Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1896-06-12
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
The Eminent Washington pivine's
Sunday Sermon.
Subject, "War."

buckles, all shields OF mighty men. -SoioA
mons Song w., 4.
The church is here compared to an arm:
ory the walls hung with trophies OF dead
heroes. Walk all about this over oil DAVID
and see the denied Shields and the twisted
swords and the rusted hemlets OF terrible
battle. So at this season, a month earlier al
the south. a month later at the north. the
American churches are turned into armorles
adorned with memories OF departed braves.
Blossom and bloom, walls, with stores OF
self sacrifice and patriotism and prowess!
BV unanimous decree Of the people 81 Inc
United States of America the graves OF all
the northern and southern dead are every
wear decorated. All acerbty and bitterness
have gone out Of the national solemnity, ana
as the men AMI women OF the soutn one
month ago floralized the cemeteries and
gfaveyards 80 yesterday we, the men ana
women OF the north, put upon the tomos OF
our dead the kiss of patriotic affection.
Bravery always appreciates bravery, though
1t fight on the other side, and IL soldier OF
the Federal army had been q month ago at
Savannah he would not have been ashamed
to march in the floral professions to the
| cemetery, And If yesterday Confederate
soldier was at Arlington he was CAD to put
o sprig Of heartsease on the silent heart OF
| our dead.
| In battle during our last %arthe Cohfed-
crates were driving back the Federals. VINO
were In swift retreat, when a Federal officer
dropped wounded. One Of his men stopped
| at The risk of his life and put his arms
around the officer to carry him from the
field. Fifty Confederate muskets were aimed
at the young man who was picking up the
officer. But the Confederate captain shout
ed, "Hold Don't fire! That fellow is too
brave to shoot" And as the Federal officer,
held up by his private soldier, went limping
slowly off the field the Confederate soldiers
gave three cheers for the brave private, aud
lust before the two disappeared behind
barn both the wounded officer AMI the brave
private lifted their caps in gratitude to the
Confederate captain.
Shall the gospel be LEGS generous than the
worldV We stack arms, the bayonet Of our
northern gun facing this way, the bayonet
of the southern gun facing the other way.
and rs the gray OF the morning melts into
the blue of noon, 50 the typical gray and
blue of old war times have blended at Iast,
and they quote in the language OF King
Jamess translation without any revision,
"Glory TO God in the highest, and on earth
peace, good will to men," Now, what do we
mean by this great Observance
First, we mean instruction to one whole
generation. Substract 1865, when the war
ended, from Our 1895, and you VIII realize
what a vast number OF people were Born since
the war, or were so voting rs 10 have no
vivid appreciation. No one under forty-ons
years Of age has any adequate momory oil
that prolonged horror. Do you remember
Il? "Well, you say, 81 only remember that
mother swooned away while she was read.
Ing the newspaper, and that they brought
my father home wrapped in the nag, and
that good many people came In the house
| ia Ol of tor hnf
until again there were many people in the
house and they told me she was dead.
There are others who cannot remember
the roll Of drum or the tramp Of reSi-
ment or q sigh or tear Of that tornado OF
woe that swept the nation again and again
until there was one dead in each house. Now
1t is the religious duty Of those who do re-
member it to tell those who do not MY
young friends, there were such partlngs al
rail car windows an steamboat wharfs, and
nt front doors of comfortable homes as
pray God YOU may never witness. oh, wha
a time 1t was when fathers and mothers gay;
up their sons. never expecting to see then
} again and never did see them again unll
thew came back mutilated and crushed aht
dead
Four years OF blood. Four years OF hos
tile experiences. Four years OF ghastliness
; Four years of gravedigging. Four years o
funerals, collins, shrouds, hearses, dirges
Mourning! mOurningl mourning! 1t wa
hell let loose. What time OF waiting 10
news! Morning paper and evening pape
| scrutinized for intelligence from the boy
D nj the front. First, announcement that III
battle must occur the next day. Then tn'
news of the battles going on. On the fol
lowing day still going on. Then the new
Of 80. 900 slain, and Of the names OF the grea
generals who had fallen. but no news abou
The private soldiers. Waiting for news! Al
: ter many DAYS a load Of wounded goini
y through the town or city, but no news iron
our boy. Then long list OF wounded an
a long list Of the dead, and long list OF tn
missing, and among the last list our BOY.
When missing? How missing? Who say
him last? Missing, missingl Was he in tn
woods or by the stream2 How was he hurt
Missing. missing! What burning prayer
e that he may yet be heard froml In that aw
? full waiting for news manya life persisted
The strain of anxiety was too great. INA
wlfes brain gave way that first week alte
the battle. and ever and anon she walks tn
r. floor of the asylum or looks out oil the win
low as though she expected some ono {
come along the path and up the steps as sh
= soliIoquizes. "Missing, missinS"
What made matters worse, all this mgr
have been avoided. There was no more nee
of that war than ut this moment shou
!. plunge a dagger through your heart The
were few Christian phlanthropists in tho
DAYS. scOffed at both by north and sout
who had the right of it. If they had be,
q heard on both sides, we should have had
!. war and no slavery 1t was advised by tho
}, Christian phianthropists, "Let the nor
= pay in money for the slaves as property ar
] set them free" The north said. 1--WE cam
|, afford to pay" The south SAID, we w
.bov "a
" did nav in war expenses enough to purcha
o the slaves. and the south was compelled
t rive I'D slavery anyhow. Might not Il
q north better have paid the money and saw
the lives of SOC, 900 brave men, and might n
d the south better have sold out slavery al
; saved her $780, 900 brave men! swear "
c bv the graves of your fathers aud brothe
and sons 10 new hatred for the champi'
curse of the uniyerse-war!
c o Lord God, with the hottest bolt OF Ihll
Il omnipotent indignation strike that mons,
:. down forever and ever lmprlson II IN u
deenest dungeon Of the eternal penitentlar
; Bolt il in with all the iron ever forged
: cannon or monlded into howtzers. CIea
n it with all the sabers that ever glittered
battle and wiring its soul with all the pan
10 which It ever caused. Let it feel all the CO
If | Hagrations of the homesteads it ever d
stroyed. Deeper down let it fall and
flercer fame let it burn, till it has gather
u into its heart all the suffering Of eternity
n we'll as time. In the name Of the millto
N OF graves of its victims, denounce it. t
/. nations need more the spirit OF treaty a
W less of the spirit of war.
Or War is more CHASTITY now than once, n
only because of the greater destructivent
~ of its weaponry, because now it takes do
% the best men, whereas once 1t chiefly to
IN down the worst. Bruce, in Ill., in his ~
Of stitutions of Military Law, said OF the