National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-01-22
ABOUT BACKBONE.
uvz HEROES OF THE PRESENT DAY.
A Long Line of Men Who Died to Save Others
Won Who Had Moral Stamina in sn Emi-
renf Degree, Bat Who We're I'm
known TO PoSterIty and Fame.

Lonncned late at night and the occupants Oh III
b,ildings were quietly sleeping, unconscious Vi '
dangers hedging them in upon every SIDE. ArouSe'
from their slumberS, some effected their eScuPs
while vet others remained within. prey 10 Wv
devouring element, terrifying the hearts ot w
ouickly-gathering multitude by their agohiZlii'
cries for succor. .-o,o
The wall of freintervened. and beyond 1t Lay dea'i
in its most cruel guise.
Not foraway n party of gamblers sat in thei
room engaged in following their usual avocatlon
Curiosity led them TO the scene of the conhasra
p,2. , ..,,,,,,- man
.,,ac2s their number there was young man
ae+t,,-s 1,::et, even-tempered, imperturbabl'
,nrs,ns moi given to ;;oasting. and OF whom we a
= GENERAL thing. take iittle 2ccount. de was mol
nv anv means reckless m.-I-ho was hot al Ell
tbusiast On the contrary, he belonged raser 10 th'
c0ldblooded, calculating class, as men are ;'FiSeo
mn in the Judgment of their fellows. He was gan
Iier Iy profession outlawcd By respectable society
and vet doubtless did not lightly hold his life Ii
was as dear to him as was their own to any one OF
the thousands who thronged the streets upon tha'
fatal occasion, grooming il agony because tneE
could render no assistance.
.'ThnSe people must be saved. can aihiosI
fancy him saying in his slow, measured accents aS
he took in the situation at one sweeping sl"ii'e'
Has 10 one made the effort?
az is impossible" cry the multitude. lie does
not think 50. With him nothing IS lmpossiole
until coplete failure has set lis seal upon the at
tempt. 18Th, -.
His ARRANGEMENTS are quickly made, but WIN as
little show OF excitement as though he were sit
ing Ar friends table and about to lead the play
in game at cards.
He enters the building The lookeFs-on stand
speech!ess, brcathless, hOrrOr-strcken
Presently he encrees with something wrapped
up in blankets in his arms. its little child
A great shout goes NJ frGm the vast thTonS. He
Is no longer Il gambler: he is a hero The cheering
does not affect him. l doubt if it even SETS MS
heart throbbing faster by a single pulsatloh. he
places his burden tenderly upon the ground awe
saved and with snged hair and eyebrows, bIaek-
ened face, blistercd hands, and smoking garments,
that plainly tell OF the fearful gulf he has Just Iet
turns to retrace his steps They seek to dis5uade
him. endcavor to hold him back; but others are
within the burning pile awaiting their savior. He
will not listen He cannot be restrained. Three
times he enters the jaws of death; three times he
energies from the gates of the flaming hell
But flesh and blood cannot Withstand another
ordeal like the last. His will is adamant; his heart
is strong and tender and true to the noblest i'm
pulse of manhood; yet he is of mortal mold. He
makes one feeble effort to return and falls bruised
and blackened mass, beside the forms Of those for
whom he has cheerfully yielded up his life.
He died-died hero-such an one as women
weep over and men have not words to eulogize
His story has been wellnigh forgotten; his name
even i no longer remembered; but point to him
and his sublime sacrifice of self for an interpreta-
ton of The meaning of my text. He possessed cour-
aga strong but tender hcart-a noble, powerful
.rr5t. If, n1 hanl
bone
Backbone, then as a metaphor, means courage,
discrimination, endurance, grit. But it has also a
broader more elevated meaning; The attribute of
manhood Y Inch enables tSpOsSeSSor to have first
conception Of his duty, of what IS right, and then
actively or paSSiyely work ont the problem as best
he may: but ever keeping the star Of duty for his
guide.
