The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1898-06-23
AN UNSELFISH WAR.
DR.. Talmage Says Spain Must Quit
This Hemisphere.

The Alterations OF War Set Forth-Thc
Advancement of Liberty Will Not
Permit of Longer Spanish
Rule at Our Doors.
Rev. I. Dewitt Talmage, in the fol-
lowing sermon, deals with conditions
as presented by the existing state of
war. The text is:
Though war should rise against me, in this
would be confdent.-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 Shall
Eaneser, and Nabuchadnezzar. The
high priest would stand at the head
OF the army and say: clear, 0
Israel, We 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 then!' 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 it. And
what man is he that hath planted a
vineyard and hath not eaten of it? Let
him also go and return into 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 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 all the men were soldiers.
When Israel came out of Egypt they
We're 100000 fighting men. Abijah
commanded 100000. Jeroboam COM
manded 100000 men, of whom 500, 900
were slain in one battle. Some of
these wars God approved, fort 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 l be confident"
David is encouraging himself in
stormy times, and before approaching
battle administers to himself the con-
solatory. So to-day my theme is the
"Alleviations of War;" War is or
ganized atrocity. 1t is the science of
assassination. 1t is the convocation of
all horrors. It is butchery wholesale.
1t is murder glorided. 1t is death on a
throne of human skeletons. 1t is the
coffin in ascendency. It is diabolism at
a game of skulls. But war is here, and
it is time now to preach on Its allevia-
tions.
First, 1had 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 all
gone and the seventies have been
hushed. 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 it's
head; and for the first time within nv
memory, or the memory of anyone who
hears or reads these words, the north
and the south are one. BY 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 unification SO suddenly Or so COM
pletely as this conflict. At Tampa, at
Chattanooga, at 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
tification and charge upon the enemy
and shout the triumph. The voices OF
military officers who were under Sid.
ney johnson and Joseph Hooker will
give the command on the same side.
The old sectional grudges forever dead.
- AAN AuA1AS "a A0AU I'LL Vic AO1
| side and of Lee ON the southern side
| will be exchanged for the names oi
Grant and Lee on the same side. The
| veterans in northern and southern
homes and asylums are stretching thei,
rheumatic limbs to see whether they
can again keep step in march, and are
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 son to Richmond!'
and ''On to Washington!' has becom,
the war cry of ION to Havana "Ou
| to Porto Rico!' ION to the Philippin,
islands, The two old rusty sword
that in other days clashed at Murfrees
boro and South Mountain and Atlant;
are now lifted to strike down Hispani,
denominations.
1t is war inspired by mercy, which
| is an attribute in man initiative of tn.
same attribute of God. In no othe
age of the world could such war hav,
been waged. The gospel of kindness
| needed to be recognized throue hou
| Christendom in order to make such ;
war possibl>. The chief reason wh,
l v,,oa4 ~ tho Eurapoap pa%;oD~ :, -.