The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1898-05-20

men, to be backed up speedily with 500,
600 more if needed. We do not have "
ak for any miracle, but only fair shC
at the ships headed this way and time
enough to demolish them. This is one
of the cases in the worlds history
where might and right are shoulder to
shoulder.
Doom of Spain.
Another alienation is in the fact
that such an atrocity as the destruction
of 966 lives in Havana harbor in time
of peace cannot with impunity be
wrought in this age of the worlds civi.
lization. The question as to who did
that infernalism is too we'll settled to
need any further discussion. But what
small crime it was compared with the
systematic putting into their graves OF
hundreds of thousands of Cubans, or
leaving them unburied for the buzxardS
TO take care of. If Spain could destroy
200. 900 men, women and children, the
slaughter of 266 people was not very
great undertaking. But this one last
deed will result in the liberation of Gu
ba and the driving of Spain from this
hemisphere and the overthrow of that
government, which will soon drop to
pieces if it does not go down under
bombardment of insulted nations.
There was danger that the long con-
tinued oppression of our neighbors in
Cuba might be continued from genera.
ton to generation without sufficient pro-
test on our part and the pronounced exc
Grafton of people on both sides of the
Atlantic, but that bursting volcano Of
destruction in the harbor of Havana fired
the nation and shocked the whole civil
lized world. All nations will learn that
such an act cannot be repeated without
the anathema of all Christendom. AS
individual criminals must be punished
| for the public good and we have for
them courts of oyer and termlner and
penitentiaries and electric chairs and
hangman S gallows, so governments COM
mitting high crimes against God and
humanity must be soourged and hung up
for the worlds indignation. When in
Spanish waters our battleship, looking
after our commercial interests and in.
tending nothing but quietude, was hurl-
ed into demolition and the men on
board, without time to utter one word
of prayer, were dashed into the eternal
world, the doom of the reigning house
of Spain was pronounced in tones louder
than the thunder which that night roll
ed out over the sea.
Our Hope In God.
Another alienation is the fact that
we have God to 60 to in behalf of all
those of our countrymen who may be in
especial exposure at the front, for we
must admit the perils 1t is no trif1ing
thing for 100, 900 young men to be put
outside of home restraints and sometimes
into evil companionship. Many of the
brave of the earth are not the good OF
the earth. To be in the same tent with
those who have no regard for God or
home, to hear their holy religion some
times slurred at, to be placed under IN
fluences calculated to make one reckless,
to have no Sabbath except such Sabbath
as in most encampments amounts to nc
Sabbath at all, to go out from homes
where all sanitary laws are observed
into surroundings where questions Of
health are never discussed, to invade
chimes where pestilence holds possession,
to make long marches under clustering
skies, to stand on deck and in the fields
under fire, at the mercy Of shot anc
shell, we must admit that those thus ex'
posed need especial care, and to the
omnipresent God we have a right tt
commend them and will commend them.
Postal communication may be interrupt
ed, and letters started from camps OF
homes may not arrive at the right desti
nation, but, however far away our loved
ones may be from us and however wide
and deep the seas that separate us, We
may hold communication with them vis
the throne of God.
A shipwrecked sailor was found float
ing on a raft near the coast of Califor
MIA. While in hospital he. told his expe
rienoe and said that he had compan
ion on the same raft for some time
While that companion was dying Of
thirst he said to him, George, where
are you going?" and the dying sailor
said, L hope l am going to God. " 81
you do" said the rescued sailor, will
YOU ask him to send some water?" After
the death of his ompanion, the survivor
said, the rain came in torrents and slak
ed his thirst and kept him alive until he
was taken to safety. The survivor al
ways thought it was in answer to the
message he had sent to heaven asking
for water. Thank God we may have di
rect and instantaneous communication
with the Lord Almighty through jesus
Christ, his only begotten Son, and IL
that faith we may secure the rescue Of
our imperiled kindred Is not that 9
mighty alienation!
Until this conflict is ended let us bt
much in prayer for our beloved coun
try. Do not let us depend upon the
friendship of foreign nations. Our hope
is in God. Out of every misfortune be
has brought this nation to better NOR
al and financial condition, and so lei
us pray that he will lift us out of this
valley of trouble into higher noun
tain of blessing.
1t is a mystery that just as this coun'
try was recovering from long season
of hard times SO many Of our Industries
should now be halted; that business
men who thought they could see their