Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-06-11
Talks as he Fought.

WHAT A STAwART OREGON PREACHER SAYS.
From the Portland Oregonian.
The Rev. J. II. Acton, Pastor of Taylor
Street Methodist Episcopal Church in this
city and editor Of the Pacific Christian Advo-
cate, publishes the following invitation, which
has been received by him:
PORTLAND, OREGON, May II, 1879.
The Rer. J. H. Acfon
DEAR SIR ] am instructed to invite you to
deliver discourse on the Sabbath preceding
Decoration Day, in commemoration of the
services of our fallen comrades, who gave
their lives for the maintenance Of this great
free government. If consistent, we hope
that you will be pleased 10 comply.
Very respectfully
n. s. PIEReE, Chairman Committee.
The following reply is made through the
Advocate. Doubtless there is class of pol
iticians-men whose hearts were not true to
the country in its agony-who will condemn
it; and yet, let it be observed that the man
who responded to the call of his country, and
fought as a soldier through the war, has
earned the privilege to speak his sentiments
u
thrilling earnestness. 1t is voice in which
feryency and pathos are blended with the
sound of a trumpet:
"We must respectfully decline Nearly Is
wears since, at the call OF the United States
Government, we took up our line of march
for the bloody fields of the South-not as a
commissioned officer with large epaulets.
large pay, and larger selt-appreciation. noI
yet as chaplain, TO have as many did a
good, easy, remuneratiye time out of bullet
range-but a. a private soldier in the ranks
with our musket and knapsack For tire,
years we stood picket, lay in the trenches
waded rivers, climbed mountains traversed
s@amps, baked our own beans--when we had
any--shot at rebels, and in turn made fol
them target of our own person. We passed
through many bloody scenes. and some of tn,
most trying battles of the war. More thar
once we narrowly escaped the bavonet. An
dersonville, or Libby. Wecarried ammunition
from the pouches of the dying and the deat
for some of these same comrades whose decd
we are now called upon to remember. an,
helped with our own hands TO Law scores q
them in their graves. When the war closed
joined in the Nations shout and hmm,
our sword on the wall Many of our mos
valued friends were left in the South w
tried to dry the tears of stricken fathers an
mothers by recting the heroism of their dead
and then went back into the ranks ofthe Maste
Ia pray for the fatherless and the widow.
But we were happy. A halo of glory hun
over these graves. We looked on the broa
acres Of this great land, and felt it wa
enough. We had spent as a nation NOR
than $1,000 .000, 900, and had sacrificed hun
dreds of precious lives. but the cruel wa
was over and our enemies were ready TO nc
cept the situation.
"To-day the men Government paid us b
the month for shooting at are our Congressmer
-Four Senators only who now serve US wer
Union soldiers, while 20 were in the reb,
army. Sixty-fiye rebel soldiers are in tn
House. Not a solitary man from all tn
South who stood Loyalty by the Governmer
with his life in bis hand, comes as a Repr,
sentative. More than two-thirds of the Who'll
number were in open rebellion and nnde
arms and yet in six, if not in seven, State
Of the thirteen which rebelled the Union vol
ers are in the majority. The tried soldier
thrust out. The freedmen who led the wa
through dismal swamps, found hiding place.
and carried portion of their own scant
fare 10 our starving BOYS flying from prison
pens, who bound up their wounds and pickle
the worms from their gangreped flesh, tor