New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-02-27

sntat;on of David over Saul aud Jonathan.
The beautiful and pathetic passage to when
they belong furnishes one OF the many hlustra-
tons which, apart from other peeuliarioes' DEM
onstrats the claims Of the Bible to the possession
Of the greatest literature of the world--a hteTa-
ture which, for all ages, is tho organ OF the most
sublime and the most tender emotions that stir
the heart Of man.
Thus, ON not aware Of any language more
fitttng than the language Of the text, to concen-
trats our thoughts OF express our sentiments in
this hOur. when our talk is so common and yet
80 enthusiastic, concerning Heroes and Mar
tyrs.
How ara the mighty fallen in the midst Of
the battle 4" AS have just said, tbis is the
language Of lamentation, and yetit need not be
taken IS the language Of asmiTes lameutauon.
TWAS not so in it's original uttersnce BY DAVID.
With it there mingles a strain OF loity teStl-
mony. Prom the blood Of the slsin,' says
the noble mourner, From the blood OF the
slain, from tho fat Of the mighty, the bow oi
Jonathan turned not back, and Tie sword OF SauI
returned not empty. Saul snd Jonathan were
lovely and pleasant in their lives, and IN Their
death they were not divided: they were swliter
than eagles; they were stronger than lions.
Here you perceive is the expression not Only
Of griefbu OF elimination. Heye is not Only
the sorrowful Acknowledgement Of Death, but
the record of struggling and achieving Lille.
Therefore, these words of the poet may, in every
time, be employed not only As tho expression of
sadness but also ashaTing feeling OF ezultaton
and q tribute of honor / repeat, they are very
appropriate words to convey our sentiments
respecting Heroes and Martyrs.
Heroes and Martyrs, toe subject OF this even
sng's discourse, ia hardly q two-!o!d subject.
Essentially, the Hero and the Martyr ere not
distinct characters The Hero is possible
Martyr, and, indeed, in the development and
action Of the true HerO-Liie, is in some sense
sl,eGys a Martyr. Tie Martyr is, Of course, q
Hero, only his Is the heroic spirit in its trans
cendent expression. The arena whore both ap.
pear ia in the midst Oh the battle:" where the
Hero may stand, but where the Martyr falls.
In tho first place. then, let me say that, TAX
Ing into consideration the essential spirit OF
these two forms Of chGracter--Or rather these
two stages of the same cbaraeter-we strike a
wide range of human experience. The places
where Heroes and Martyrs may be found
are as wide az the conditions OF men. And
yet comprehendiug these within the sphere
Of moral estimates, one feature is common to
them all. The place Of the Hero ana the Mar
tyr is always "in the midst of the Battle" NJ
friends, in the strict sense Of things re know
nothing Of possible goodness OF possible great
ness. "The flower born TO "blush unseen"
the "gem of purest ray" in 1.-The unfath-
enable depths Of ocean us the very
statement of the conditions we are igno.
rant Of. Having 10 manifestation. they arc
a. though they were not. SO there may
be such facts, as possible excellence, possible
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS in the bud, talent wrapped
In napkin. But Of these we know nothing,
except In performance. There may be possible
Heroes aud yrs--unaclnowledged, unsac.
rificed--but we know them only when they
come into action.
And let us not start with the idea that the oc.
cssions which call for Heroes aud Martyrs arr
rare occasions, and, therefore, that the possible
n may excusably liz folded in inaction. StTik3as
u and brilliant occaSiOns--oocasiOns Of prominent
performance, and world wide manifestat on--Inay
indeed be few. But every man, by the terms Of
his own nature, is called upon 20 be Hero. II
nothing else, there is at least one Battle III
which he must contend 1t is the conflict Of
his own inner Lfe--the contcst-feld of his own
heart aud soul. lie who thinks this Battle I'M
real or unimportant, does, By that very thought,
confess bis own disloyalty. The great Apostle
TO the Gentiles was, therefore, conscious Of this
conflict, and spoke a. one in the very midst Of
it, ~ find, then" he says, ~ find, then, a
Law, that, when would do good, evil is present
with me. For ! delight IL the Law Of God
after the inward man. But see another lafy in
my members, warning against the Law OF my
mind, and bringing me- inGo captivity to tho
Law Of sin which IL IN my members" 1t is
true that Paul despaired of victory by his own
strength and looked for deyeraHce thro high
Jesus Christ our Lord bat he delighted in the
Law Of God, ana with bis mind heroic bly,
served the Law of God. Do you think tina,
the Apostle regarded this conflict as unreal or
shghti Do you think that It's issues had nj ,th.
ing to do with the great historic lie Of Pd I
DO you think that ii he had not thus contested,
and, IN spite OF al. threw his whole mind fnto
tie service of God, and taken hold Of the Hep
that God chiefly lends-Go you think he Cy0r
would have been the great Apostle Paul. the
Hero and the Martyrl Do you think he wfuld
have stood Gs he did il the worlds battle, on
tending for the truth Is il is in Jesus, and y ave
suffered as he did for that truth, if lie had not
been conscious OF the summons, and oil his
power. through the experience unfoiied in his
own inmost Life
The occasions for heroism, or for martyTdl ON,
may largely come from ,0ihoHi-but such d ,ca-
eious will do but little, If The hBro-ehort,l the
martyr.spirt, isnot first developed ,cithis. T4ere
fore, repeat that every man, by the condittcns
Of his own nature, is called upon 10 be Hero.
He has occasions for being hero. Right and
wrong, good and evil, contend in the ARENA of
his soul and his heart In every sphere Oh life
and Duty, he is summoned TO struggle Tor hot
Is Right-to contend for that which is Good. md,
inendeavoring TO do this, there must be cond ict.
In proportion as he earnestly struggles u do
this, there must be seceye conflict. Not ~ eta.
physical, but real conflict. Nor is ii q conflict
which, as TO its results, is an abstraction. 1t
II