Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1898-05-26

The following sermon by Rev. 7. De-
Witt Talmage is designed to alleviate
some of the feelings of sadness brought
about by the horrors OF war. The text
IL:
Though war should rise against me, In this
would be confident. Psalms xvii, 3.
The ring Of battle-axes, and the
clash of shields, and the tramp OF
armies, are heard all up and down the
Old Testament; and you find godly
soldiers like Moses, and Joshua, and
Caleb, and Gideon, and scoundrelly
soldiers like Sennacherib, and Shah
maneser, and ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. The
high priest would stand at the head
Of the army and say: Hear, 0
Israel, ye approach this day unto
battle against your enemies, let not
your hearts faint, fear not, and do
not tremble, neither be ye terrified be-
cause OF themp And then the officers
would give command to the troops,
saying: "What man is there that hath
built new house and hath not dedi-
Gated 1t? Let him go and return TO
his house, least he die In the battle
and another man dedicate II. And
what man Ii he that hath planted
vineyard and hath not eaten Of 1t? Let
him also go and return into his house,
lest he die In the battle and another
man eat OF 1t. And what man Ia
there that hath betrothed wife
and hath not taken her? Let him
60 and return unto his house,
lest he die In the battle and another
man take her." Great armies marched
and fought. In the time OF Moses and
Joshua nll The men were soldiers
When Israel came out Of Egypt they
were 100000 fighting men. Abijah
commanded 100000, Jeroboam com
manded 100000 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 He denounced, but IN all
cases 1t was Judgment upon 10th vic
tors and vnnquished. David knew just
what war was when he wrote in the
text: "Though war should rise against
me, in this will be confident.
David il encouraging himself In
stormy times, and before approaching
battle administers to himself the con-
solatory. So to-day my theme Is the
"Allcviations of War" War Is or
ganized atrocity. 1t Is the science of
assassination. II is the convocation OF
all horrors. II is butchcry Wholesale
1t Is murder gloritcd. 1t Is death on
throne OF human skeletons. 1t Is the
coffin in ascendcncy. 1t is diubolism ut
a game of skulls But war Is here, and
IL is time now To preach on ITS allevia-
tions.
First, had an alienation in the fact
that it has consolidated the north and
the south after long-continucd strained
relations. IL Is 81 years since our civil
war closed, and the violcnces nre I'LL
gone and the seventies have been
hushcd But ever and anon, in ora
ton, in sermon, in newspaper edito-
rial, in magazine article, on political
stump, and in congressional hall, the
old sectional difference has lifted its
head; and for the first time within my
memory, or the memory OF anyone who
hears or reads these words, the north
and the south nre one. by u mar
velous providence the family that led
In opposition to our government
30 years ago Is represented at
the front in this present war.
Nothing else could have done the work
of uniiication SO suddenly or 80 COM
pletcly as this conflict AT Tampa, Mt
Chattanooga, ut Richmond, and in
many other places, the regiments are
forming, and it will be side by side,
Massachusetts and Alabama, New York
and Georgia, Illinois and Louisiana,
Maine and South Carolina. Northern
and southern men will together un.
Timber the guns and rush upon the for
titication and charge upon the enemy
and shout the triumph. The voices Of
military officers who were under Sid
ney johnson and Joseph Hooker viii
give tho command on the same side.
The old sectional grudges forever dead.
The name of Grant ON the northern
side aud of Ice on the southern side
will be exchanged for the names OF
Grant and Lee on tho same side. The
veterans in northern and southern
homes and nsylums are stretching their
rheumatic limbs To sec whether they
can again keep step in march, and IRE
testing their eyesight to find whether
they can again look along the gun bar
rel to successfully take aim and fire
The old war cry of ION to Richmondl'
and ION to Washington" has becom,
the war cry OF ION to ilavanal" "ol
to Porto Rico!" "0n to the Philippin,
islands," The two old rusty swords
that in other days FLASHED AT Murfrces
boro and South Mountain and Atlaut,
are now lifted To strike down uispani
denominations.
Another alienation of tho war IL tn
fact that it is the most unseltish wa
OF the ages. While tho commercia
rights of our wronged citizens will b
indicated, that is not tho chief idea 0
this war. 1t is tho rescue Of hundred
OF thousands of people from starvation
and multilorm maltrcatment. A frien
who went out under the flag of the Re
Cross two years ago to assuage suife,
= 4 Il. A..