The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1889-05-02

Again, the horses and chariots of
God came to the rescue of this nation
in 1875, at the close of presidential
election famous for devilish ferocity.
A darker cloud yet settled down upon
this nation. The result of the election
was in dispute, and revolution, not be-
tween two or three sections, but revo-
luton in every town and village and
city OF the United States, seemed inn
minent. The prospect was that New
York would throttle New York, and
New Orleans would grip New Orleans,
and Boston, Boston, and Savannah,
Savannah, and Washington, Wash
ington. Some said Mr. Tilden was
elected; others said Mr.. Hayes was
elected; and how near we came to
universal massacre some of us guessed,
but God only knew | ascribe our
escape not to the honesty and right
eousness of infuriated politicians, but
/ ascribe it to the upper forces of the
text. Chariots of mercy rolled in,
and though the wheels were not heard
and the flash was not seen, yet all
through the mountains of the north |
and the south and the cast and the
west, though the hoofs did not clatter, |
the cavalry of God galloped by. i
tell you God is the friend of this |
nation. In the awful excitement at
the massacre of Lincoln, when there
was prospect that greater slaughter
would open upon this nation, God
hushed the tempest. In tho awful ex
citement at the time of Garfields as
sassination, God put his foot on the
neck of the cyclone.
THE SPLENDID CONDITION OF THE
UNITED STATES.
To prove that God is on the side of
! this nation, | argue from the last eight
| or nine great national harvests, and
| from the national health of the last
quarter of a century, epidemics very
exceptional, and from the great reviv
ais Of religion, and from the spreading
of the Church of God, and from the
continent blossoming with asylums
and reformatory institutions, and from
an Edenization which promises that
this whole land is to be a paradise
where God shall walk in the cool of
the day.
If in other sermons | showed you
what was the evil that threatened to
upset and demolish American institu
| tions. ! am encouraged more than |
can tell you as / see the regiments
| wheeling down the sky, and my jere-
miads turn into doxologies, and that
which was the Good Friday Of the ma
tons crucilixion becomes tire Easter
morn of its resurrection. Of course
God works through human ipstru
mentalitics, and this national better
ment is TO come among other things
through q scrutinized ballot box. BY
the law of registration it is almost i'm
possible now to have illegal voting.
There was time-you and i remem-
Der it very woll-when droyes of vag-
abonds wandered up and down on
election day and from poll to poll,
and voted here, and voted there, and
voted everywhere and there was no
| challenge; or, if there were, it
amounted to nothing, because nothing
could so suddenly be proved upon the
vagabonds. Now, in every well or
ganized neighborhood, every voter is
watched with sevorest scrutiny.
must tell the registrar my name, and
how old ! am, and how long / have
resided in tho state, and how long !
:. have resided inthe ward, or the town
ship, and if / misrepresent fifty wit
nesses will rise and shut mo out from
the ballot box. Is not that great
advance2 And then notice the law
that prohibits man voting if he has
bet on tho election. A step further
needs to be taken, and that man for
bidden vote who has offered or taken
n bribc. whether it be in the shape Of a
free drink. or cash paid down, the sus-
picious cases obliged TO put their hand
on the Bible and swear their vote in
if they vote at all. so through the
, sacred chest of our nations suffrage,
redemption will come.
! God also will save this nation
through an aroused moral sentiment.
There has never been so much dis
: cussion of morals aud immorals. Men,
; whether or not they acknowledge
| what is right, have to think what Is
! right Wo have men who have had
= their hands in tho public treasury the
: most of their lifetime, steaiinga all they
! could lay their hands on, dlscoursln9
eloouently about dishonesty III public
: servants, and men with two or three
. families of their own, preaching elo
ouently about the beauties OF Tho
seventh commandment. Thp gpes
; ton of sobriety and drunkenness |:
y thrust in the face of this nation q!
: never before, and TO take part i'll ou
! political contests. The question Of ia
= tional sobriety is going TO be respect
!, | fully and deferentially heard at th'
. bar of every legislature and ever,
house of representatives and ever.
: United States senate, and an omnipo
! tent voice will ring down the sky ans
: across this land and back again, say
J. inc 10 these rising tides of drunken
y ness which threaten to whelm hon
= md church and nation: THUS ia
,e , shalt thou come, but no further, ant
Il here shall thy proud waves be stayed.
u | have not in my mind a shadow
y disheartenment as large as the shados
:. of a housedy's wing. My faith is !
!. The upper forces, the upper armies
d the text. God is not dead. The chal
s 5, lots arc not unwbeeled If you woul
- only pray more and wash your eye
~ in the cool. bright water fresh frol
ss the we'll of Christian reform, it woul
/" be said of YOU, as Of this one OF u
81 text: "The Lord opened the eyes OF ti
y Young man: and he saw: and, behoi'
j. The mountain was full of horses an
81 chariots of iise round about Elisha "
- TrE ARMY ARRAyEp AGAINST THE cAUs
:. OF soBRIETY.
!. When the army of Antigonus WEI
into battle his soldiers were very mut
p discouraged, and they rushed up
an the general and said tc him: ',poi
wi | Won see we have few forces and tn
'ni have so many morol" and the soldle
,si were atfrighted at the smallness
-, their number and the greatness OF T
,st enemy. Antigonus, their commands
Isl straightened himself up and said' WI
nv Indignation and vehemence: ia
III many do you reckon me TO bet a
be when we see the vast armies array
IN against the cause of sobriety. 1t m
cd | sometimes be very discouraging
bs | ask YOU In making up your estim'
-, of the forces of righteousness !.
YOU how many do you reckon
- lord God Almighty to bel lie Is Q
~ commander. The Lord of Hosts
~ ~ his name. have the best author
;.h for saving that the chariots OF God
IN twenty thousand. and the mountal
,nt are full of them.
M .I You will take without my saying
ny ny. that my only faith is in Christian
and in the upper forces suggested
NY the text. Political parties come Q
on on po and they may be right and u
.a .h NAV be wrong, but God lives amt
s'.e think he has ordainea this nauoh
a career OF prosperity that no del
VI gogism will be able TO halt. exp
'ie, To five To see n political party WI
'a a will have platform OF two plans
age the Ten Commandments and the
o,h mon on tLe Mount. When that pa
&c = fo,.o,ei Il viii sS eep across this Il