. It is equal to 36
guns, and when a man at the back turns a hats.
tile, it fires 36 shots at once. Each mitrailleuse
is supplied with a hundred racks, each contain-
it's the saint, number of holes as the mitrailleuse,
and having the shots and everything required.
.ts soon as one lot is fired off, another 111,111 steps
up and places his rack in, and that is fired off in
the same way, and so on. It is calculated that
they can fire ten of these racks a minute. Fancy
cue gun tiring 720 shots a minute: the awful
destruotion thuy would make in tho enemy's
ranks. What were these present doing on the
14th of August. Most of them in their quiet
churches and chapels, perfectly happy. What
were the Prussians and French doing that day ?
Fighting. On the Sunday, Tuesday, and Thurs-
day its that week the French hail 14,001 men
killed, and the Prussians, who gained the victory,
lost 18,000 melt. King William of Prussia
cashiered General Steinmetz for that victory,
and took him from command. He spoke then
only of the killed. If they looked at the
sounded they would find that 5'0,000 poor crea-
tures were wounded in the two armies, and he
could net help speaking of the wounded without
asking tberu a few solemn questions. There has
been sent from England a quarter of a million
of money to help the poor creatures. fie be-
lieved he was the third in Birmingham who sub-
scribed. He was connected with the medical
stall in the 73rd regiment; but fancy the idea
of sending 1,200 men into a field, with only two
medical men, and one swell box of medicine.
There was a different state of affairs in America
during the civil war there, when every one who
could not fight joined what was called the Sani-
tary Committee, which consisted of gentlemen
and ladies who went about ministering to the
sick and wounded. America did not ask for help
for the sick and wounded from ant- other nation.
No; they found the money for everything that
was requisite themselves, and during the tiwe
the war was going on they sent three shiploads
of corn over to the poor people who were starv-
ing in Lancashira—(cheers). On the one side
there is a King, and on the other side a Repub-
lic. The latter did not do like the former. They
did not want assistance from any one, and when
the war was finished, and the soldiers were being
disbanded, every man was given a purse of gold.
' Ihere is no standing army there, but when the
wen were asked if they would fight again if re-
quested, they promptly said they would. They
said they had got into debt, but they would not
leave it for their great-great-grandchildren to
pay, and now they were paying 20 millions every
year. England had much to copy front America.
tie would call their attention to the non-combat-
ants in France. A society has been formed in
ttull.street, Birminghaam, and three or four of
the best men and women in the town has readily ,
consented to go over to relieve the destitute.
He did not consider it was right for one man to
have the power to call out half a million of sol-
diers. Why should thousands of men be called
out to fight against each other, just because two
or three men quarrel. It was a pity France did
not continue a Republic. In 1851 Napolean,
also was President ,of the Republic, declared
himself Emperor. When he proclaimed himself
Emperor, he got most of the nobles and generals
around his side. Some disputed his rights.
These were seized and sent to Caen, and during
the 18 yeaas of his reign 26,000 men had been
imprisoned as political prisoners. He also tried
to murder the Republic in America. When be
declared war our Queen said " Don't," and sent
Lord Lyons, who said " If you have a war with
Prussia it must be settled by arbitration.- Ka-
poleon told Lord Lyons that General Leboeuf
said they were ready for war a thousand times.
When the quarrel took place between the King
of Prussia and the Emperor of the French if he
had been a sensible man he would have let it
have dropped when the King of Prussia said he
would not send a candidate for the Spanish
throne, but the Emperor said he wanted a writ-
ten guarantee. This was refused. They had a
quarrel, and henceforth the war. The speaker
then alluded to the rise and progress of Prussia.
After some other remarks the speaker resumed
his seat.

Mr. Mil!ward then briefly addressed those as.
gembled.

The Rev. J. Richards said it would be a diffi-
cult thing to make a speech after such a one had
been delivered by Mr. O'Neill. He had met
that gentleman several times, but they could nut
quite agree. He had heard some curious re-
marks about Mr. O'Neill. The first he heard
was that he was a Fenian; but if he was not 11
Fenian he was a Republican. Ile recollected
..ume 40 years ago hearing it said that the time
would come when Kings and Quecus would be
very expensive persons to keep. In conclusion,
he said it gave him great pleasure to hear of the
society being started in Birmingham.
Other speakers addressed the meeting, and a
vote of thanks to the Chairman, end to Mr.
O'Neill, closed the proceedings.