The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-05-11

man race. namely: 'Famlne, pesti-
lence and the hero" AS punish
ment for sin, or because the sons OF
men are multiplying too rapidly, or to
teach a fearful object-lesson, or for
some other reason so mysterious and
inscrutable that no human mind can
grasp it, God reaches down and strikes
the earth by territories, whole districts
burn up and dry out from frightful
droughts, and the people fall by
scores and hundreds starved. India
has been one Of these cursed terrific
ries. Again the Fateful strikes hu-
manity by the assembly. In crowded
cities disease takes It's strongest hold
and devours its greatest number of
victims. Through contiguity and as
sociation death reaches from soul to
soul. The most awful instance we
know of this particular dispensation
was the black deathin the seventeenth
century which destroyed half the
population Of England.
The chastiser as hero whips the
human race by the nation. Alexan-
der was born; Greece, Macedonia,
Egypt and Persia gave their sons to
him. At one time in the mere begin
ming, this hero sold thirty thousand
inhabitants Of refractory city into
slavery, and he then youth Of barely
twenty-five years. Before Christ Cae-
sar came. To this day certain por-
items Of the earth carry the scars of
this chastiser indestructible roads
that he laid for the marching Of his
army. In calculating the census Of
the ancient world Caesars dead made
difference almost appreciable. In
our own day he whom half the world
would name matehless, Napoleon,
took his stand at the right hand Of
Destiny. God said "StrikeF' And
then there was the battle Of the Pyra-
mids, Marengo, Austerlitz. The re-
treat from Moscow, the battle Of the
Nations and Waterloo. Stupendous
autograph of our name! France was
forever glorifed, geography changed,
hundreds Of acres Of earth en-
riched with blood.
There are old chateaus yet that bear
the wounds in displaced beams and
broken columns of the vollies this
hero directed. There are old wells
from which none draw water to this
day because of the whole company Of
corpses shoveled into them after one
( Of these tragedies. Plastic humanity
sprung back after the wheel had rolled
on. and is blooming rank again over
the face Of the earth, scarless for
the great multitude of them that bore
this mans scars in their bodies many
years after his voyage to St. Helena,
have long since died, rotted and dissi-
pateti into dust and traditions and
the still greater host Of them who bore
his deep scars in their hearts have,
likewise, long since followed those
myriads they mourned for. The very
form Of government he would have
erected over the mind of men has
ceased to be in France, and a republic
stands for the empire.
Famine, cholera and Napoleon were
fearful scourges, and have left on the
history Of man deep scars, but they
were adequate. Man stands meek and
muss acknowledge before them that he
is beaten. He feels the invincible
touch Of the hand of Fate. He bows
beneath it, and is perhaps too over
whelmed for awhile to see the reason
or good in it. But after time he
does. To every mans eyes sometime
or other comes that finer insight which
stays with him longer or shorter, ac-
cording to the greatness Of his soul
that insight into the purpose of things.
He sees for moment the perfect in
the imperfect, the good in the evil and
is satisfied.
Each of these calamities has its
good and after the return to the
stunned senses Of serenity the good
begins to be apparent. The famine Of
India has helped India and the world
morally. The cry Of distress that
went up from her starving districts
brought forth aid from all Christen-
dom. Shiploads Of food, whole for
tunes of gifts were sent to her by alien
countries. Those countries which re-
sponded most generously were the
civilized nations, the Christian ma
tions. Half-civilized India, as she
reached her bony hands for the bread
of life, took note that it was Cau-
casian hand that stretched toward