Litchfield enquirer., 1863-04-30

I s"l3nt pause, forbearing to follow farther such painful thoughts as that any can be found to encourage youths to fght, on the ground that any cause in wbich blood is shed can De 60 holy as to sanctify its defenders, that any war can be so glorious as to furnish tue com batants with passport to glory. Alas! for immortal souls, when such opinions have the sanction of those deputed to the work of their instruction. Alas. for the country. in the pulpits whereof such opinions are allowed to sprout and spread. To show you that am not deoeiving myself or you, when say that men have been trying to change the condition on which everlasting life is offered to the sons of Adam. let me read to you an extract ef letter in which the captain of the company, to which the youth belonged. communicates the tidings af his death to one of the near rela- lives. Saying nothing of Saviour or cross, | of faith or repentance, this captain says, and I in saying 50 merely re echoes what in sub stance he had heard again and again Hehas been taken from the army of this world, and transferred to his friends in the great army of Heaven, where he will have no more weary marches, and where all is joy and peace God grant that the soul which lately tabernacled in this body, had something else but the absurd and mischievous delusion on which that extract of letter was based, to support it into the rest of Elysium." Y sI address my remaining remarks to the task which . minister of the gospel owes on such an occasion to the living generally to the mourning friends of the deceased particularly. That duty is to administer comfort and admo- nilion. In approaching the discharge of this duty. which has been assigned to me by the bereaved parents, and which, had the power | of refusal been left to me, would willingly have declined, I am not unmindful of the course taken by those who love to paint from the imagination rather than the life who are better adopts at giving cordials than bitters, and preparing puff paste than solid food. Were to speak to these parents after the manner of such, would now tell them how happy they ought to feel that one so near and dear has fallen in a righteous and glorious war. Iwould tell them how happy they ougLt to feel that their child was killed in defence of the great and, let us hope. immortal Union of States, which stretch from the St. Lawrence to the Gulf of Mexico, and from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. would tell them how happy they ought to feel that they sent him to this glorious death that they surrendered him to an immortality of fame, 1 would tell them how happy they ought to feel that the reward which an admiring country will lavish over the ashes of their patriotic boy, will be shared by them that the glory ofdying for one's country will be reflected on those who bid their boy speed to the field of battle and blood. But no, cannot speak thus. Were to speak so, you would not believe it !; but l know better than to do 80. Now, if ever, here in the presence of the dead, if anywhere, let truth, not falsehsod, be spoken. This youth fallen in glorious war Never was there one for which there will be greater cause to blush for shame. This youth fallen in a righteous war No all the ambassadors of 1 the gospel of the Prince of Peace could not ab- solve it from the curse. This youth fallen in | Q necessary war No never was there one which afflicted the globe with so much sorrow | and disaster uncalled for and unneeded This youth slain in defence of the Union. that none but a traitor can help praying may be coev.l with the stars of hesven! No; when the smoke of this was has cleared away, so as to enable the stylus of history to write true ver- sion of its origin, it will appear that this life was lost for other causes, all which were adroitly masked uAder the cries, rally to the rescue the Union is in danger the Union must and shall be preserved ! Again al l though there was any glory to blunt the sting of a sons untimely death in such war, to make parent bending over the lifeless re- mains of her child feel happy it is not for you. How should it when you had no part in dress ing him in the tinsel dress in which be was
 
 him up as target for the bullet that was to lacerate his limb and lay him in the dust you even threw obstacles in the way of his going to the harvest-feld of blood? No you have nought to do but mourn that you have lost . child; that the remains of one who played once around your knees, and slept within your .rnIs, lay last night like an outcast in your barn, and lies tonight like a clod in yender graveyard that you, mother, did not bind aru1a -ssh your tears till he gave up his purpose. No, if there is any glory to be reflected from this face and coffin lid on any one, it belongs to those who, stepping between the father and the boy, usurped fathers right to influence him. Oh, yes, by all means let these have the glory of this death, if there be any for if they have hearts to feel they need it all to-day. Yes, with the child woman travailed for ly- ing in death at that woman's feet, and rebuk- ing them with deaths dumb eloquence for all her sorrow, they need this salve for conscience.
 In the absence of such a cause for comfort, let me see if there are not few crumbs of consolation floating in the cup that overfows with bitterness. There is comfort in the thought that your frst-bern is forever done with those wars and fghtings on earth that come of our lusts. He is done with the hard ships of the march, the sickness of the camp, the perils of the battle, and the discomforts of privation and hunger. He has given up the chase for glory, which the young are apt to think can be overtaken at the cannon's mouth; which the old know too we'll is only phantom that delights in blood and mocks the heetsst foot. For you, the sickening horror of sus- pense is over. You will not now dread the ar rival of the soldiers letter. You will not shrink from looking over the list of killed and wounded. Moreover, you will be able to look back with sad satisfaction on the picture, ever to be kept freshly colored by memory's pencil, of one who was of a genial nature and friend ly manner of one who from childhood up to youth carried face full of sunshine, and q heart full of warmth. Pleasanter will be this picture to you, than that which will present itself to many an eye, when the survivors of this war have returned home-the picture of not few soldiers returning capable of every deed . lawless will can plan, and Q blood stain ed hand can execute. Oh, better than to re- turn as many of them will return. as anguish causing thorns in the side of their country, as those they were employed to destroy bet ter than to return as too many will, trained to prodigacy, empty of glory-better than that to be thus. bitter as this is ! Better than that. immeasurably better to be thus, cold and dead!
 It remains for me to offer word of admoni- tion to tho living men and women that are