Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-05-02

mouth Church, in Brooklyn, New York, on
Sunday evening, and his sermon is thus re-
ported in the Eastern papers;
Mr.. Beecher took his text from the sixtieth
psalm, fourth verse Thou has given aban-
per TO them that fear thee, that it may be
display ed because Of the truth" From the
earliest times nations had gone forth to war
under some banner. II was used probably
at first as q rallying signal TO direct men in
the confusion of conflict that the leader
might gather about him his followers when
he was lost to their sight. II acquired pc
cular significance from the purposes of
houses or governments that adopted it. At
lepptb, as consolidated governments drank
up lesser independent authorities, banners
became significant chiefly as representing
nations. No civilized nation but had its
banner. A thoughtful man when he saw Q
national flag saw symbolized the nation IL
belonged 70. When the French tri color
rolled out TO the wind, be saw France when
the new. found flag of Italy was unfurled,
he saw IesurIected Italy; and so Of others.
This Z Uuion has a banner, toe. Until re-
Gently, whenever it streamed abroad men
saw daylight bursting on their eyes. For
until latteriy the American flag has been the
symbol of liberty. Not any flag upon the
globe hes had such an erraud. The stars
upon it were to the pining nations like the
bright morning stars, and the stripes upon
it were beams of morning light. Wherever
it goes men behold in its sacred emblszonry
10 signal of imperial authority, but they see
the signals of light: it is the banner of
dawn; and the poor oppressed conscfipt, the
trodden. down creature of foreign despotism
sees in the American flag that very promise
ol God-"The people that sat in darkness
saw great light, and TO them which sat in the
valley of death light is sprung up"
During the colonial period there had been
no American flag but each State that chose
had separate significant banner. But in
~, within few days from one year after
the Declaration Of independence, and two
yeats or more after the war began, upon the
14ih of June, the States assembled, and or
daine 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 alltheir worldly pos.
sessions for the doctrines of personal liberty.
That flag N cans Lexington-it means Bun
ker Hill-it means the whole glorious Rev.
olutionary War. 1t means all that the Dec
laTation of Independence means--all that the
Constitution means. Not a symbol of au-
thority of the ruler was allowed to go in it.
1t was ordained for the people by the people I;
that it meant and that it means, and, by the
blessing Of God, that it uhall mean to the end
of time.
For God Almighty be thanked, that when
base, degenerate men desired to set up op.
preston, at war with all the instincts Of
American liberty, they could not do it under
our flag. They must have another flag for
such work. thank them that they took
another flag TO do the devils work, and left
our flag to do God Almighty's works. Zap
plause-supprsssed;l If ever the sentiment
,,r he fnlE aA it has haa IN,
glorious banner. "Thou hast given banner
to them that fear them, that Il may be dis
played !" and displayed il shall be from the
Atlantic wave clear across, with eagle fight,
TO the Pacific; that banner shall wave mean
ing all that it ever meant. From the North,
where SHOWS and ice stand solitary, clear to
the Gulf and tropics, that banner has waved
and shall wave forever. EIrrepressible ap
plause Mr.. Beecher said he knew it was
hard 10 restrain some expression when men
were full of feeling, but he would prefer that
they would wait till his sermon was done
without inserting any pnnetuation marks oi
even enthusiasm. Not because he thought
Sunday too good day, but it was not their
way. They came of a silent stock, with
feelings running in a 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 it shall yet wave. 1t cheered
our army, driven out from round New York
in their solitary pilgrimage through New
Jersey, and at Valley Forge. It crossed the
waters roaring with ice at Trenton, and
when its stars cleaned in the cold morning
with victory, O new day dawned on this
country. When South Carolina, in the Rev.
olutionary struggle, forgot courage and per
sonal liberty, and yielded up the State, the
only one OF all that gave adhesion to the
British Government, then it was that this
banner led on the Virginian forces that con
queIed both the British and the Carolins
armies, and brought back the StaJe. Alas
that the head should become the tail. Alas
that Virginia should be dragged about thC
rebel camp at the tail of South Carolina
Now this flag is on trial 1t has been con
,demned.
In the Confederate States a poor forgery
has been run up 10 stand in place of the ole
Rev olutionary, historic flag. In Kentucky
Missouri, and the other Middle States, it il
at half mast, uncertain whether it shall
come down. would they were cold o.
hot. $50 because thou art not cold or hot
I / will spew thee out of my mouth" w
! do not believe in hermaphrodite patriotism.
These Middle States, these eunuchs, it i
| little matter how they go, unless the.
| quickly go right. 1t was this flag that wa
fred into at Sumter; that flag which Russi
| could pot daunt, nor France intimidate, no
England conquer, has gone down amid tn
treacheIy of our own States. Do you know
that men who sat in the Senate of the Unite'
States went out into the streets of Savannah
and trod upon it2 Kissed and spit upon, an
trailing in the dust it was carried throug
Southern cities.
What has been its crime2 Guilty G
nothing but too much liberty. Its stars hav
too much prominence in them for those VIII
are born slaves, and its stripes have to
bright a light for those who sit in darkness
That flag is now placed in your hands
advance. 1t must GO to the Capital ofthis ne
\ ton. Not thidden, not secreted or covered
any case, but advanced full, high-displaye
bright as the sun, clear as the moon, terribl
as an army with banners For a single wee
that shameful circuit may be needful, bJ
the road for New England, New York an
Pennsy ylvaniA, lies right through RaltimOr
+ [Applapse here again found vent NJ
Beecher remarkiug that he supposed the
could not help it'll But you must not sto
at the Capital. You must go beyond.
The lard of Washington shall see Wasl
irgton's flag again. IL must see OharlestO
again, and float from the old fort, Il mu
20 to the Alligator Stale, and wave over a
fields Of sugar and tobacco. II must be foun
in every State, I'LL II touches the MISSISSIPPI
Bathing in its waters, il must go across
Texas, nor stop till it floats In every Sta
and Territory. Have you not had enoug
mischief of slavery. Slavery
eggs are what it matches. Slavery breet
traitors in the masters, and miserable siay
are its subjects. Slavery is the damnab
poison that has been circulating in the bod
Epolitic. Blessed be God, there is a mediciI
found. Let the banner go over every inch
the rebelhous States, with the watehwor'
Defiance TO Slavery; all hail to Liberty II
60 10 ConstantinOple, and q mob assail m
that banner saves me. L can go round d
globe and be safe. But in my own COUNT
It is defied It's denied me to 90 TO Was
ingtOn, We have not had Government I
fifty years that slavery did not wish TO hay
Uncounted hundreds Of men have be-
mulcted in their pocket, have been hun
murdered, and no government has made /
quisiton for them. But il shall wave, al
men shall 60 10 Mobile on the same tenu
] al al 10