The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-08-15
Put up Thy Sword"
REV. DIR. A. A. MINER ON THE PRoPOS
ALTO FoRT1FY THE SEA COAST.

In the Columbus Avenue Universal
list Church, Rev. DR.. Miner preached
April 22, from the words of the 9th
chap. of Matthew, "Put up again thy
sword in its place.. After alluding to
corrupt methods in, politics and gov
ernment, he went on to say: We
have this picture before us. Our Uuited
States Congress is to-day proposing the
appropriation of some $125, 900, ,00O-
that is to say, $9,OOO,OOO for IA years.
The proposition is in the hands of the
Senate committee ready to. be reported
to build Notifications at some 25 to 40
points on our sea coast, from the ex-
tremity of Maine up to the Pacific
coast far and up to Oregon. This
proposition aims at projecting us
against the aggression of foreign
nations. Has any foreign nation
threatened to interfere with us? Who
proposes to assail us? Do we not in
tend to mind our own business? Be
just and fear not. Why should we
waste millions on fortitications, not
one of which could stand an hour be-
fore the great armies of the world to-
day. We have not fort on our entire
coast that could stand an hour: before
the most powerful guns at present
employed in European warfare. So
when we shall have poured out our
money like water, and shall have built
Notifications at various points, and
armed them with the most powerful
armaments which we can command,
and expended millions of money on
manning these Notifications, we shall
then have very faint show of defence,
and there will be long stretches of
coast to which foreign powers can
send their ships. Our money will
have been wasted, and Our defences
amount to nothing. Besides, this
$125 100000 which they propose to ap-
propriate now will be only the beginning
of the expenditure. New calls will be
made upon us year after year, and ship
after ship will be placed on our shoul-
der. repeat, the question is: What
nation will undertake to attack us ?
Great Britain you can almost take up
in your hand. Our thousands and
thousands of miles of sea coast it is
impossible to defend, and we shall
have spent millions on millions with
out avail. We shall certainly use up
our surplus, and we may find it ne
cessary to keep up protection in order
to raise the means of going on,
Consider the State Of the European
nations to-day. There are 100000
men under arms in time of peace.
with 100000 registered as ready tie
step into the ranks should they be
called into service and war break out.
Consider that the anual expenditures
to-day of the European nations for
their armies and navies is S4,O00,000,-
900; consider, further, that their aggre-
gate war debts exceed $4,000, 900. 900,
with an annual intesest of nearly
ST 200, 900, ,0OO-an aggregate of indebt-
ness that has increased more than $10,-
OO0, 900, 900 within the last 20 years.
Have not those nations business
enough at home? Look at the dis
turbed condition of their populations.
Not u nation in Europe is at ease or at
peace. Look at Great Britain, the
only power capable of graphing with
us. Has not she enough business on
hand, what with Ireland, India and
the difficulty of holding the balance
of power between Russia, Germany
and France? Why, then, this fear?
We are people whose interest lie at
home. What do we want with Can
ada, for example? Nothing at all.
Why does our Congress propose to ex-
pend millions of dollsrs to fortify
points of our coast and and leave great
stretches of it unprotected? Merely,
is it, because it will crafty the consti
tuencies of many congressm en- to have
so much money to disburse. How
long shall it be thus? The word of
the Master is "Put up your sword ia
its place." Is it not time to begin to
realize that Chrsist was the prince of
peace? Is it not time to create peace
on earth and good will? Is it not
time, that the great leading Christian
nations had learned some better way
of keeping the peace than that of Bis
marck, that of England, of France, Of
Russia way which Congress has not
the manliness to refuse to initiate :?
How many more thousands of lives
must be sacrificed, and millions of
treasure wasted? We must look the
question in the face as Christian men
and Women.-Boston Herald.
Here is something well worth not