Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1869-07-01

The following Is the full text OF the
sermon delivered by DR.. McCarty, Sunday
evening. In commemoration Of the noble
dead Of the late war.
"But can ye not discern the sis,s % the times "
Matt. I3; J,
The 29tn Of May being the last Saturday
in the month, has been set apart by cons
mon consent as suitable day for strewing
The graves of the soldiers who fell in the
recent war, with flowers. The act is only
expressive Of a sentiment; II can have no
influence whatever on the spirits Of the
departed. 1t cannot restore to the bereft
wife her fallen husband, nor give back to
the household the strong armed son, nor
say to the orphaned child your father
lives And yet it is grateful to the hearts
of the bereaved, to pay . tribut of love
over the grave whore loved one sleeps.
No voice may speak out of its deep
chamber, no hand is extended 10 CLASP
our own, no eye to look upon us, aud yet
We linger around the holy place while in
our hearts we re experience the past, we
commune with the invisible ones through
our memories of other days.
The ceremony OF decorating the graves
of our brave 6ldiers may be contemplated
In double aspect drst where it is purely
personal. On this day hundreds of wives
have gone to the graves Of their husbands,
torn from their eU Brabe BY the strong
hand of war. and gently laid some sweet
flowers betukening o desthless love. So
the sister, the mother, the child has sought
out the place whore tears Of ssdness fell
fast, to express the SAINTS fond love, and
live liz q revived hope OF meeting again.
This day also nation has come to the
cemeiry Of its immortal defenders and
preservers TO express nations gratitude
to bind itself in bands of loyalty over
the graves { its Hetocs:
There has been much said against the
proposition to do this on The Sabbath II
the ceremony ls to be- mere display Of
bands and the military, then 1t should not
be tolerated on the sabbath; some 6ther
day would be far more appropriate. But
1t seems to me that IL Ill Ii done with
order; with reverence. With iubdnsd v0iee
and soft step, with hymn and prayer, then
I feel that could lead my congregation
to the solemn duty even en the holy
Sabbath.
But what Is the significance Of the act?
/ have said 1t is expressive OF OUT gratitude
as nation. expressive Of true affection as
an individual; aye, pledge Of loyalty to
the Sacred principles Tor which these men
died.
In every ase and hatlon Il has been the
custom to place flowers on the graves Of
the dead. In Eastern lands they planted
oter the grave the palm tree, as an emblem
Of vicioty: The myrtle was cultivated in
the East as an emblem or Immortality, on
account Of Its beirg an evergreen. The
Romans strew on The graves Of tieit
dead the beautiful rose. Among the
Cheeks the Amaranth was favoriae. The
Bay tree; which dry and and seeming
dead restores itself from the root and re-
sumss its vetdure, has often been employ
cd as an emblem Of the Christians sur
tiving hopes.
Ii must rot BE list sight Of that niulti>
tudes of the brave men who fell In our
rat wets men OF the noblest Christian
virtues. There wss scascsly 4 Church
or SABBATH school In ell the land that did
not swell the ranks Of the loyal armies Of
the North: In Sonic Instances the minis,
ter from the pulpit led the member from
the pew 10 war: Ministers Urged their
male members to enlist in the army by all
the arguments they could command. The
army Of the North was unlike spy army
ever raised. Prisident Lincoln once said
that there was scarcely regiment in the
service but could, n demanded, furnish
good men enough to man the whole
government, from President down: IL was
ttue: In the srmy, amid all It's wickeduesf
prayer nestings were regularly held.
young men hssnd themselves mchristisn
associations. Religious books and pstersl
By The millios were ssns to al the camps.
some Of our 6susysh and AdmFsb were