The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1870-09-23
STURGEON ON THn WAR PATH

/ STURGEON ON THFl WAR PATH
That original and unique preacher,
Sturgeon, has lately made one of his
characteristic Examinations. The Euro
pean war has exercised him to Nat cx-
tent that he has addressed a letter to No
polcon and King William, in which he
takes those bellicose gentleman tartly to
task for their little quarrel and sefim-
mage @e
Spurscon rises above tie lise qu@
tons Of Court diplomacy md Sticks %.
his Biblotaught hnmanitya He is cmi-
ncntly practical He makes a stiff ar
gumont, al hominem, that will bear re-
production. He thus quoths:
Did either Of yoa ever think of what
war means Did you ever see mans
head smashed, or bis bowels ripped
open Why, if you are made of flesh
and blood, the sight of one poor wound
ed man, with the blood oozing out of
him, will make you feel sick. | don't
like to drown kitten; can't bear
even to sec rat die or any animal in
pain. Bat man !. where's your hearts
you can think of broken legs, splinter
ed bones, heads smashed in, brains blow
ed ont, bowels torn, hearts gushing with
gore, bitches full Of blood, and heaps of
limbs and carcasscs Of mangled mcn2
Doyou say my language is disgusting
How much more disgusting must the
things themselves be And you make
them! How would you like to get
man into your place garden and run a
carving knife into his bowels or cut his
threats If you did that you would de-
serve to be hanged; but it would not
be half so bad as killing tens of
thousands, and you know very well that
this is just what you are going to do
Do you fancy that your drums and flies,
and feathers and fnerics and pomp,
make your wholesale murder one whit
the less abominable in the sight of God 7
Do not deceive yourselves; you are no
better than The cut-throats whom your
own laws condemn.
Better? why, You are worse, for your
murders are so many. Think, | pray
on, for your poor people viii have to
think whether you do or no. Is there
so little want in the world that you must
go tramplmg on the harvest with your
horses and men Is there so little sor-
row that you must make widows by the
thousand Is death so old and feeble
that YOU must hunt his game for him, as
iackals do for the lion2 Do you mag
inc God made men for you to play with ?
Are they only meant for toys for you to
break 0 Kings, a plouGhman tells
you that their souls are as precious in
Gods sight as yours; they suffer as
much pain when bullets pierce them as
ever you can do; they have homes, and
mothers and sisters, and their deaths will
be as much wcpt over as yours, perhaps
more.
How can you sit down to eat when
you have caused war! Does not the
blood rise in your throat and choke you?
Or are you only devils with crowns on 7
Creatures who were never sucked at q
woman's breast and therefore have no
human feeling? 1t will be hard for you
to think of the blood you have shed
when you lie dying, and harder still to
bear the heavy hand of God when he
shall cast all murdcrers into he'll
Whichever it is of you that has been the
cause of this wicked war, | say you
smell of blood; you ought to be more
hated than the common hangman, and
instead of being called "EIis Majesty"
you ought to be hooted as demon.