The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-08-07
The American Revolution.
RY JOHN HEMMENWAY.

| tea in Boston harbor by men disguised
as American Indians, 1 blush to say
has been and still is, highly approved
by thousands of our people who desire
to be known as our most virtuous
i Christian citizens and many wht
have favored and engage in the vio
Hence of mobs point in justification o
their principles and conduct with pride
to the "patriots of the American Rev
olution."
The Revolution has given US one day
in a year on which common sense
temperance, and religion are grossly
insulted. How many on that day O.
uproarious and vain martial show an6
parade and burning of gunpowdel
have lost their limbs and their lives
and many have on that day first begun
to be drunkards. It may be truly said
that more folly and vice prevail on the
fourth day of July in our country than
on any other day in the year. The
Philanthropist may we'll shudder with
horror when that day of revelry ar
rives and sincerely rejoice when it is
past.
In our consideration Of the Ameri.
can Revolution, we must not forget
that it has greatly increased military
spirit in our country. The military
spirit is directly contrary to the
Christian spirit. That great and good
man, the late DR.. Wayland, President
of Brown University, argues very
ably in his Elements of Moral Science
that "the cultivation of a military
spirit is the cultivation of great curse
to community"
cannot refrain from giving in this
place the sentiments and feelings, on
8 military spirit and life, of one of the
very best ministers of the gospel OF
modern times, the Rev. Leigh Rich
mond, of England, who died in 1872,
author of the tracus, "The Dairyman's
Daughter and "Little Jane, the
Young Cottagers," which have had a
very extensive circulation, and done
much more good than all the military
books and biographies of warriors that
have been written since the advent OF
Christ. Mr.. Richmond at one time
saw with much sorrow that his young.
est son was pleased with military pa
rade and inclined to a soldiers pro.
fession, and he said, "Anything but
this, anything but this-the very men
ton of q military life fills me with
horror. cannot bear to think of q
child of mine engaging in scenes OF
bloodshed and destruction. No con-
sideration could extort my consent" "
To his daughter we wrote There
is subject which often hangs heavy
on my spirits, I mean my poor dear
sons inclination for military life.
Hating war as T do from my very heart
convinced as I am of the Inconsistency
of it with real Christianity and look
| ing on the profession of arms as ir-
reconcilable with the gospel, I should
mourn greatly if one of my boys chose
so cruel. and generally speaking, 81
profigate line of life. I could never
consent to it on conscientious grounds,
and therefore wish. this bias for the
profession of arms to be discouraged.
I dislike and oppose it with my
whole heart.
Now let us remember that if there
had been no Revolutionary War we
have no reason to believe there would
now be any military schools nor any
navy in our country, and peace would
have prevailed throughout our land,
which would now be q paradise OF
beauty and of love. It may be safely
said that the American Revolution
was the great blunder and crime of the
eighteenth century. And had the
leading minds among the American
people in 1776 been, as they ought to
have been, of the spirit of William
Penn, aud above all. of the spirit OF
Jesus Christ, founder of the Christian
religion, there would have been no
war between American and Great
Britain, and how much better and
more glorious in true glory it would
have been for America and mankind,
as we'll as for honor of people pro
fessing to be governed by the princi-
pies Of Christianity-true Christianity,
which never allows of doing evil that
good may come, and which is always
willing to suffer wrong rather than do
wrong.
1t is truly amazing that any intelli-
gent person claiming to be q follower
of Christ, the Prince of Peace-be-
lieving in loving enemies and return
ing good for evil, holding to his "gold-
en- rule" GAS we would that men
should do to you do ye even so to
them," should for once seriously pre-
sumo to justsfy the crimes and
cruelties of the war for the in
dependence of the United States.
I will bring the subject home to my
own bosom in all candor as Christian
and a patriot. I am now about 70
years old, and lived for about 49 years
with one of the best women for wife
! that God ever gave to man. am
blessed with four excellent Christian
\ children. We were all born and we
still live in the United States of Amer
lea, except the dear wife and mother,
who five years ago left her native land,
full of peace and love, for the world
of everlasting peace, where "love is
the joy forever" Now I may safely
say that I have had my full share Of
all the happiness and the glory that
have come to my country in conse.
quence of the American Revolution,
and deliberately say, standing as !
do near the eternal world, that all the
happiness have enjoyed as coming to
me through the effect of the Revolution
has not equaled the sorrow I have felt
for the death of single man, either
American or Britain, that fell on the
field of battle or was shot as deserter
from either army {; and do not covet
the feelings of any man who will cool
ly say that the war of the Revolution
has paid him for the destruction of one
human life. These words of an emin.
ent statesman of the old world have
lived deep and bright in my memory
forty years: mo political change is
worth single crime, or above all sin.
gle human life."