The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-11-05
THE EIGET WAY,
nv REV JOSEPH 4. COLLIER.

war IS tue LoSS or hifE
casions.
The destruction Of human life is Its
avowed object. 1t is with reference 10
this that weapons are invented anu
forged, and the most deadly forces OF
nature and art studied out and applied.
Human ingenuity is tasked to its Ut
most to produce means which shall
slay the greatest number OF men with
the most mathematical precision.
The secrets of the earth are eagerly eX-
nj ,red in the search for fatal agencies:
and the murder of mankind upon a
oipantjc scale is made a science, whose
study engages the attention of the pro-
fonndest intellects. Institutions.
whose sole object is the inculcating
and perfecting of the art Of killing
men rapidly, gracefully, and scientlh-
cally, are supported at the public ex-
pense. Every military and naval
academy might adopt, as expressing
the whole scope of its instructions, the
title of one of DR.. Quincy's essays,
DMurder considered as one OF the Fine
|Arts.n To this diabolical work every
soldier is trained, and for this he is
supported. This is the one great oo-
iect of all his drills and reviews ana
for this he is reduced to an "infernal
machine and divested of almost ev-
| cry thing human, excepting his vices
his power of motion, and his capacity
for obeying orders. For this heis arm
ed and led into battle, and the extent
to which he there fnlfills this murder
|ous destiny so strongly inculcated up
on him, is, to the warriors view, the
measure of his manhood. In expecta-
tion of this, hospitals are erected, and
surgeons provided, and estimates cal
culated, like the following, which IS
quoted by Neckar, the French flnan-
cier, from 8 state paper:
Forty thousand men 10 be embarked for n mn
the
To be deducted one.third for the first 90 49,,
years mortality.
1s.. Renainder.."--........
F The very idea of war unattended by
great loss of life is an anomaly. The
/ two are as inseparably connected as
fire and burning, or poison and death,
and none ever think of separating
them.
AS this is an evil which lies upon
the surface, and is often the subject OF
statistical in nformation, it is more gen.
erally recognized than any other. Yet
|how few reflect upon the true nature
of this wholesale. slaughter, or upon
the dignity of its victims Behold
diving man. For years he has walked
the earth, one of the poblest OF coos
creatures. His exquisite organization
his intelligence-his comparative
moral elevatiop-his immortal soul
all attest his towering dignity in the
scale of being. Now he lies prostrate
/ and helpless upon his couch. The
darkened chamber-the attenuated
form-the means and gasps for breath
the numberless acts of fearful sympa-
thy-proclaim the nearness OF death
A struggle, and all is over. We be-
wall the mysterious providence ana
think what terrible curse is sin, that
il should 80 rudely mar and destroy
Gods glorious creatures. Still more
frightful does Death appear when the
grim monster comes suddenly and un-
announced, and, by what men call an
accident, seizes his trophy from the
walks of active life, and pales the
|.cheek which but moment since
bloomed with the hue of abounding
health! Clothed with yet darker hor-
rors is the ''last enemy" when he
comes in the guise of the assassin's
knife. and his victim is the prey OF
cold-blooded murder! With what in
dignation we try to ferret out the per-
petrator of the crime, and bring him
to Justice and execution. And how,
for years afterwards, we shudder at the
b$Ie remembrance of the deed!
Death, under all these clrcum-
atances, comes not with tithe OF the
terrors which attend him upon the
battlefield. There he is arrayed IN
his blacklist garb, and invested with
his most fearful and unallevia'ed hor-
rors. He frowns on the expiring SOL
dier with his most dreadful aspect.
Every circumstance there conspires to
acpravate the terrors of the dying
hour, and accumulate around 1t all
that can enhance its sting, while there
is nothing to mitigate its utter drearl-
ness. The soldier dies, not at home,
and surrounded by symrathizing
hearts, but amid unpitying strangers
whose every other instinct is absorbed