National Republican., 1876-10-12
A REBEL REMINIsCENCE.

At Savannah, Georgia, in the summer of
1868, Bishop Stephen Elliott, of the Epis
copal diocese, delivered Confederate war
sermon from SIMPSONS riddle, 'Out of the
eater came forth meat, and out of the
"strong came forth sweetness" The SER
mon was published in pamphlet form, and
was read and admired throughout the Con-
federacy as being the ablest religious dis
sertation upon the questions of that day
then extant. The reverend gentleman went
on at great length to compare the war then
raging to The "great- eater" from whose
CARCASS came forth much sweetness. Said
he: War Is q great eater it consumes
revenue and blood, and thrives upon
nrise1y and distress. 1t depopulates cities
land towns, and the tramp of the muir
"derous soldier follows in its wake. But
"tbe bsrdships and horrors of the war
through which we are passing will have
"a most salutary effect in the end, teach
ling our people economy, prudence, vigi-
Glance and many other wholesome lessons
(which they otherwise would never have
"been taught. Out of this carcass are now
looming forth the meat and sweetness
(which in the end will prove most benef-
"cial to the Confederacy." 1t little oc-
CURED to the reverend gentleman at that
time that peculiar kind of sweetness"
was soon to emanate from the great
eater" which was then occupying
his attention; that four millions of slaves
were destined to be set free and elevated to
the rights, privileges and immunities of
glorious citizenship. Great sweetness"
indeed, was this blessing which came from
the Confederate carcass" Had the di-
vine orator been endowed with the pro-
phetic vision to enable him to see the happy
fruits which soon came from the war,
which by his eloquence he was attempting
to uphold, and had he told his audience of
these truths, while 1t might have invoked
their anathemas upon his head, yet it
would have had sslutary effect in pre-
pairing their minds for the changes soon to
be wrought. 1t is amusing to reflect upon
the constructions placed upon Holy Writ
by Southern orators and divines. In the
Scriptures they found reasons as plenty as
pins in defense of slavery. They proved
from the Bible 20 the satisfaction of their
hearers that slavery had existed through
all time and in all countries; that the Pa
trisrchs of old owned slaves; ergo, that
slavery was not a wrong, and the South
was justified in perpetuating the hateful
tyranny. Moreover, they have not had
cause to change their views since the
event at Appomattox, and, convinced
against their will, they are still Of the
opinion that day will soou dawn when
they may again virtually enslave their fel-
low beings. Having been enervated and
debased by the hideous institution, and not
having been educated since in other schools,
it is not surprising that their moral visions
should be thus warped, and as q class they
present pitiful aspect clearly showing
that only by the benefcence Of Republican
success can they hope to escape from those
excesses which their ossiied hearts and dis
torted intellects would drive them to in the
event of Democratic success. There is now
huge Democratic carcass, whose hideous
proportions are sickening to behold, from
which the rebels Of the South and their