The Bossier banner., 1893-12-07
How MANY mighty intellects have

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ate. God had given him faculties
) enough to govern a kingdom or to
frame constitution. His voice was
terrible to his country's enemies
and a mighty inspiration in the
day of national peril. But twenty
glasses of strong drink day
were his usual allowance, and
he went down into the habits
of a confirmed inebriate. Alas for himl
Though costly monument has been
reared over his resting place, the young
men of this country shall not be denied
the awful lesson that the agency by
which the world was robbed of one OF
its mightiest intellects, and our coun.
try of one of it's ablest constitutional
defenders, was the dissipation of polit-
tcal life. You want to know who I
mean? Young man, ask your father
when you get home. The adverse tide
is fearful, and I warn you against it!
You need not go far off to find the
worn-out politician. Here he is, STUN
bling along the highway, his limbs
hardly able to hold him up. Bent over
and pale with exhausting sickness.
Surly to anybody who accosts him.
His last decent article of apparel
pawned for strong drink Glad if, when
going by grocery, some low acquaint-
ance invites him in to take sip of ale,
and then wiping his lip with his greasy
sleeve. Kicked off the steps by men
who once were proud to be his constit-
uents. Manhood obliterated. Lip
blistered with curse Scars of brutal
assault on cheek and brow. Foul
mouthed. A crouching, staggering,
wheeling wretch. No friends. No
God. No hope. No Heaven. That is
your worn out politician. That is what
some of you will become unless by
this mornings warning and the
mercy of God your steps are arrested.
Oh, there are no words enough po-
tent enough portentous, enough con-
suming, enough damning, to describe
the horrible darkness that has rolled
over this land, and that has bent down
the necks of some of the mightiest in
tellects until they have been compelled
to drink out of the trough of bestiality
and abomination! warn young men
against political life unless they are
teetotalers and consecrated, Christian
men.
Again, counsel you that, when you
go to the ballot-box at the city or the
state or the national elections, you
recognize God, and appeal to Him for
His blessing. There is a power higher
than the ballot-box, than the guberna-
tnrio1 nhni,s -
White House. 1t is high time that we
put less confidence in political plat
forms and more confidence in God.
See what weak thing is human fore
sight. How little our wise men seem
to know! See how, every autumn, thou
sands of men who are clambering up
for higher positions are turned under.
God upsets them. Every man. every
party, every nation has a mission to
perform. Failing to perform it, down he
grees.
God said to the House of Bourbon:
Remodel France. and establish
equity" House of Bourbon would not
do it. Down it went. God said to
the House of Stuart: Make the En-
glish people free, God-fearing and hap
py." House of Stuart would not
do it. Down it went. God says
to the political parties in this day:
by the principles of Christianity re-
model, govern, educate, save the people"
Failing to do that, down they go, bury
ing in their ruins their disciples and
advocates. God can spare all the polit-
ical intriguers of this day, and can
raise up another generation who shall
do justice and love mercy. If God
could spare Luther before the reforma-
tion was done; and if He could spare
Washington before free government
had been fully tested; and if He could
spare Howard before more than one
out of a thousand dungeons had
been alleviated; and if He could spare
Robert MCheyne just as Scotland was
gathering to his burning utterances:
and if He could spare Thomas Clarkson
while yet millions of his fellow-men
had chains rusting to the bone-then
He can spare any man, and He can
spare any party. That man who,
through cowardice or blind idolatrv to
party, forsakes the cause of righteous
ness, goes down, and the armed bat
talions of God march over him.
o Christian men! take out your little
Bible this afternoon, and in the light
of that word make up your mind as to
what is your duty as citizen. Re-
member that the highest kind of a
patriot is Christian patriot. Con-
secrate yourselves first to God, then
you will know how to consecrate YOUR
selves to your country. All these
political excitements will be gone,
Ballot-boxes and gubernatorial chairs
and continents will smoke inssthe final
conf1agration; but those who love God
and do their best shall come to lus-
trous dominion after the stars have
ceased their shining and the ocean has
heaved its last billow. and the closing
thunder of the judgment day shall toll
at the funeral of world Oh! pre-
pare for that day! Next Tues
day questions of the state will
be settled; but there comes a cav when
the questions of eternity will be decid.
ed. You may vote right, and get the
victory at the ballot-box, and yet suf