Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1895-12-07


and Chapultepec. As the years passed
on and the scroll of carnage unrolled
there came out from both sides hero
ism, and a strength, and a determina-
tion that the world had never seen mar
shaled And what but determination
could come when Philip Sheridan and
Stonewall jackson met, and Nathaniel
Lyon and Sidney Johnston rode in from
north and south, and Grant and Lee,
the two thunderbolts of battle, elashed?
Yet, we are nation, and yet we are at
peace Earthly courage did not decide
the conflict. The upper forces of the
text-they tell rs there was battle
fought above the clouds On Lookout
mountain, but there was something
higher than that.
A Friend of the Nation.
Again, the horses aud chariots of God
came to the rescue Of this nation in
1876, at the close Of a presidential cleo
ton famous for ferocity. A darker cloud
yet settled down upon this nation. The
result Of the election was IN dispute, and
revolution, not between two or three
sections, but revolution in every town
and village and city Of the United States
seemed imminent. The prospect was
that New York would throttle New
York, and New Orleans would grip New
Orleans, and Boston, Boston, and Sa-
vannah, Savannah, and Washington,
Washington. Some said Mr.. Tilden was
elected, others said Mr.. Hayes was
elected, and how near we came to uni
yersal massacre some of us guessed, but
God only knew. I ascribe our escape
not to the honesty and righteousness of
infatuated politicians, but ascribe it
to the upper forces of the text. Chariots
of mercy rolled III, and though the
wheels were not heard and the fash was
not seen, yet all through the mountains
of the north, and the south, and the
east, and the west, though the hoofs did
not chatter, the cavalry of God galloped
by. 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 the awful excitement at
the time Of Garfield's assassination God
put his foot on the neck Of the cyclone
To prove God is Oh the side Of this ma
ton | argue from the last eight or nine
great national hargests, and from tie
national health Of the last quarter Of a
century, epidemies very exceptional,
and from the great revivals of religion,
and from tie spreading of the church of
God, and from the continent blossom
ing with asylums and reformatory insti-
tutions, and from an Edenization which
promises that this whole land is to be
paradise, where God shall walk.
am encouraged more than can tell
you as | see the regiments wheeling
down the sky, and my jeremiads turn
into doxologies, and that which was the
Good Friday of the nation crucifxion
becomes the Easter morn of its resurree-
tion. Of course God works through hui
man instrumentalities, and this nation
al betterment is to come among other
things through scrutinized ballot box.
By the law of registration it is almost
impossible now to have illegal voting
There was time-you and / remember
it very well--when droyes Of yagabonds
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
organized neighborhood, every voter is
watched with severest scrutiny. If | am
III region where | am allowed VOTE |
must tell the registrar my name, and
how old / am, and how long I have re-
sided in the state, and how long have
resided III the ward or the township, |
and if / lnisrepresent, so witnesses will |
rise and shut me cut from the ballot box |
Is not that great advance? And then
notice the law that prohibits a man
voting if he has bet ON the election. A
step farther needs to be taken aud that
man forbidden vote who has offered or
taken a bride, whether it be in the shape
of free drink, or cash paid down, the
suspicious cases obliged to put their |
hand on the Bible and swear their vote
in il they vote at all So, through the
sacred chest of our nations suffrage, re-
demption will come.
God will save this nation through an
aroused moral sentiment. There has
never been so much discussion Of morals |
and immorals Men, whether or not |
they acknowledge what is right, have to |
think what is right We have men who |
have had their hands in the public treas
ury the most of their lifetime, stealing |
all they could lay their hands on, dis
conrsing eloquently about dishonesty in
public servants, and men with two or
three families Of their own preaching
eloquently about the beauties Of the sew
enth commandment The question Of So
briefly and drunkenness is thrust in the
face Of this nation as never before and !
takes part i'll our political contests.
The question of national sobriety is go
ing to be respectfully and deferentially
heard at the bar of every legislature,
and every honse Of representatives, and !
every state senate, and an omnipotent
voice will ring down the sky and across
this land and back again, saying to these
rising tides of drunkenness which threat
en- to whelm home and church and ma
ton, Thus far shalt thou come, but no
farther, and here shall thy proud waves
be staid. /"
Antigonns' Army.
have not in my mind shadow of
disheartment as large as the shadow Of |
q house fy's wing. My faith is in the !
upper forces, the upper armies Of the /
text. Gcd is not dead. The chariots are
not unwheeled. If you would oDly pray
more and wash your eyes in the cool, /
bright water fresh from the well Of I
Christian reform, it would he raid Of
you. as Of this one Of the text, 1.-The
Lord opened the eyes Of the young man.
and he saw, and, behold, the mounta
was full Of horses and chariots Of FIRE
round about Elisha
When tho army of Ambiguous went
into battle, his soldiers were very much
discouraged, and they rushed up 90 the
general and said to him, Don't you
see we have few forces and they have
SO many more?" And the soldiers were
affrighted at the smallness of their num-
Der and the greatness Of the enemy.
Ambiguous, their commander, straight
ened himself up and said, with indigna-
ton and vehemence, tHow many do you
reckon me to be:'' And when we see
the vast armies arrayed against the
cause of sGbriety it NAV gometirnes he