The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1884-07-09
THE Blue AND TIE GRAY.
Or. Tnlmngc hns II Few Words TO shy TO tho
Soldiers.

Soldiers Of the Grand Army Of the Re-
public. said Walmaga to the Grand Ar
my Mt tho Memorial service, and soldiers
who fought on the other side. hear me
while ] draw out the contrast between
the time when for four years the nation
was in awful homorrhage, and now, when
tho angel of war hath hurled the bloody
ecimeler into the scabbard AT this sea-
ion Of the decoration of soldiers graves
it is appropriate that revive your remi-
niscenco by putting 1864 beside 1884.
Around 1864 | shall put n garland of red
dahlias for the carnage. Around 1884 L
shall pnt garland of white lilies for the
peace.
Contrast, first of all, the feelings of
sectional bitterness in 1861 with the feel
ing of sectional amity in 1884. No need
of saying that the North and South did
not hate each other. The hatred was
long and terrible. The two sections not
only marshallcd all their earthly hostili-
ties, but tried to get hold of the sword
# Heaven, and the prayers of Northern
aud Southern puIpits gave moro informa-
ton to the heavens about the best mode
of settling this trouble than was ever
used. North and South cursed each
other with whitening, all-consuming
curse. Beside that antipathy of 1864 1
place the complete accord of 1884. Meet
ings in New York to raise money to
build home ut Richmond for crippled
Confederate soldiers /; cotton exhibition
at Atlanta, attended by tens of thousands
of Northern people; Congress voting
1000, 600 for tho New Orleans exhibit
ton. A thousand-fold kindlier feeling
after tho war than before Since the
years of time began their roll there has
never been such an overmastering antith-
esis as between 1864, of complete bitter
ness, and 1884, of complete accord.
Contrast also the domestic life Of 1864
with the domestic life of 1884. You we're
either leaving home or for away from it,
communicating with it by uncertain let
ter. Boys of the blue and grayl Do
you remember the inconsistencies as you
paced the river bank on picket duty, the
dinuer of hard tack on Thanksgiving Day
and the Christmas without any presents?
Beside that put the sweet domesticity OF
1884 The only camp fire you now sit
OF is the one kindled in stove or furnace
or hearth. 1864, spending money by the
millions And billions in devastation OF
property and lHo 1884, with finances
go reconstructed that all the stock gam
blcrs of Wall street week before last
failed to make q national panic.
Look at the long line of churches and
universities and asylums and homes with
which during the last two decades this
land has been decorated. Oh, was not
this country worth fighting for2 Do
not the magnificent properties Of 1884
compensate for the hardships Of 1854?
Soldiers Praise God that He has spared
you to zee this day. Take especial ordi-
nation to garland the sepulchres Of your
dead comrades. Turn all the private
tombs and national cemeteries into gar
dens.
But they shall como again, all the dead
troops. We sometimes think of earthly
military reviews, but what tame things
compared with the final review, when all
The armies of the ages shall pass for di-
vine aud angelic inspection Gracious
md eternal God, on that day may it be
found that we were all marching in the
right regiment