Could we but gather up i 1.-THE even Of the
incidents of the past where this great moral
equality has been exhibited we would be inclined
10 wonder that the supply had not become ex-
haustcd. But the world is full of it now, it has
been from the beginning.
il i true that there are those VINO are weak, who
have no more backbone than an oyster out of its
Shell ana that there are others whose backbOnes
are wocn upon the outside like the Holsters. There
az those 100. whose hackbomcs. like drDmedarys,
ageous upon OCCASION under The impulse Of some
great danger threatening Them or touching some
particular matter, but who nevertheless do not
possess those qualities of endurance and nobility
OF soul which make men really brave. There is a
distinction too, TO be drawn regards the charac
tcg OF backbone. Mere animal courage indicates it.
bur not the highest and most perfect type.
\ man may charge battery with the utmost
stag .froid, and yer upon the lonely pickcl-post,
where he can imagine vengrful eyes ever seeking
linn ont through Inc darkness, become verftabe
coward.
Or lac may rush into The midst of the fight with
on one thoueht o. danger, and yet sIIccumb TO his
Oyn ieaIs while lying at rest inactive beneath the
dropping ire from the euemys gunS old soldiers
haze experienced this tciiu" Overland over again,
and - have Others. although tie motive cause
may have heel different.
One of the gran,e>t congregations of back
bones" one Of ihe finest exhibitions of endur-
aIice. courage. grit. | ever Witnessed was during
the late war. 81 he battle of Hanover Courthouse
The ron.ri2raies held piece of timber with d
hcsry force Running along il, edge was road;
beyond the read bordering II in fact wicker
fence. composed of stakes driven into ridge of
earth thrown zap from Il ditch. interviewer with
brush Beyond The fence. in an open field was the
Ninth Massachusetts Gri>hi Regiment Under
a CALLING fire This regimen. changed from.
marched steadily up 10 the fence drove back the
enemy. and entered the road. Here The li,;n MAS
rciotin@L dressing upOn the eulOfS and the ranks
moved ipiEard Is though on drill or cliovinr
some h"iiday parade. There was no shouting-Iio
cheering. Men FELL Ia the Garth at every step:
they len crimson c0,oriug behind them Int into
me iiinper through the timber, they moved like
destiny; 40 on" falterirg no one looking back. l
i,
tn- open COUNTRY beyond, and their ranks were as
Ii m, iheir bearing cool and steady, as when they
mrs. entered tle pathway thai led to suffering aud
uealh for many Il com AIDE.
>a"' he same steady ANNA! courage diSplayed
b} III" contcderate> at Malvern and Gettysburg.
The late war IS tceming with exhibitions Of great
Ga! ny. endurance. gGit by those who fought upon
The one side or the other: but what is such com
ag- when comparc;! with that exhibited BIS those
H..;loh soldiers when thcirShip was sinking: The
boats "cre filed with the women and children.
Here Ha> room for moi a single person more
! ne commanding officer ordered the troops in
ranks They "beyc,i. The companies were
i':1Gel '!pcn The upper deck the mcu stood at .,-
teA:Ioa- and the Birkrnhead went Down with
asd. ''' '''' '"' w"
Niiat /, here animal courage whcn weighed
Win that shown by hiln y,ho stoo at his post fir
laS iile a:sl!algn until The Central America sank
Dcn"1lh ife wave. and sank with her: or when
compared with that of Deikc-. the draw-5ridge
"''pei, who, 4, lie VA, clo>img the draw 70; an
approaching train, already in sight, beheld his
OBI ciiii' smuggling, drowning il the waters Of the
i'>>''c River" If he attempted 10 save his boy.
,c tam with is living freight. would go crashing
lI''Vsh inc bridge into the gulf beneath If he
;'e1 1t MS post, The darling of his heart must
p-''>. lie remained. He was a rough. rinic:tered
tnan: bat he VAS here He knew his duty and
AZ -'i HE courage, the backbone 10 hold 10 it, al
.-'5il NJ parental instincts and love were draw
'A5 al NJ hCart with fingers OF steel.
" -'lt ABOUT IL" miner ont i'll Nevada who, a. he
vent dos. the deadly shaft To look for comrades
: S",t up or lying nlausieI. dead thousand feet
Ue'o". SAID, III am not back III ten minutes
Close ~ the shaft -
wa a"i h" a iob:e nero ANY? Aye. nobler: