Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1898-05-21


of Cheer For Snddoned Peoplc-War
For Humanity.
copyright 1898, by american Press Asso-
WASHINGTON, May 15.-Most peril.
nent to the exciting times through
which wo are now passing is this ser
mon of DR.. Tnlmago, in which he pro-
poses to cheer the people who arc sad
dened by the horrors of war; text,
Psalms xvii, 5, Though war should
rise against me, in this will l be con-
Gdent'
The ring of battleaxes and the clash
of shields and tie tramp Of armies arc
heard all up and down the Old Tosta-
ment, and you find godly soldiers like
Moses and Joshua and Caleb and Gid
con and scoundrelly soldiers like SIENNA
cherib and Shalmaneser and Nobuchad-
nezzar. The high priest would stand
Mt the head of the army and say, Hear
@ Israel, We approach this day unto bat
Ito against your enemies, let not your
hearts faint, fear not and do not trem-
BILE, neither BIO ye terrified because OF
them!" and then the officers would give
command to tie troops, saying: What
man is there that hath built new
house and hath not dedicated it? Let
him 90 and return to his house, lest no
die in tho battle and another man dedl-
cate it. And what man is he that hath
planted vineyard and hath not eaten
of 1t? Let him also go and return unto
his house, lest he die in tho 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 III tho
baltic and another man take her. "
Great armies marched and fought. In
time of Moses and Joshua all the men
woro soldiers. When Israel came out of
Egypt, they were 600, 600 fighting men.
Abijah commanded 400, 600. .leroboam
commanded 500, coo men, of whom 500,-
600 were slain in ono battle. Some of
these wars God approved for they were
for tho rescue of oppressed nations, and
some of them he denounced, but in all
cases it was Judgment upon both vic
tors and vanquishcd. David knew just
what war was when he wrote i'll the
text, "Though war should rise against
me, in this will | be confident y
David is encouraging himself in
stormy times, and before approaching
battles administers to himself the coll
solatory. So today my theme is the
Alterations of War" War is organ
lied atrocity. 1t is tho science of assas-
sination. 1t is the convocation of all
horrors 1t is butchery wholesale. 1t is
murder glor:fied. 1t is death Oh throne
of human Skeletons 1t is the coffin in
ascendoncy. 1t is diabolism at game
of skulls. But war is here, and 1t IS
time now to preach on its alterations
Marvellous Providence.
First find an alienation in the fact
that it has consolidated the north and
tho south after long continued strained
relations. 1t is SO years since our civil
war closed, and the violences are all
gone and the seventies have been hush
cd. But ever and anon, in grafton, IN
sermon, in newspaper editorial, in mag
azine article, on political stump and III
congressional hall tho 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 reads
these words tho north and the south are
one. By 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
unifcation 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 Embellishments and
Alabama, New York and Georgia, Hill
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
or 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 DO exchanged for the names of
Grant and Lee on the same side. The
veterans in northern and southern homes
and asylums are stretching their rheu-
matte limbs to sec 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 to
successfully take aim and fire. The old
warcry of "On to Richmond" and ION
to Washington has become tho war
cry of "On to Havana!' con to Puerto
Rico!'' "On to the Philippine islandsl"
The two old rusty swords that in other
days clashed at Murfreesboro and South
Mountain and Atlanta are now lifted to
strike down Hispanic denominations
Inspired by Mercy.
Another alienation Of the war is the
fact that it is the most unselfish war OF
thu ages. While the commercial rights
of our wronged citizens will be vindl-
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
Cuba, says that the sutferings in Ar
menia were comedy and farce COM
pared with the greater suferings of
Cuba. At least 200, 900 graves are call
ing to us to come on and remember by
what process their occupants died. 1t
is the twentieth century crying out to
the nineteenth: "Do you mean to pass
down to US the curse with which you
have been blasted? Or will you let me
begin under new auspices and turn the
ISLAND of desolation into an island
Edenic?"
Isisa var inspired by mercy, which
is an attribute in man initiative OF the
Same attribute of God. In no other age
OF the world could such a-war have
been waged. The gospel of kindness