Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1898-05-20
MURDER GL0RIFIED.
REV. DR.. TALMAGE THUS CHARAC-
TERlZES WARS HORRORS.
The Great Preacher Deplores Strife, but
Points Ont Its Alleviations-A Sermon
of Cheer For a saddened People-War
For Humanity.

Points Out Its Alleviations-A Sermon
of Cheer For a saddened People-War
For Humanity.
copyright. 1895 by American Press Asso-
ciation.l
WASHINGTON, May 15.-Most perti-
nent 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, 3, "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 godly soldiers like
Moses and Joshua and Caleb and Gid
con and scoundrelly soldiers like Senna-
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
tie against your enemies, let not your
hearts faint, fear not and do not trem-
BILE, neither be ye terrified because Of
them % and then the officers would give
command to the troops, saying: "What
man is there that hath built a new
house and hath not dedicated it? Let
him 20 and return to his house, lest he
die in the battle and another man dedl.
cate it. And what man is he that hath
planted vineyard and bath not eaten
Of it? Let him also go 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 60 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, 900 fighting men.
Abijah commanded 400, 600. Jeroboam
commanded 500, 600 men, Of whom 500,
600 were slain in one battle. Some OF
these wars God approved, for they were
for the rescue of oppressed nations, and
some of them be denounced, but in all
cases it was a 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. II is the conyocation Of all
horrors. 1t is butchery wholesale. 1t Is
murder glor:fied. 1t is death on throne
of human skeletons. 1t is the coffin III
asoendency. 1t is diabolism at game
of skulls. But war is here, and it Is
time now to preach on its alleyiations.
Marvellous Providence.
First l find an alleviation 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 al
gone and the seventies have been hush
ed. But ever and anon, in oration, IL
sermon, in newspaper editorial, IN mag
azine article, on political stump and IL
congressional hall the old sectional diff
ference has lifted its head, and for the
first time within my memory or the
memory Of any one who hears or read'
these words the north and the south art
one. By a marvellous providence the
family that led in opposition to oui
government 80 years ago is represented
at the front in this present war. Moth
ing else could have done the work o.
upifcation so suddenly or so completely
as this conflict. At Tampa, at Chatta
nooga. at Richmond and in many othei
places the regiments are forming, and Il
will be side by side-Ma ssachusetts anC
Alabama, New York and Georgia, Hi
nois and Louisiana, Maine and Soutf
Carolina. Northern and southern mel
will together unlimber the guns anC
rush upon the fortification and charge
upon the enemy and shout the triumph
The voices of military officers who wer'
under Sidney johnson and Joseph Hook
er will give the command on the sam'
side. The old sectional grudges foreve
dead. The name of Grant on the north
ern side and Of Lee on the southern sid
will be exchanged for the names o
Grant and Lee on the same side. Th
veterans in northern and southern home
and asylums are stretching their rheu
matte limbs to see whether they cal
again keep step in march and are test
ing their eyesight to find whether the,
can again look along the gun barrel {
, successfully take aim and fire. The oil
warcry Of "On to Richmond and 20
to Washington !" has become the wal
cry of ION to Havana" ION to Puert
Ricor' "On to the Philippine islands!'
The two old rusty swords that in othe
| days olashed at Murfreesboro and Sout
Mountain and Atlanta are now lifted
strike down Hispanic denominations.
Inspired by Mercy.
Another alienation OF the war Is th
fact that it is the most unselfish war G
the ages. While the commercial right
: of our wronged citizens will be yindl
Gated that is not the chief idea OF thi
war IL is the rescue Of hundreds
thousands of people from starvation an
J multiform maltreatment. a friend wh
. went oct under the flag OF the he
Gross two years ago to assuase sufferin
ia Armenia, and who has been on th
same mission, under the same flag, !
Cuba. says that the sufferings in Al
menia were comedy and farce con
!. pared with the greater sufferlngs
= Cuba. At least 200. 900 graves are cal
y ing to Us to come on and remember b
: what process their occupants died.
n Is the twentieth century crying out
x the nineteenth: "Do you mean to pa
down to us the curse with which yo
have been blasteds Or will you let n
9 begin under 1ew auspices and turn IL
island Of desolation into an islan
Edenic?"
Il isa war inspired by mercy, whic
Is an attribute in man initiative OF q