Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1889-05-08

young mau, aDu Ne saw. anu Dtu'nu, III
mountains were full of horses and chariot
of fire round about Elisbas Washington
himself was a miracle. What Joshua wa
in sacred history the American Presiden
was in secular history A Thousand othe
men exoelled him in different things, but b
excelled len III II IouDdness and com
pletenese of character. The world neve
saw his like, snd probably never will SCI
his like again. because there probably nev
er will be another such exieency. He va
let down a Divine inteTposition. He wa
from g. ID rect.
! l do not know bow any man can read tbs
history If those times without a6mittius
that che contest was decided by tho uppel
forces.
Then in 1861 when our civil war opened
many at she North and ar The Sutb pro
nuupced it national suicide. Is was DOl
lcpurage against cowardice, it WAS not wealth
lagainst p verty, it was not large States
against small s: ates II was herOism against
heroism, il was rhe resources Uf msuy gen
eratiOns against the esnurces OF genera
ltions il was the p' aver ofthe North against
the prayer Of the Sluth, it was one half OF
tie nation 10 armed wrath meeting the 9th
err half ut the nation "a aimed Indignation.
What could come but exre, nit stinp?
|
IL Chef of the United States forces was a
man who had been great IN battle. b lt old
age bad cnme with many inirmi,ies, and he
had right to quietude. He cnuld not
mount horse, and he rode on the battle
field in carriage asking the driver noe e..
ljoli it to-, much. During the must of the
fnr years of the contest, Ou the southern
side ~as \ man in mid life, who bad in bis
veins the blood of many generations OF war
riors, himself one of the heroes of Cheru-
busco and Cerra Gordo, Contreras, and
Chapultepec. AS the years passed on and
the scroll of carnage uurolled, there came
out from both sides a heroism and a
strength and determination that the
world had never seen marshaled And
what but extermi alton could come when
Philip Sheridan, and Stonewsll Jackson
met, and Nathaniel Lyon and Sidney John
srop rode in from North and South and
Grant and Lee, the two tbunderb les of bat
lie, clsshe6? Yet we are nation and YET
we are at peace. Earthly courage did not
decide the conflict The upper forces Of the
text. Tney tell US there WAS battle fought
above the clouds OF lookout Mountain; but
there was spmethiDg higher than that.
Again, tho horses and charlots of God
came to the rescue of this nation in 1876, a.
the close of presidential election famous
for dsvilisb ferocity. A darker cloud yet
settled down upon this nation. The result
of the election was in dispute, and revolu,
ton, not between two or three sections, but
revolution in every town aud village and
city of the United Statee, seemed imminent
The prospect was that New York, would
throttle New York, and New Orleans would
grip New Orleans and B ston, Boston, and
Savannah, Savannah, and Washington,
Washington Some said MIR. Tilden wa,
elected; Others said Mr.. Hayes was elected
and how near We came to universal mas
sacre some of US guessed, but God only
knew. | ascribe our escape not to the hon
esty and righteousness of infuristed politi-
clans, bit ascr,be to the upper forces o.
IT, text. CharioIs of mercy rolled in, arc
though the whetls we're not heard and the
fash was roc seen, yet all through the
mountains of the north and the south anC
rho east and the west, though the hoofa die
net CHATTER. the cavalry Of Gcd galloped by
tell you God is the friend of this nation. Il
he awful excitement at the massacre O
Lincnl.i, when there was prospect thai
greater slaughter would open upon thus ma
t,on, Gud b,Ished the tempest. IN tire avfn
exciitmest at the time of GA; fields sssas
ls,oation, Gnd pus bis foot on IL ueck o
rhe cYciHne.
T., or We tt-s G. q S on fh5 side Gf tlii
n, .rgne riu he las s'ght or nicl
great n.tla''ai hacvests and fror, 5he u
iou,l le,ltd ot the last ql&tsor ut caD
ury, ep.de mes selS exceptional, AID frou
tbs great rev,vais OF teligion. and from tb'
spreading of be Cbul ch of G d, and from
'he Continent biossnming with asslums snt
ref;nrmasnry institutions, and from An Edeni
hn. h.sla .rsf
- 10 be a paradise where God shall walk il
he cool Of rbe dav
Il If III shNr sermons | showed yam wha
was ,be evil ,has bhreasened Go upset ana
Idemoli. American 'nstitu5'nu, l am en-
,oai aged nnre .bsu Can iell yon a. se,
h., rrgian'n.s w ceiling wr the sky. ans
~ iacemi.ds in,u inso d,x' j ,sies aud tina
wh,ca - a. he 10 d F,lJ4y # the nsrion'
crun,tix. IN o.comes ,he Essrer m9rn If
:. surl.ciiOa OF caurse Gnd works LhrOugl
hunan instrumsuLalit'es, and this natiOua
be ter ment is 70 c me among other thing
Lbr.ugh a eerntIpised ballot box B, th'
.a@ of reg istra' ION it Is almost impossible
now to have illegal voring. Toere was ;
ti.ue-vuu and | remember it very we'll
.he,, drnses of vag tb mds wandered up anf
inso ou election da. and from poll 10 poll
iun vat d here aud voted here, and vo' e'
ever p here. and there was no challenge; or
f here wese, il amnnnted to uothiug. he
Cause n,.th,ng could so suddeu1y be proved
uuen the vneahonds Nov, in every vel
org .ni~ed neigbborhnod. every voter i
watched with severest seruti' y. l mus
tell the registrar my mama, and how old
am and how long I have resided in tn
State, and how long have resided in tn
ward. or the township, and If l misIepre
r. -
nut from the ballot box. Is not that a grea
!, advance? And then notice the law tha
prohibits a man voting if he has, bat on tn
election. A step fur her needs to be taken
ard ,hat mau forbidden to vote who ha
offered or taken a briba, wbe,h her it be il
: the shade of a free drink, or cash pai,
down, the suspicious cases obliged to pu
theif.haud on the B'be and swear thei
,, vote in ,f they vote at all. 81 through tn
sacred chest of our natioD's suffrage, re
: demptitn will come
God also will save this nation tI.rourh al
aroused moral sentiment. There has neve
been 60 much discussion of morals and im
morals. Men, whether or not they &C
: knowledge whti is right, have to thinl
wha. is right. We have men who have hat
their hands in the pubic treasury the mos
of their lifetime, stealing all They could la,
their hands on, discoursing elrq1enrl,
, about dishonesty in public servants, snc
men with two Or there families If their owl
preaching eloauently about the beauties q
; the seventh commandment. The questio,
of sobr'ety apd drunkenness is thrust in th
face of this marion as never before, aud {,
|, take part in our political contests. Th
question OF national sobrety is gong to b.
respectfully and defereotially heard at tn
bar OF every legislature and every house o
! representatives and every United Sfase
Seuate and an omn,potent voice will rin,
down the sky and across this land AID bscl
again. say,ug rn these rising hdes # dFu'.k
enuess which threaten to wbelm hume ant
cnurch and nation: Thus far shalt rho'
come but IL" further. ami here shall tn,
proud waves be s'ayed,"
have not in nv mind a shadow of dis
hearJenmeSt dc 'ar2e ss the shsd Of
b. us hy's wirg. My ia th is in the uppe
, force. tho upper asmies of ihs ;ext- Goi