North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1863-08-19
Political funeral Sermon,

IN grove in the vicinity OF Russell Hill on
funera! occasion. The deceased was
young man returned home on the 9th of
June, from the tented field, after the expra
tion of his servitude Of nine months, being
lawfully discharged On the 18th, one week
later, he was a corpse. The funeral GER
emones were conducted by J. J. Ken nedy
assisted by d. Jayne. have not attached
Revs., nor given the name of Messengers of
peace, because the discourse for the occasion
was bad logic and worse divinity. Kennedy
gave out as his text, Cor. Chap. 18th, verse
28th. Spent short time in making some
preliminary remarks. Then ne began to
talk of our country, of its rise and progress,
manufacturers and commerce, ofits various
institutions, its laws and government, being
the best in the world. It's inhabitants being
prosperous, free and happy people. In this
place | would say that he never spoke the
word Constitution, while on the stand
perhaps he thought the Government bet
ter word to suit the times with A. Lincoln
for supreme dictator Our Countrys
rise, progress, and prosperity are the strong
est evidences in favor of the form of Gov ern-
ment under which we have lived to be
nation, men were placed at the heads of the
different departments sworn to honor and
obey the constitution and laws and to at
tend to every part of the machin cry by
which our union is kept incxistence before
Al.
had the courage to come out boldly against
the Constitution and Union, but now DAYS
you can find them in almost every place, and
are ready at any moment to say hard things
of men, if they stand up for the Constitution
and Union as it was principles they have
believed in from infancy up, all through life
perhaps of seventy years, but now such,
men are called traitors to their countrv.-
In the next place he spoke of the
country in its present condition. The war
cry in our ears every day, something new
| thousands killed, and tens of thousands
| wounded was attributed in one in
stance, to southern traitors in the next
| as judgment from God, on us on account of
slavery as national sln-as to its con.:nu
ance he laid great stress ON Northern svmpa-
thy, but said the rebellion must be put down.
the unicn and government sustained at all
hazards. In this part of his discourse he
waxed warm. Government and union was all
in all to him. He talked as though he possess
ed courage, would think it an honor to die
in the cause of his country. He was down
on those that talked Of peace or compromise.
John Van BIrn AMI Ben Wood, by
name, nd all others of the same stamp were
doomed men. He wanted all men to sun
port the government CA. Lincoln's) and
t o yield TO all Its laws and commands He
spoke hard things of Northen men who
would not do il. He took a view of the con-
gregation, and said he saw some of them
there; he knew them by their cluatenaacss.
About this time his love for the union and
the government had got his gas up to blow
ing off pitch. The congregation had to take i
in language as follows: "Should any one be
found black enough at heart to say or act
perversely to the Government, he hoped
JEHOVAH would put his hand on him nd
crush him to the earth" And to let his hear
erS know, he repeated it in the same Ian
guage, CHE government here alluded to was
A, Lincoln's) because these inen thai
have not changed their step, but are Cd the
old path, the god way in which their fa-
thers walked, gorying in the Constitution
and Union, are styled by this worthy as COP
perheads sympathizers with traitors
There was one face in the congregation,
hid from his view under the flag of his coun-
try, and feel proul to say, without fear of
contradiction, that he belonged to the class
that tcame under tho dispIeasure of
the speaker, wa)Se h)ps was their destruc-
ton without mercy. As soon as he had
blown off his gas little he began to call on
that party which was no. turned over to de-
struction, to arouse, be up ani 90 to work at
once, as their enemies We're gainiug
ground very fast. He urged the
necessity of every mau being in |
earnest to hasten to do their best to b:.1,
their friends and neighbors in positions to
defend the government. Oa abolition he
talked of the slave in bondage and urged
his hearers Gas a datp ol Us to raise them
UP, to be equal to the white man, or little
above him, as the only way of crush
ing out the rebslion. III, labored hard tn
be thought a no-party man; but mlny of
his hearers had doubts of the fact, there
was sprinkling of unbelievers Party man
or no party man, his sympathy appears to
be only in favor of the colored race. II,
thinks II a horrible thing for slave to be
taken from his wife and family-but for a
white man whose fault is to stand by the
Constitution and Union, that which he was
taught to love and obey, while dandled on
his mothers knee, he can b taken from wife
an III