Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1861-05-17
The Flag oE On Corntrv.

BEECHER preached on "Ihe Flag OF Our
Country" The following might be denomi-
mated an eloquent extract:
This Union has banner. too. Until re-
Gently, whenever it streamed abroad men saw
daylight bursting on their eyes. For until
latterly the American Flag has been the sym
boil 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 beans Of
morning light. Wherever it goes men behold
in IFS sacred embIazonary no signal of imperi-
al authority, but they see the signals oflight;
it is the banner of dawn; and the poor op-
pressed conscript the trodden down creatures
of foreign despotisms see in the American flag
that very promise of God--"The people that
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 II,
within a few days from one year after the Dee
laration Of independence, and two or more af
ter the war began, upon the 18th of June, the
States assembled, and ordained and establish
ed the glorious flag now sustain. The men
who devised it were men who had taken their
lives in their hands, ard consecrated all their
worldly possessions for the doctrines of person.
al liberty That flag means Lexington-it
means Bunker Hill-it means the whole glo-
rious Revolutionary War 1t means all
that the Declaration of Independence means
all that the Constitution means. Not sym
bOI of authority Of the ruler was allowed to go
in it. 1t was ordained for 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, degenerate men desire to set up oppres-
sion at war with all the instincts of American
liberty, they conld not do ii under our flag
They mus haze taIotncr nag for sHch work.
| thank them that they took another flag to
do the devils Hork, aid left our flag to God
Almightys work. [Appause- suppressed
If ever the sentiment Of the text has been full
filed, it has been odr glorious banner. Thou
hast given banner to them that fear them,
that it may be displayed;" 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 ice stand
solitary, clear to the Gulf and tropics, that
banner has waved and shall wave forever
[Irrepressiblc applause. Mr. Dcecher said he
knew il was bard to restrain some expression
when men were full of feeling, but he would
prefer that they should wait till his sermon
was done without inserting any punctuation
marks of even enthusiasm. Not because he
thought Sunday too good L dry, but it was
not their way. They came of a silent stock,
with feelings running in a deep b1t quiet chan
nell 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 il shall yet wave. 1t cheered
our army, driven Uat from round New York
in their solitary pilgrimage, through NV Jer
sey and ut Valley Forge. 1t crossed tbs wa
teFs roaring with ice at Trenton, aid its stars
cleaned i'll the cold IN rning with victory, i
new day dIwhed on this coualry. Wnct
South Carolina, in the Revocation sruEg.e
forgot courage and personal lib,"ty. ana y1r'i,s-
cd up the State, the uny ono of al. ,hLl gave
adhesion 10 the British gJytrrn>nJ, then ii
was that this banner icd OH tA. Y irgin!a for
ca that cong ieretl both the British and the
Caroiinl arul .cs, and brought back ths State.
Alas! that the head should hecnms the tail.
Alas! that Virginia should be dragged about
the rebel etnlp at the tail of Sonth Curoliiss:
Now this flag is on trial. 1t has not been seen
and will not be condemned. In the Confedcr
ate States, poor forgery has been run up to
stand in the place Of the old Revolutionary
historic flag. In Kentucky Missouri, and the
other middle States, it is at halfmast, uneer-
ain whether it shall come down. would they
were cold or hot. 80 because thou art not
cold nor hot, will spew thee out ofmy mouth"