The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1898-05-20
MURDER GLUnIFIED.
REV. DR.. TALMAGE THUS cHARAC-
TERlzES WARS HORRORS.


of Cheer For a saddened People-War
For Humanity.
ICopyrght, 1898, by American Press Asso-
Ciation.
WASHINGTON, May 15.-Most peril
hent to the exciting times through
which we are now passing is this SER
mon of DR.. Talmage in which he pro-
poses to cheer the people who are sad
dened by the horrors of war; text,
Psalms xvii, 8, "Though war should
rise against me, in this will l be con-
fident.
The ring of battleaxes and the clash
of shields and the tramp of armies are
heard all up and down the Old Testa-
ment, and you find cody soldiers like
Moses and Joshua and Caleb and Cid
con and scoundrelly soldiers like SIENNA
cherib and Shalmaneser and Nebuchad-
nezzar. The high priest would stand
at the head of the army and say, "Hear
o Israel ye approach this day unto bat
tle against your enemies, let not your
hearts faint, fear not and do not trem-
BILE, neither be ye terrified because OF
themp' and then the officers would give
command tVrthe troops, saying: What
man is there that hath built a new
house and hath not dedicated it? Let
him 90 and return to his house, lest he
die in the battle and another man dedl-
cate it. And what man is he that hath
pIanted a vineyard and hath not eaten
of it? Let him also 60 and return unto
his house, lest he die in the battle and
another man eat of it. And what man
is there that hath betrothed wife and
hath not taken her. Let him go and re-
turn unto his house, lest he die IN the
battle and another man take her.
Great armies marched and fought. In
time of Moses and Joshua all the men
were soldiers. When Israel came out OF
Egypt, they were 600, 600 fighting men.
Abiiah commanded 400, 900. Jeroboam
commanded 800, 900 men, of whom 5OO,-
900 were slain in one battle. Some OF
these wars God approved, for they were
for the rescue of oppressed nations, and
some of them he denounced, but in all
cases it was judgment upon both vic
tors and vanquished. David knew just
what war was when he wrote in the
text, "Though war should rise against
me, in this will be confident.
David is encouraging himself in
stormy times, and before approaching
battles administers to himself the con-
solatory. So today my theme is the
"Alleviations of War" War is organ
lied atrocity. 1t is the science of assas-
sination. 1t is the convocation of all
horrors. 1t is butchery wholesale. 1t is
murder glorifed. 1t is death on throne
of human skeletons. 1t is the coffin in
ascendency. 1t is diabolism at game
of skulls. But war is here, and it is
time now to preach on its alleviations.
Marvellous Providence.
First I find an alienation in the fact
that it has consolidated the north and
the south after long continued strained
relations. 1t is 33 years since our civil
war closed, and the violences are all
gone and the seventies have been hush
ed. But ever and anon, in Grafton, in
sermon, in newspaper editorial, in mag
azine article, on political stump and in
congressional hall the old sectional diff
ference has lifted it's head, and for the
first time within my memory or the
memory of any one who hears or reads
these words the north and the south are
one. BY a marvellous providence the
family that led in opposition to our
government 80 years ago is represented
at the front in this present war. Moth
ing else could have done the work OF
unifoation so suddenly or so completely
as this conflict. At Tampa, at Chatta-
nooga, at Richmond and in many other
places the regiments are forming, and it
will be side by Massachusetts, and
Alabama, New York and Georgia, I'LL
nois and Louisiana, Maine and South
Carolina. Northern and southern men
will together unlimber the guns and
rush upon the fertilization and charge
upon the enemy and shout the triumph.
The voices of military officers who were
under Sidney johnson and Joseph Hook
er will give the command on the same
side The old sectional grudges forever
dead. The name of Grant on the north
ern side and of Lee on the southern side
will be exchanged for the names OF
Grant ana Lee Oh 6Do sdLue sluo' Liz
veterans in northern and southern homes
and asylums are stretching their rheu-
matte limbs to see whether they can
again keep step in march and are test
ing their eyesight to find whether they
can again look along the gun barrel &c
successfully take aim and fire. The old
warcry of ION to Richmond ~ and son
to Washington has become the war
cry of ION to Havana" "On to Puerto
Ricol" "On to the Philippine islandsP'
The two old rusty swords that in other
days clashed at Murfreesboro and South
Mountain and Atlanta are now lifted tc
strike down Hispanio denominations.
Inspired by Mercy.
Another alienation of the war is the
fact that it is the most unselfish war OF
the ages. While the commercial rights
of our wronged citizens viii! be vindi-
Gated that is not the chief idea of this
war. 1t is the rescue of hundreds OF
thousands of people from starvation and
multiform maltreatment. A friend who
went out under the flag of the Red
Cross two years ago to assuage suffering
in Armenia, and who has been on the
same mission, under the same flag, in