r their
respective sides in time of war. And why not? Is not the Bible God "the
Lord of Hosts" and "a man of war"? Did he not teach David's fingers to
fight? Were not Joshua and Jehu, the two greatest tigers in history, his
chosen generals? Why then should he be averse to international
butchery in Europe? Should he not rejoice in the next bloody cockpit of
featherless bipeds? And is it not hard to see his infinite appetite for
blood reduced to content itself with an occasional duel, in which not
enough of the sanguine fluid is shed to make a small black-pudding?
Bishop Freppel is ill-advised. He should not rob his Deity of his last
consolation.

DOWN AMONG THE DEAD MEN. *

* July 2, 1893.

The ramming and sinking of the "Victoria" is the great event of the day.
It is said to show the uselessness of big ironclads in naval warfare.
But as the "Camperdown," which sent the "Victoria" to the bottom in
a few minutes, has herself sustained very little damage, it looks as
though "rams" were anything but inefficient. There has never yet been
an engagement between two fleets of ironclads, and no one knows how they
would behave in an actual battle. Our own impression is that both
fleets would go to the bottom, and this opinion is shared by a good many
practical persons at Portsmouth and Devonport. However that may be, it
is a great pity that "civilised" nations are still so uncivilised as to
spend their time and money on these costly engines of destruction. We
are well aware that the newspapers go into hysterics over our soldiers
and sailors, and no doubt many of them are very gallant fellows. But
in this, we venture to think, they do not represent the masses of the
people. Never have we witnessed such deep and sincere enthusiasm as was
displayed by the crowd of spectators at the Agricultural Hall, while
the American, Portuguese, and English firemen were going through their
evolutions. The business of these fine fellows was to _save_ life. They
incurred the deadliest danger for human preservation, and not for human
destruction. And how the people cheered them as they rode upon their
engines, drawn by galloping horses! With what breathless interest they
watched them climbing up ladders, sliding down ropes, and bearing men
on their backs out of third-floor windows! It did one good to watch the
proceedings, which showed that a new spirit was taking possession of
the people, that they were beginning to be more interested