Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1861-05-24
Beeoner on The American Flag.


the 22d ult;
Mr.. Beecher took his text from the
Goth Psalm, 4th verse Thou hast given
banner to them that fear thee, tt at If
may be displayed because of the truth.
From the earliest times nations had gone
forth to war under some banner 1t was
used probably al first as rallying sig
nal to direct men in the confusion of con-
f1ict, that the leader might gather about
him his followers when he was lost to their
sight. 1t acquired peculiar significance
for the purposes of houses or governments
that adopted it. At length, as consolida-
ted governments drank up lesser indepen-
dent authorities, banners became significant
chiefly as representing nations No civil
lied nation but had its banner A thought
full man when he saw a national flag, saw
symbolized the nation it belonged to.
When the French tri-color rolled out to the
wind, he saw France when the new-found
flag of Italy was unfurled, he saw rcsurrec-
ted Ital y; and so of others. This Union
has a banner, too.
Until recently, whenever it streamed
abroad men saw daylight bursting upon
their eyes. For until lately the American
flag has been the symbol of liberty, not
any flag upon the globe has had such an
errand. The stars upon it were to the
pining nations like the bright morning stars,
and the stripes upon it were beams of morn
ing light. Wherever it goes, men behold
in its sacred emblazonry no signal of i'm
perial authority, but they see the signals
of light it is the banner of dawn ard the
poor oppressed cOnscript, the trodden down
creature of foreign despotism, sees in the
American flag that very promise of God
The people that sat in darkness saw
great light, and to them which sat in the
vally o. death light is sIrung up During
the colonial period there had been no Am
erican flag but each State that chose had
a separate significant banner. But in IT,
within few days from one year after the
Declaration of Independence, and two years
or more after the war began, upon the 18th
of June, the states assembled, and crdain-
ed and established the glorious flag we now
sustain. The men who devised it were
men who had taken their lives in their hands
and consecrated all their worldly possess
ions for the doctrines of personal liberty.
That flag means Lexington-it means Bun
ker HiIl-it means the whole glorious Rev
olutionary War. 1t means all that the
Declaration Of Independence means-all
that the Constitution means Not SYM
bol Of authority of the ruler was allowed
to 90 on it. 1t was ordained for the peo-
pie by the people that it meant and that
it means, and by the blessing of God, that
it shall mean to the end of time For God
Almighty be thanked, that when base, de-
generate men desire to set up oppression
at war with all the instincts of American
liberty, they could not do it under our fac.
They must have another flag for such
work I thank them that they took anoth-
er flag to do the devils work, and left our
flag to do God Almighty's work, { Applause
suppressed
If ever the sentiment Of the text has
been fulfilled, it has been in our glorious
banner Thou hast given them banner
to them that fear them, that 1t mag be dis
played; ) and displayed it shall be from
the Atlantic wave clear across, with eagle
flight, to the Pacific: that banner shall
wave meaning all that it ever meant
From the north where SHOWS and lee
stand solitary clear to the gulf and trop-
les, that banner has waved and shall wave
forever. Irrepressible applause. Mr.
Beecher said he knew that 1t was hard to
restrain some expression when men were
full of feeling, but be preferred that they
should wait till the sermon was done, with
out inserting any punctuation marks of
even enthusiasm. Not because he thought
Sunday too good day, but it was not in
their way. They came of a silent stock,
with feelings running in deep but quiet
channel Under this banner moved
Washington, he and his armies; before it
Burgoyne laid down his arms; it waved
over West Point, over Fort Montgomery
and over another Montgomery i shall
yet wave. 1t cbeered our army, driven
out from around New York, in their solita-
~ pilgrimage, through New Jersey and
at Valley Forge. 1t crossed the waters,
rearing with ice, at Trenton. and when its
stars cleaned in the cold morning with vic
tory, a new day dawned on this country
When South Carolina, in the Revolutiona-
ry struggle, forgot courage and personal
liberty, and yielded up the State, the only
one of all tLat gave adhesion to the Brit
ish Government, then it was that this ban
ncr led on the Virginia forces that con-
quered both the British and the Carolina
armies, and brought back the State. Alas!
that the head should become the tail
Alas! that Virginia should be dragged
about the rebel camp at the tail of South
Carolina,
Now this flag is on trial 1t has been
condemned. In the Confederate States
poor forgery has been run up to stand in
place of the old Revolutionary historic flag
In Kentucky, Missouri, and the other Mid
die States, 1t is at balf-mast, uncertain
whether it shall como down. l would they
were cold or hot. so because thou art
not cold or hot. | will spew thee out of
my mouth. We do not believe in her
maphrodite patriotism. These Middle
States, these eunucbs, it is little matter
how they 60, unless they quickly 60 right.
1t was this flag that was fired into at Sum-
ter; that flag which Russia could not
daunt. nor France intimidate, nor England
conquer. has gone down amid the treach-
cry of our own States. Do you know that
men who sat in the Senate Of the United
States went out into the streets of Savan-