The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1828-11-19
WAR.


pen OF DR.. Chalmers, who has written with
such force and energy in defence of the Chris
tan Religion. 1t presents in so strong a light
the ierocious aspect of War, when undsguised
by the false spendors which surround it. that
nothing ought to be read with greater delight,
by people whose duty, interest, and desire il
is, to encourage and adopt pacific policy to-
wards other nations.
"One great obstacle to the extinction of
war, is the way in which the heart of man
is carried Oft from its barbaIites and its hor-
rors, by the splendor Of its @eceitful accom-
| pllshments. There is feeling of the sub
lime in contemplating the shock of armies,
just as there is in contemplating the de-
vouring energy of tempest; and this SC
elevates and emgrosses the whole man, thai
his eye is blind to the tears of bereaved par
ents, and his ear is deaf to the piteous moaI
of the dying, aud the shrek Of their desola
| ted families. There is a gracefuiness il
the picture of youthful warrior, burning
| for distinction in the field, and lured by this
generous aspiration to the deepest animat-
ed throng, where, in the fell work of death,
the opposing sons of valor struggle for a
remembrance of home, and this side of the
picture is so much the exclusive object of
our regard. as to disguise from our view the
mangled carcasses Of the fallen, and the
writing agones of the hundreds, and the
hundreds more who have been laid on the
cold ground, where they are left to langu;sh
and to die. There no eyes pity them! No
sister is there to weep over them! There
no gentle hand is present to ease the dying
posture or bind mp the wounds, which, in
the maddenng fury of the combat, have
been given and received by the children of
one common father There death spreads
his pale ensigns over every countenance
and when night comes on, and darkness is
around them, how many a despairing wretch
must take up with the bloody field as the
INTENDED bed of his last sufferings, without
one friend TO hear the message of tenderness
to his distant home-without one companion
to close his eyes!
avow ton every side ofme | see eau
ses at work which go to spread most de-
lusive colorlng over war, and to remove Its
shocking barbarities to the back ground of
our CONCENTRATIONS altogether | see it nthe
history, which tells Inc of the superb appear
ance of the troops and the brilliancy of their
successive charges-I see it in the poetry
which lends the magic of its numbers to the
narrative of blood, and transports its many
admirers, as by its images and its figures,
and its nodding plumes of chivAlry, it throws
its treacherous embellishments over scene
of legalized. slaughter. see it in The mu-
sic which represents the progress OF the
battle, and where, after being inspired by
the trumpet notes of preparation, the whole
beauty and tenderness of a drawing-room.
are seen to bend ever the sentimental en-
tertainment; nor do hear the utterance OF
a single SIGH to interrupt the death-tones OF
| the sickening contest, and the means OF the
wounded men, as they fade away upon the
ear, and sink into lifeless silence = all, all
goes to prove what strange and halt-slghted
creatures we are. Were it not so, war
woula never have been seen in any other
aspect than that of unmingled hateiulness
and can look to nothing but TO the progress
of christian sentiment upon earth, to arrest
the strong current of its popular and pre-
vaiInr partialitv for war. Then only VIII
an imperious sense of duty lay the check Of
severe principle, on all the SUBORDINATE
tastes and faculties Of our nature. Iher
will GLORY be reduced to itsright estimate
and the wakeful benevolence of the gospel
chasing away every spell, will be turned ol
the treachery of no delusion whatever iron
its simple but sublime enterprises, Tor tn'
good of the species. Then the reign
truth and ouietness will be ushered into th'
world; and war, cruel, attroclous, unreient
, ing war, will be stript OF its many anu II
, bewildering destinations"
/, CAMPS. "Richard Twiss and \, say
: DR.. Kitchener, "were visiting together Oh
e evening, when the master of the house "
$ vited RI. to play at whist. lie imneu
e ately gave him one OF his signincan. SUR
j, and said, No, no--pray, Sr, whae nay
It you seen me do, since ] came INTO this rov :,
SO exceedingly silly, that you ask me 70 pa
at cards.