Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-09-19


of Georgia, go out and spend few days
under the trees on the banks Of the
Potomac and talk the matter over and
settle it as settle it they could, rather
than the North pay in cost of war four
billion seven hundred and fifty million
dollars and the South pay four billion
seven hundred million dollars, the de-
stroying angel leaving the first born dead
in so many homes all the way from the
Penobscot to the Alabama Ye aged men,
whose sons fell in the strife, do you not
think that would have been better: Oh,
yes! we have come to believe. think, in
this country, that arbitration is better
than battle.
1 may be mistaken, but hope that the
last war between Christian nations is
ended Barbarians may mix their war
paint and Afghan and Zulu hurl poisoned
arrows, but think Christian nations have
gradually learned that war is disaster to
victor as well as to vanquished, and that
almost any thing bought with blood is
bought at too dear a price. wish 10 God
this Nation might be a model of willing
ness for arbitr alton. No need Of killing
another Indian. No need of sacrificing
any more brave General Clusters. Stop
be no more arrows shot out from the
reservations.
A General Of the United States army, in
high repute throughout this land, and
who, perhaps, has been in more Indian
wars than any other officer, and who has
been wounded again and again in behalf
Of our Government in battle against the
Indians. told me that all the wars that
- IL
white men had been provoked by white
men, and that there was no exception to
the rule. While we are arbitrating with
Christian Nations, let US toward barbara
ans carry ourselves in a manner unpro-
vocative of contest. l inherit large es-
tate and the waters are rich with fish and
the woods are songful with birds and my
cornfields are silken and golden. Here is
my sisters grave. Out yonder. under the
large tree, my father lies. An invader
comes and proposes TO drive me off and
take possession of my property. He
crowds me back, he crowds me on and
crowds me into a closer corner until after
awhile l say: "Stand back, don't crowd
me any more, or I'll strike. What right
have you to come here and drive me off
my premises? got this farm from my
father, and he got it from his father
What right have you to come here
and modest me?" You blind
ly say: 20, 1 know more than
you do belong to a higher civilization.
cut my hair shorter than you do. could
put this ground to great deal better use
than you do" And you keep crowding
me back, and crowding me on into a
closer corner and closer corner, until one
day l look around upon my suffering
family, and, fired by their hardships, l
hew you in twain. Forthwith oil the
world comes to your funeral to pronounce
eulogium, comes to my execution to
anathematize me. You are the hero. am
the culprit Behold the United States
Government and the North American In
dian. The red man has stood more wrongs
than 1 would, or you. We would have
struck sooner, deeper. That which is
right in defense of Brooklyn home or a
New York home is right in defense of
home on top of the Rocky mountains. Be-
fore this dwindling red race dies COM
pletely out l wish that this generation
might by common justice atone for the in
humanity of its predecessors. In the day
of Gods judgment 1 would rather be
blood Modoc than a swindling
United States officer on an Indian reser-
walton. One man was a barbarian and
savage and never pretended to be any
thing but a barbarian and a savage. The
other man pretended 10 be a representa-
tive OF a Christian Nation.
l find another ray of the dawn in the
Of the worlds distances.
What a slow, snail-like, almost impossible
thing would have been the worlds recti-
ficaton with fourteen hundred millions of
population and no facile means of commu-
nication? But now, through telegraphy
for the eye and telephone intimacy for
the ear, and through steamboating and
the $4,000 miles of the worlds
are shriveling up into in
brevity. Hong Kong is nearer
to New York than few years ago New
Haven was; Bombay, Moscow, Madras,
Melbourne within speaking distance.
Purchase a telegraphic chart and by the
blue lines see the telegraphs of the land,
and by the red lines the cables under the
ocean. You see what opportunity this is
going to give for the final movements of
Christianity. A fortress may be months
or years in building, but after it is con-
structed it may do all its work in twenty
minutes. Christianity has been planting
its batteries for nineteen centuries, and
NAV go on in the work through other CEN
turtles; but when hose batteries are
planted, those fortresses
are fully built. they may do
their work in twenty-four hours.
The world sometimes derides the Church
for slowness of movement. Is science any
quicker? Did it not take science 8, 652
years to find out so simple thing as the
circulation of the human blood? With
the earth and the sky full of electricity,
science took $50 years before it even
guessed that there was any practicable
use that might be made of this subtle
and might element When good men take
possession of all these scientific forces
and all these agencies of invention, l do
not know that the redemption of the
world will be more than the work of half
a day. Do we not read the Queens speech
at the proroguing OF Parliament the day
before in London? If that be so, is it any
thing marvellous to believe that in twenty
four hours a divine communication can
reach the whole earth? Suppose Christ
should descend on the nations-many ex-
pect that Chtist will come among the ma
tons personally-supposet that to- morrow |
morning the Son Of God from lowering |
cloud should descend upon these cities. |
Would not that fact be known all the |
world over in twenty-four hours? Sup |
pose He should present His Gospel in few |
words saying: 81 am the Son of God; / |
came to pardon all your sins and be heal |
all your sorrow; to prove that 1 am a |
being 1 have just descended |
from the clouds; do you believe me, and
10 you believe me now?"
Why all the telegraph stations Of the
earth would be crowded as none of them |