Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1918-01-25
HENRY WATTERSON ON THE
WORLD CRISIS.
(Salem Timcs-Register.)

The following is the concluding por-
lion of Henry Watterson's double
loaded leading article in the Courier
journal on Christmas Day, 1917:
And now, after all these years, the
Courier Journal faces the greatest
cataclysm, the most direful tragedy,
of all ages. The world is torn up
by the roots. 1t is literally upside
i down. If when we get cover there"
the coming spring. we are not able
to end the war---if, for any reason,
the campaign dawdles along as it
has been doing-each side just able to
mold its own, neither able to attain
| decisive neutrality-suspicious. the sum-
iner and autumn and into the winter
OF 1888, something will break loose
IN this country and maybe in other
allied countries as we'll
Heaven help the world if the war
issue gets into the tangled web of
American politics; though even worse
might come to pass. The Courier
journal is not u pessimist. 1t has al
ways been an optinist. Yet, seeing
that the universe has gone into col
lapse mt least twice according to it's
recorded story, why not once again.
1t is not stretch of fancy to con-
ccive, even from surface indications,
an irresponsible conflict between the
capital and labor. e., the rich and
the poor-to be possible. That may be
but Il question of time in the Anglo
Saxon part Of it. How shall it be
settled as our sectional ir.repressible
conflict was settled
Human nature and character do
not seem to have changed, either for
better or for worse. with the devel-
opment of human ingenuities. Men
and women appear much the same as
they appeared tive thousand = five
thousand-years ago. With the man
hood of the generation depleted by
war and havoc--it womanhood unsex-
ed and degenerated by ieminsm-
who in the final test shall come to the
rescue of civilization?
These are the ugly questions. And
they rise like hons across the high
way Shall it be written that the ma
tons, having reached the apex of the
notwithstanding arrived where Rome
was, where Greece was-weath and
luxury able to go no further-delib-
erately set themselves to annihilate
one another and to destroy the accre-
tons of the centuries? AS matters
are, who can say they may not be for
the third time on the loving grade
headed for another cycle of what we
call "the Dark Ages?"
The Only Hope.
Surely the future looks black
enough, yet it holds Il hope, a single
hope. One, and one power only car
arrest the descent and save us That
is the Christian religion.
Democracy is but side issue. The
paramount issue, underlying the issue
OF Democracy, is the religion of the
Christ and Him cruciGed; the bed
rock of civilization; tho source and
resource of all that is worth having
IN the world that is, that gives prom
Use IN the world to come; not as an
abstraction; not as huddle of sects
and factions, but as mighty force
and principle of being. The word of
God, delivered by the angel Nazarene
upon the hillsides of Judea, sanctified
by the Cross Of Cavalry, has survived
every assault. 1t is now arrayed up-
on land and sea 20 meet the dead
hest of assaults, Satan turned loose
for one last final struggle.
The Kaiser boldly threw down the
guagc battle-Infidel GERMANY
against the believing world-"Kul-
turD against Christianity-the Gospel
OF Hate against the Gospel of Love.
lThus is Satan personifed-"Myself
and Cod" merely his way of pro-