Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-07-17

The honors 81 war have been relieY-
ed. It is undeniable that Christianity
has greatly contributed to ameliorafe
the political condition of mankind by
diminishing the horrors of war, and by
promoting mutual intercourse, and adj
vancing the useful arts. Compare
ancient and modern warfare II you
would appreciate what Christianity has
done to take away the horrible features
OF warfare. What unbridled license
ancient soldiers were given on taking a
city. Pillage, robbery, rape, murder,
torture-in fact everything that Satan
could inspire brutal men to commit
characterized ancient war. Women
and childroen abused and outraged and
slaughtered, in ways that would put the
wild animals of the forest to shame.
Captives were tortured in the most
fiendish manner. and finally put to a
slow, agonizing death, or shut in dun
geons hundreds of feet beneath the
ground, damp, FOUL infected with dis
ease and crawling reptiles. Or If they
were not put TO death they were mutt
lated by having their ears cut off or
their eyes put out or some other hOrr-
BILE mutilation. Think of the CHASTITY
trophies of ancient warfare. l will give
but two examples out of thousands
which might be given. The ancient
Mexicans fiayed the first prisoner in a
war, and the soldier who had captured
him, dressed himself in the bleeding
skin and for some days walked from
enc heather temple 10 another with
men and women following him shout
ing for joy. THE sleeping apartment
OF Dahoman king was paved with the
skulls of neighboring princes and
chiefs placed there that the king might
tread upon them" All, but you say no
one would dare do such things in the
nineteenth century. You are mistak-
en-; only two years ago the "unspeaka-
BILE Turk" did things even worse, while
prosecuting Christians. Compare these
horrible modes of warfare where the re-
ligion of Christ is not, with the humane
act of Admiral Sampson, who, when he
would take a city, gave plenty of
time for the women and children and
the aged to get completely out of dan
ger, and who treated his prisoners Of
war better according to their own state
ment, than their own Spanish COM
manders treated them. Though the
CuISS VI Wal StlII SAlSIS yet SHI
has taken away its most horrible fea-
lures and made it a tame affair COM
pared with wars outside of Christen-
dom. The feelings of tenderness to-
ward the weak cnaracteriZeS Christian
civilization. Murder and pillage are
not suffered, massacre is never heard of
in civilized warfare and torture is as
extinct as cannibalism. And may God
hasten the day when arbitration alone
shall settle difficulties between nations,
and when nation shall not lift up
sword against nation, neither shall they
learn war any more
There is d growing sentiment against
war. The time was when the greatest
energies of the leading nations were given
to make tools of war, and when the chief
business of kings was to make war and
when every able-bodied male citizen was
a warrior. All that is past and gone.
Only a small fringe of human labor is re-
lated to war material; and kings have
discovered that national prosperity and
national peace go together hand in hand.
Contrast the life in England under the
Edwards and under Queen Victoria. DR..
Joseph Parker of London. commenting on
the conflict between Barak, king of Israel,
and Jabin, king of Canaan, said when
a man has nine hundred chariotS of
iron he wants something for them to do.
Kings who have large standing armies are
bound to create occasions of war, hence
the injustnce, the turpitude, the hellish-
ness of battle And President Samuel
Gompers, of the American Federation of
Labor, in an address at Boston last March,
said the organization of labor recognizes
that a standing army is a menace to lib
erty, and a fomenter of trouble between
man and man. If peace cannot be secured
in any other way, the time is coming
when federated labor will refuse to make
implements that are intended to strike
down their fellow men; when ship build
ers will refuse to construct vessels of
war; when sailors will refuse to navigate
ships of war, and when all workers will
refuse to contribute their labors in any
way for the slaughter of their brethren
wherever they may be-" Think of the
burdensome expense upon a nation of
keeping up a regular army Since 1874 I'M
til the present year our army was limited
to 5000 men; yet its maintenance costs
more than $50,000000 a year. And our land
force is modest compared with the prodig-
ious armies of Europe Russia has an
army on a peace footing of 100000 men,
costing $125 900 year. Germany and
France have $4,000 men each: Austria
360,0G0; Italy 260, GOO; England 10000: Spain
100000 The little nations of Holland, Den
mark and Belgium, have each of them
more soldiers than the United States.
These figures give us very faint idea of
the awful cost of life and money these
armies entail. In view of all this it is
the duty of every Christian everywhere 10
talk war down and to work and pray for
universal peace. Just as the golden rule
should be practiced between man and man;
so Christ, through his teachings of wis
dom, peace, brotherhood, justice and
equity should become the Supreme Arbi-
traitor of national disputes, and as sure
as God rules and reigns. He will be such.
God speed the Peace Conference to this
end.
BROUGHT DOWN A BIRD.