Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1866-05-30
THE VOICE OF THE DEAD.



church of this city and close by the door
where the worshippers from week to week
go in and out, lies the body of distin-
guished Pennsylvania officer, who fought
under Washington in the war for Inde-
pendsnce. The mura. tablet which tells
the story of the sleeping soldier reminds
US strongly of the scenes Of to-day;
THOMAS MIFFLIN,
Major General in the Revolutionary Army
of the United States and
Governor of Pennsylvania"
1t seems, then, that it is not new
thing in our history for a grateful Re
public to reward her patriotic children
with civil bonors. Connecticut, in ten
deriug her governorship to Gen. Havley
of Richmond and Rhode Island, in offer
ing The first position in her gift to fight
lug aud pe,sevcring Burnside, were only
doing in 1866 wha, Pennsy lvania had
done in past century.
And shall Pennsylvania do less today
foy her fighting sons than in the Re7o-
lutiony Shall the children be less CRATE
full than their fathers? What MajUr
General Mifliin did in 1776, MajorGen-
eral Geary has done in 1861. Alike
they have trodden for the Commonwealth
the bloody wine press of war. Alike
have they held in their hands the most
precious :rust Of the Staie-the lives OF
her young men. In the time of peril,
u-the hour of danger, alike their man
hood was the bulwark of the Common
wealth. Our fathers the fathers of the
men wLo walk the streets of Lancaster
today, who will vote at the polls of Lam
caster this fall, our honest, upright faith
ers, as a matter Of simple justice, made
Mif.lin Governor Shall We do less to-
day? Shall our recognition of such ser
vices be less substantial. our gratitude
less prompt and graceful because our
strife was bloodier
Do~btless in those days :here was op.
position. Doubtless Gen. Mifiiiu had
his Clymer some tory sympathizer, some
cold, polished gentleman too respectable
TO associate with the ragged Pennsylvania
line, or feel for the martyrs of the com
mon people at Valley Forge. But the
people of those days believed that the
men who Tough. for their country were
the safe ones to govern it, apd that those
who had represented them on the battle
field were their proper representatives, in
the Council Chamber History app.
lauds their decision. In honoring their
patriot tic citizen they did honor to them
selves and lail tla;r action fox lesson
to their posterity.
Tha. ancient grave, in the churchyard
of Old Trinity, is a standing appeal for
the Republican cause. 1t is an admoni
tlon from our ancestors, ever reminding
Us to be true to the cause and the men of
the Union. 1t was erected in perpetual
memory of the soldier governor Of our
patriotic iorefathers, and to remind US
forever, by their example, Of our duty.
Yes, this grave, and the grave OF every
soldier in the Commonwealth, pleads for
Geary. He represents no. only the liv-
ing, but the dead of all the State. We
honor them in honoring bin. And truly
wien We think of the great army of our
martyrs sko have given their lives that
Republic might live, and how they died
on bloody fields, in ghastly hospitals, and
spectral prisons, We feel that We can nev-
er too greatly honor or do tco much fer
those men who were the comrades of our
dead.
What community of feeling or interest
has ely ner with .hc dead of the people
Consistent only IN his cold opposition to
his country aud his copntry's army, is it
not revoltlug to mention his name with
The sleeping children Of the ration? Is
It not wrong 20 speak of him when we
mourn for fallen manhood, and depIore
The fate Of generous patriotism?
No; the great armies OF orr dead,
whether of Revolutionary or Coutempo-
raneous memory-for they fought for
common cause and fell for common
'ountry-implore US in language that
cannot be unheeded, to stand by tbe men
who, tor US, in the great extremity, stood
BY them--even unto death.
sS- Sir" said little blus tering man
% a religious opponent, ''to what sect do
you suppose | belong" 'Well l don't