The Press., 1895-06-13
MEMORIAL SERMON.
Preached before the Winter Post, of the G.A.R,. WR.C and s. of ", in the Congregational church of staffordville, Conn.,, by

Preached before the Winter Post, of the G.A.R, w. R. C., and s. of ", in the Congregational church of Staffordville, Conn.,, by
 REV. J. A. soLANDT.
 The Underlying Principles of the Civil War. Matt. 12: 25-And Jesus knew their thoughts and said unto them, Every king dom divided against itself is brought to desolatiOn.
 These words are taken from one of the conversations which Christ had with the Pharisees. Christ healed a man who was both blind and dumb. The. Pharisees, as usual, took his action into their con- sideration. After an amount of fault finding, they came to the conclusion that he performed the miracle through the agency of Satan. As it was commonly held at that time, that many diseases and afiictions of humanity were due to the influence of evil spirits, Christ, in answer to their assertions, gave this general state ment: Every kingdom divided against it. self is brought to desolation. As the war in which you fought was for the preserva- tion of the unity of nation, wish to speak to you from the words I have just now quoted.
 In studying the history of the civil war one of the most interesting features is the reading of the masterly oratiOns which were given to support the claims of the union But in no single speech, in no single sentence of all the able speeches delivered and lengthy articles written, is the whole subject so clearly and compre- hensively stated as in this brief sentence of our Master: Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation. These words contain the who'll thought in all it's profound relations-no more and no less; it cannot be enlarged, it cannot be contracted. The nation must be a unit, or come to desolation.
 In the present time there is an attitude of mind that is to be deplored. I refer to the lack of appreciation of high and mo- ble actions. Many persons look back over the history of this country and place
 
 those who endured hardships, in order that the life of the nation should be sus- tained; forgetting at the same time that all we have to-day of peace and prosperi ty is largely due to those who suffered who bled, who died in the great contests for freedom that mark the history of the nation.
 The primal cause of the war was slave ry, and this rested upon the relations ot human beings to one another. The con ditiOn of affairs was briefly this: MeI claimed and used the right to buy ant sell their fellowmen as mere property, ir respective of any wishes of those being bought and sold. They also claimed tho right to treat the slaves in the most bruta manner, with tortures, punishments an( degradations. They demanded of then the most exacting labors under the burn ing sun. Long hours, poor food, an' worse lodgings fell to the lot of the slave In return for his suffering and labor he re ceived nothing but death as a mercifu deliverer. I would not say that ther were no merciful slave owners, but sucl in general was the condition of the slave in the south.
 In order that we may find the real evi in the slave system, it is necessary tha we go still deeper into the subject, and especially in our times, it is interesting t find out what made the difference betwee the master and his slave. How did on have the power to command, and the oth CT no alternative but obedience or death It was not color that determined their pc sition, for many slaves were just as whit as their masters. It was not physical ez cellence, for many of the slaves were ir ffnitely superior in body to their owners It was not mental endowment, for man of the slaves were of more than averag intelligence. Nor was it qualities ( moral character, for many times slave owned by the most disreputable men ha excellent characters in the sight of Go and man. What was it then that mad the difference between them? It wa l. simply this: One had capital, the othe . had none. One had cash on credit, tht : enabled him to go into the market an . buy and possess his fellow man, and clain j. ing the right to treat him as he pleased :; : on the basis of ownership, made his lii a what he thought would be most protitab Q Q to himself.
 But, veterans, it was not against tt poaoer of capital as such that you tough We must go deeper still into the questic = to find that essential principle which yc so much detested in the slave, systen Suppose for an instant that the slave owl CT had used the power which capital ga7 for the benefit and well being of u slaves. Suppose that they bought the fellow-men, educated them, gave the comfortable homes and not undue labo and cared for them in every reasonab way, making their lot happy and conten ed, and giving them their freedom wht