Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1870-12-14
TIhe rollr Of Won

Removed, ne we are, from the SCENES
Of the present European war, We can
but iccbly realize he horrors. With
comparative peace and prosperity in
all our borders. it requires painful
cilort TO bring before the mind die.
tinct idea that in the other hemis.
phcre, lands ~ beautiful as our own,
renowned in arts and arms, ard GOV.
cred all over with monuments Of their
glory, rich in classic associations, and
richer still in the noble spirit aud bra
very Of their people, aud which, but
short time since, were the abode Of
happy millions, arc now afflicted with
the desolating curse of war. Their
fields are ravagod, their villages laid
waste, their cities besiegcd, their soil
crimsoncd and their streams discolored
with human blood while they resound
with the shock Of conlending armies,
the wall of lamcntation, and the cry
Of agony.
Daily the telegraph brings us the
news Of new battles, in which thou
sands Of men are engaged and thou
sands are left dead aud wounded upon
the field. The reports Of these terri
bic conflicts, as they como TO US,
awaken a passing interest and minis
ter to n temporary excitement. We
hear Of SO many slain and 50 many
wounded with the vague notion of an
immense loss of life. But how slightly
is the fearful significance of these facts
impressed upon our minds lmagina-
tion vainly attempts 10 get an ade-
quate conception of the scene, in
which several hundred thousands of
human beings are striving together
with the fury Of demons, frantic with
passion, drunk with blood, madly seek
ing each others lives, employing every
art of strategy, using every invention
of modern warfare, exhausting the
resources Of diabolical ingenuity, TO
destroy each bis brother man, posses
sed of the same passions and affections,
hopes and desires, created in the same
divine image, and the heir Of the same
immortal destiny.
In every virtuous and well regula-
ted mind, the wish is spontaneous to
die in ones home and among kindred,
sustained by their sympathy and bles-
sing, TO have some time to prepare for
the inevitable change, to be at peace
with all the world, and have the spirit
waited to heaven on the breath of
prayer. But the victim of war is
hurried into the presence of his Maker
and to his final account, without a
moments preparation, in the blossom
of his sins, when his murderous hand
is raised against his brothers life and
is red with his brothers blood-when
his soul is breathing out bate and re-
ycnge, aud oftentimes awful impreea-
tions trembling on his lips.
Oh il the spirits Of the just made
perfect are permitted to look down
from the peaceful heaven upon tho
scenes of earth, with what divine
compassion must they hehold the field
of carnage, where betacombs of human
lives are sacrificed TO the Moloch OF
war. and with what sentiment Of
righteous indignation towards its
guilty authors must the benignant
Parent of us all contemplate the
slaughter of His children.
We take the progress of society, Of
the enlightenment of the age, of tho
power of public sentiment, of the gen
eral diffusion Of the principles of truth
and justice; but a sad commentary
upon all that is war. And what a
melancholy picture does it present of
human folly, and madness, and dcprav-
ityl To think that for more than
eighteen centuries, the proclamation
by the divine man Of Nazareth, Of
"peace on earln and good will TO
men," has been sounding through the
world, and yet, all nations, calling
themselves Christian and civilized,
can find no other mode of settling
their grievances but by resort to the
inhuman and barbarous custom of
war, is almost enough TO make us
despair of the destinies Of humanity.
We take not into account the immense
cost of war, the fearful expenditure
of treasury, the interruption of indus
try, the prostration of commerce and
the peaceful arts, and the enormous
drain upon a nations resources, which
il involves We look only upon its
profigate and wanton waste of life.
And what a eonsummato folly and
crime does it appear. Our heart sick
ems at the thought, and, in despair of
all human wisdom. of the arts of diplo-
macy. of the virtue Of princes and
statesmen, and the sobricty of nations,
we can only turn in reverence to the
eye of faith time, in the coming
ages, when men shall "bcat their
swords into plowshares and their
spears into pruning hooks, and the
nations shall learn war no more. -
Sunday Mercury,