The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1890-08-07

the ruins of which / stood last January.
They were witnessed in 1867 in London,
when the weavers paraded the stree is
and entered buildings to destroy the
machinery of those who, because OF
their new inventions, could undersell
the rest. They were witnessed in 1871
at the trial of Lord George Gordon,
when there was q religious riot Again,
in 1919, when the rabble cried! 'Down
with the Presbyterians! Down with
meeting-housesr' There always have
been, and always will be, in great com
munities, class of people that can not
govern themselves and which ordinary
means can not govern, and there are
exigencies which nothing but the sword
can meet. Aye, the militia are the
very last regiments that it will be safe
to disband.
Arbitrament will take the place Of
war between nation and nation, and ma
tional armies will disband as conse-
quence, and the time will come-God
hasten it!-when there viii be no need
of an American army or navy, or Rus
sian army or navy. But for some time
after that, cities will have to keep their
armories and arsenals, and well-drilled
militia, because until the millenial day
there will be populations with whom
arbitrament will be as impossible as
treaty with cavern of hyenas or a
Jungle of snakes. These men who
rob stores and give garroter's hug,
and prowl about the wharves at mid
night and rattle the dice in gambling
bells, and go armed with pistol or dirk,
will refrain from disturbance of the pub
lie peace just in proportion as they re-
alize that the militia of a city, instead
Of being an awkward 50 aad, and in dam
ger of shooting each other by mistake,
or losing their own life by looking down
into the gun barrel to see if it is loaded,
or getting the ramrod fast in their boot
leg, are prompt as the sunrise, keen as
the north wind, potent as thunderbolt
and accurate and regular, and discip-
lined in their movements as the plan
etary system. Well done, then, 1 say
to Legislatures, and Governors, and
mayors, and all officials who decide
upon larger armories and better places
for drill and more generous equip
ment for the militia. The sooner
the sword can safely go back to the
scabbard to stay there, the better; but
until the hilt clangs against the case in
that final Judgment let the sword be
kept free from rust; sharp all along the
edge, and its point like a needle, and
the handle polished, not only by the
chemois of the regimental servant, but
by the hand of brave and patriotic Off
GERS, always ready to do their full duty.
Such swords are not bathed in impetu-
osity, or bathed in cruelty, or bathed in
oppression, or bathed in outrage, but
bathed in Heaven.
So we are glad at the Isaiahic proph-
ecy, that the time is coming when ma
ton shall not lift up sword against ma
ton. Indeed, both swords shall go back
into the scabbard-the sword 5athed in
Heaven and the sword bathed in hell.
In war in Spain soldier went on a
skirmishing expedition. and, secluded
in q bush, he had the opportunity Of
shooting soldier of the other army,
who had strolled away from his tent
He took aim ana dropped him. Running
up to the fallen man he took his KNAPP
sack for spoil, and letter dropped out
of it, and it turned out to be letter
signed by his own father; in other
words, he had shot his brother. If the
brotherhood of man be true doctrine.
then he who shoots another man always
shoots his own brother. What horror
is war and cruelties we're we'll illuStrat t.
ed when the Tartars, after sweeping
| through Russia and Poland, displayed
with pride nine great sacks filled with
the right ears of the fallen, and when :.
correspondent of the London Times,
writing of the wounded after the bat
tie of Sedan, said: Every moan that
the human voice can utter rose
from that heap of agony, and the
cries of Water! For the love CT
God, water! Adoctor! A doctor! new I
ceased" After war has wrought such
cruelties, how glad we will be to have
| the old monster himself die. Let his
dying couch be spread in some disman-
| tied fortress, through which the storm :
wind howls. Give him for a pillow a
battered shield, and let his bed be hard
with the rusted bayonets of the slain.
Cover him with the coarest blanket that
picket ever wore, and let his only cup BIZ
the bleached bone of one of his waJ
charg ers, and the last taper by his bed
side expire as the midnight blast sigh
into his ear: THE candle of the wicked
shall ba inf ont -
Tonight against the sky of the glori-
Gus future 1 see a great blaze. It is a
foundry in full blast. The WORKING n
have stirred the fires until the furnaces
are seven times heated. The last
wagon load of the worlds swords has
been hauled into the foundry, and
they are tumbled into the furnace.
and they begin to glow and red
den and melt, and in kissing and
sparkling liquid they roll on down
through the crevice of rock until they
fall into mold shaped like the iron
foot of pillow. Then the liquid cools
off into hard metal, and, brought out
on an anvil, it is beaten and pounded
and fashioned, stroke after stroke, until
that which was a weapon to reap har-
vests of men becomes an implement