The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1897-06-26

when, on April 20, 1929, the German
princes made their formal protest
against the revocation of their liber-
ties. In the life and death struggle
that followed it was as a clarion sum
moning all souls to do battle without
fear against the foe. Luther sang it
to the lutte every day. It was the
spiritual and national tonic of Ger
many, administered in those dolorous
times as doctors administer Quinine to
sojourners in fever-haunted marshes
Every one sang it, old and young, chill
dren in the street, soldiers on the bat
tleteld. The more heavily hit they
we're the more tenaciously did they
cherish the song. When Melancthon
and his friends, after Luther's death,
were sent into Punishment they were
marvelously cheered as they entered
Weimar on hearing girl sing Luthers
hymn in the street. Sing on, dear
daughter mine," said Melancthon.
thou knowest not what comfort thou
bringest to our heart" Nearly a hun
dred years later, before the great vic
tory which he gained over the Austrian
forces at Leipsic, Gustavus Adolphus
asked his warriors to sing Luther's
hymn, and after the victory he thank
ed God that He had made good the
promise, "The field He will maintain
II" 1t was sung at the battle of Lut-
zen. 1t was sung also many a time
and oft during the Franco-German
war In fact, whenever the depths of
the German heart are really stirred,
the sonorous strains of Luther's hymn
lnstinctively burst forth. M. Vicomte
de Vogue, one of the most brilliant of
contemporary writer's, in his criticism
OF M. Zola's Debacle, pays splendid
tribute to the element in the German
character, which finds its most articu-
late expression in Luther's noble
psalm. M. de Vogue says that NJ
lola, in his work, entirely fails to ex-
plain in what the superiority of the
German consisted. What was there in
these men? Why did they CONQUER
France? Only he who knows the an
swer and dares to give it will be able
to write the book about the war.
He who is so well up in all the
points of the battlefield of Sedan
must surely know what was to be seen
and heard there on the evening of Sep
TENDER l, 1870. It was a picture to
tempt his pen-those innumerable lines
OF nre starring all the valley of the
Meuse, those grave and solemn chants
sent out into the night by hundreds
OF thousands of voices. No orgy. no
disorder, no relaxation of discipline;
the men mounting guard under
arms until the inexorable work was
done; the hymns to the god of victory
and the distant home-they seemed
ike an army Of priests coming from
the sacrifice. This one picture, painted
as the novelist knows how to paint
in his best days, would have shown us
what virtues, wanting in our own
camp, had kept fortune in the service
Of the other"
There nave been many English YER
sions of Luther's hymn. That of
Thomas Carlyle is regarded as the best
It is as follows:
A sure stronghold our God is he.
A trusty shield and weapon;
Our help He'll be, and set us frea
From every III can happen
That old malicious foe
Intends us deadly woe:
Armed with might from Hell
And deepest craft as well
On earth is not his fellow.
Through our own force we nothing can.
Straight were we lost forever:
But for us fights the proper man
By God sent to deliver.
As We who this may be;
Christ Jesus named is he;
OF Sabaoth the Lord;
Sole God to be adored;
IT'S he must win the battle.
And were the world with devils filled
All eager to devour us,
Our souls to fear should little Yield
They cannot overpower US.
Their dreaded prince no more
Can harm us as of yore;
Look grim as e'er he may
Doomed is his ancient sway:
A word can overthrow him.
Gods word for all their craft and force
One moment will not linger;
But spite of hell shall have its coursa
IT'S written by his finger
And though they take our life,
Goods, honor, children, wife;
Yet is there profit small:
These things shall vanish all:
The city OF God remaineth.
The 4eth Psalm was always a great |
standby for fighting men. The HUI |
guenots and Covenanters used to cheer |
their hearts in the extremity of adverse |
fortunes by the solemn chant:
God is our refuge and our strength,
IN straits q present aid;
Tberefore' GIthoug,h the earth remove,
We win not be afraid. s'a
It win be noted that. although Lu-,