Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1870-12-03

national Thanksgiving. The text Il more
appropriate in the presence OF war Snd desc
latIon, than It is in the peaceful prosperity o'
urown country. Six years ago snch Divine
assurances were our encouragement and hope,
as the food Of judgment swept over ourpw"
nation. l remember well with what cag'r-
ness the people then listened TO such truths
remember standing bcforcthc united conCre-
cations of my old home, and preaching from
the text that seemed so precious In those days
of d6rkness-'.l .lsGsohlsil tiic tig tree shall no,
blossom neither shall fhajt be on ihe vines
the labor Of the olive shall fail, and the fields
shall.yieldn0 meat :. the flock shall be cut of
hom the fold, and there shall be no herd in
the stalls, yet Twill rejoice in The Lord, will
iay In the od of my salvation"
The food Is in the world ag in, AMI we'arc
startled with the rapid history of lis desola-
tions but now il Is wasting elsewhere, while
we abide in security. Yet any such ouipour-
lag of Divine Judgment calls upon the world
everywhere to consider; and to see the Lord
sitting upon the hood-thn lord sitting King
forever.
Al the opening Of the Frmco- German war;
there arose naturally IN most thoughtful
minds, feeling of encouragement ard dissp
poinlment For we think and talk so much
In our age, of the moral progress of tic race.
II is a cherished idea of the Philanthropist and
Christian that the world is advancing toward
n golden age of peace and Holiness. All
what shock TO this hopeful idea, suelk a-war
bursting so suddenly on the worldi Two
great nations drawn through a cause so trivial
.,,. e ~ G..
ssme great principle, its occurrence would not
be so startling, Hrit were a subject people
rising against their oppressors; il it were q
mighty nation aroused to put down, treason,
even il there, were some important futerna.
tional question at issue, though,we should re-
grct the folly and wickednesss II an ar,,.al TO
arms instead of .arbitrAtiOBt tlrc war would not
seem 80 unreasonable; 0aly IN one Of two
ways can it be explained. Either, as many
think, the obstinate will of one man forced
the nations into the conflict, or else great
people has, for years cherished bitterness TO-
ward another which grew to national de-
n,and Tor war, with cause or without it. With
either explanation, how sad the lesson of hr.
man nature Is this all the freedom to winch
the civilized world has attained in this nine.
teenth century, that eighty millions of people
obey the beck of one ambitious man? Or Is
this all the progress which the world has made
njustice and humanity, that mere jealousy OF
rival can lead nation to demand that It's
rulers lead II TO war? And yet we can see
some small indications OF pr1grcss Tho man
ner in which the declaration of war was re-
ceived Is not without encouragement hun
dRad traar m tvnul1 hox
atit Now the world is astonished They
would not believe that it would be-up to the
very day OF its declaration they did not regard
It as possible. l remember well the discussions
In the daily European newspapers. Even in
those issued ON the morning of that day, the
editorial articles with few exceptions, express
ed the conviction.that peace. would continue.
Yet within six hours there were scattered at
every railroad station in Central md Western
Europe, the little bllels which announced
that war was declared. Tho Indignation with
which this news was received you all remem
bT. II war itselr continues MS In past ages,
there Is at least au advance in moral sentiment
as to Its charactcr--and demand that those
who declare war should justify themselves fol
sodoing at the bar of a common conscience
This sentiment may rs yet be powerless 10
control humau ambition, bat tho diy, under
Gods Providence, is coming, when It's force
shall be felt by the rulers OF the worll. -a
Another feeling which such n war should
arouse In the heart OF every citizen of our
country, Is one of thankiulnoss that we aro
not bearing the same judgment For there
must he recollections Of the past in all our
aa r,.aJ mara Wit th
of battle, and siege and blood. Il collections
of those long, dark years. when we opened
the morning paper with suah eager, painful in
terest Reeollcctlons of those columns Of
names lists of wounded, dead and missing;
aud how the parent or wife or sister, nay, how
all Of us, looked at every name, fearing Ia find
there one whom we knew and loved. II col
lectipns OF the sad partinys MS tka young men
set out for the war; of the wounded men
coming back TO us; OF the dead brought home
TO their last resting place; OF the widows and
orphans; the mourning that woul not be
comiorted the wdc and anguish with which
our land was saysd. Ali my hearers, THOSE
recollections are branded as with iroa and fire
on our hearts, and us they Come up to-day,
We thank God that the sword Is sheathed, and
ths destroying angel has been commanded TO
spare our Jerusalem. You w'll pardon mo II
that war Of the rebellion seems so fresh to me,
and | refertc Hto-day more than you may
ihlnk appHopriatc at this laie poriUa, for Wit
messed many SC NO this past summer while
was In Europe, That brought back to me most
vivldly the trials of our own war. and almos,
mxde me feel Us if | WAS in Its very midst
again. In those crowded railroad cars, In Ba.
den and Hessc, aud Wuitenbcrs and through
out France, filled with soldiers, hurrying, INA.
ny 81 theA h death. Al those i0rrcsses, us at
Ehrcnbreitstein. where throughout the charm
ing summer Sabbath, We saw them filling the
streets Of Cobleniz, or watched them us they
passed aud rcpasseSAtlls broad bridge over the
Rhine In those stations ihcIly and eoaniry--
remember particularly Darmstadi and May.
ence and Lyons, aud many o.hsFS Of smaller
note, where We saw the painfpl perit@ of pa
rents and sons, the strong men weeping as
they Tore themselves away the father " lth q
child In his arms and one q, bis side. The poor
man gazing with agony upan them, clasptng
theeSile In the hurried cmbrace.as the signal