Democratic messenger., 1889-10-12


Christian advantage, the Alpine ind
IIimalayan height Of ofopportuniiy overtop.
ping all others for salvation. Instead of
the slow process Of having to send the
Gospel 10 other lands by our own Ameri.
can missionaries who have difficult toll in
acquiring the foreign language and then
must contend with foreign prcjudiccs,
what grand thing TO have able aud influ.
ential foreigners converted during their
visit In America aud then have them re.
turn to their native land with the gloriuus
tidings! Oh for an overwhelming work
of grace for the year 1899, that work be.
ginning in the autumn Of 1899.
Another opportunity, IL our public men
see il, and II is the duty oi pulpit and print.
ing press To help them To see il, will be
the calling at that time and place of a
great peace congress for all nations. The
convention Of representatives from the
governments Of North and South America,
now at Washington, is only type Of
what We may have on vast and world
wide scale at the international Exposition
Of 1892. BY one stroke the gorgon Of war
might bc slain and buried so deep that
neither trumpet of human dispute or of
arclangcrs blowing could rcsurrect it..
When the last Napoleon called such a
congress Of nations many did not respond,
and those that did respond gathered won.
dcring what trap that willy destroyer Of
The French Republic and the builder Of a
French Monarchy might spring on them
But what if the most popular government
on carih-l mean the United States Gov.
crnmeni-should practically say to all ma.
iions On the American continent in 1892
we will hold worlds fair, and all nations
will send To il specimens Of their products,
their manufactures and their arts, and We
| invite all the governments of Europe,
\ sia and Africa la send representatives
to u peace convention that shall be- held
ut the same lime and place. aud iha, shall
establish an International arbitration com.
mission to whom that shall he referred all
controversies between nation and nation,
their decision 10 hc final, and so all ma.
tions would be relieved from the expense
Of standing armies and naval equipments,
war having been made an everlasting
impossibility.
All the nations Of the earth worth con.
,rnut.t c.,u,, ~ ,,,.,,
Of Engla aud Germany and France and
Russia and all the other great nationalities
bismarck who worships the Lord oI
Hosts, and Gladstone who wOrsliips the
God Of Peace, and Boulangcr who wor.
ships himself. The fact is that the nations
are sick Oi drinking out of chaliccs mad,
of human skulls and filed with blood.
The United States Government is the only
government IN the whole world that could
successfully call such congress. Sup
pose France should call il, Germany
would not come; or Germany should call
| il, France would not come: ar Russia
should call il, Turkey would no, come or
/ van IT, uNANhS tpNE I'Ni-
Gus OF her oyersladowing power in Eu-
-"',c would not come. America, in favor
nationalties, standing out indie
and alone, is the spot aud 1899
The time. May il please the Presi.
IF the United States, may II please
I,..e Secretary of State, may il please the
Cabinet, may il please the Senate and
the House Of Representatives, may il
please the printing presses aud the
churches and the people who lift up aud
put down our American rulers.
To them make this timely and solemn
aud Christian appeal. DO you not think
people die fast enough without tins whole
sale bn,chcry Of war: DO you not think
that We can trust Ia pncumonias, and con
sumpiions, and apoplcxics, and palsics
work OF killing them fast enough: Do
you not think that the greedy, wide open
Jaws of the grave ought 10 he satisfied il
filled hy natural causes with hundreds al
thousands of corpses a year. DO you moi
think We can do something better with
men than To dash their life out against
easements or blow them into fragments 10y
iorpeducs' or send them out into The
world, where they need all their faculties
fooilcss, armless, cyelcss: DO you moi
think that women might be appointed Ia
an easier place than the edge Of gray,
trench To- wiring their pale hands and weep
out their tycsight in widowhood and
childlcssncss: Why, the last glory has
gone ont of war.
There was time when II dcmandc,
that quality which we all admire -
namely, courngc-fOr man had Ia stand
ut the hili nf his sword when the point
pierced the foe, and while he was Staying
another the other might slay him; or il
was layoncl charge. But now il Is COO
and deliberate murder. aud clear out nj
sea bombshcll can hc hurled miles away
into u city, ar while thousands of priyat,
soldiers, who have M interest IN the con
test, for they were conscriplch, are losing
their lives, their general may sit smoking
one OF the best Havana cigars afer din
ncr of quail an toast II may be wei
enough for graduating students of col
lcgcs On commencement day Ia ora,,
about the poetry of war, hut do not IalL
about the poetry Of war Ia men of III,
Federal nr Confederate armies who were
at the front. ar la some of us who. NJ
meInlwrs of the Christian commission SAN
the el,aslly hospitals al Aniiciam and
liagcrslown. All You may worship lh'
Lord Of Hosts. worship the Cod %
Peace. who brought again from the deat
our Lord Jesus Christ, ,ha, great Shep
herd Of the sheep"
War is an accurscd monster and II wa
born in the lowest cavern Of perdiiiOn