The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-05-26

burg whose flag fioated first on the ram
parts of the beleagured city, and many
other brave deeds Of brave regiments and
companies. But who can enumerate the
countless deeds of heroism performed by |
the untitled soldiers as private in the
rank, under forced marches, heavy fight
ing, storming forts, making charges,
standing motionless, under heavy firing,
terrible depression. hungry, thirsy, sick
and weary, yet faithful to duty. treading
the sentinel's rounds when it seemed
impossible to keep the aching body up.
and the heavy eyes awake, or thinking OF
the loved ones at home, and wondering
If he would ever see them again, turning,
thought on the dread morrow, with the
unknown events of battle, nor knowing
whether he will escape or be cut down
uni knelled. uncoffined or unknown. ItI
was comparatively easy for the general
to be brave with the eyes of the whole
country on him. but the soldier was the
true hero who gave himself to be offered
a nameless victim on the altar of his
country, unknown to the world and nn
missed except by few aching. loving
hearts
But what, ask, is it that gives force to
our memorial service. Is it because we
commemorate physical bravery No,
we commemorate devotion to principle.
1t is no apotheosis ofbrute force. If our war
had no more meaning or purpose thanmany
of the wars that have cursed the world.
Then God forbid that | or any other min
lister should ever open our lips in utterance
of any word of praise. But it had a
meaning. 1t was the issue of mighty
struggle of mighty men through more
than half a century. Nay the ministry
had part in bringing about that strug-
gle. remember old John Rankin whose
fulminations against slavery secured for
him the bitterest hate and persecution. |
remember that it was tract Of this man
eloquent written against slavery that con-
verted VIM. Lloyd Garrison into fore
NEST champion of anti slavery in our
land remember Lovejoy, who, after
preaching for a while in the east, came
west, and started an anti slavery paper at
st. Louis. remembered that his Office
was mobbed and destroyed, and he was
compelled to leave the state. remember
that he came to Alton, in this state, and
proceeded with his work, and was
mobbed twice and al last assassinated. l
remember to, with JOY, this morning, that
these men were both members of the
Presbyterian church, and formed only a
part of that number who stood for prin-
ciple. If there ever was war in which
the hand of Almighty God was visible
it was our civil war. The actors in the
great drama did not and could not realize
the grandeur of the situation or the
titanic nature of the conflict. The daily
vexation, the hot dusty day, the sleepless
night, the rain on the unsheltered bvouaC
and all the lassitude, WEAKNESS and pain
prevented them from seeing in it any
thing but weary conflict, and to those lg
home it was cruel war none could
understand it then But from the
clear heights of history today
all may see and comprehend
that clause, struck out of the original
draft of the Declaration of Independence
out of courtesy for some states "a clause
arraigning the king of Great Britain fol
encouraging and permitting slavery tO
take root here, Almighty God was rewrit
ing in lines of blood. know that Wal
is strange and dreadful thing; | know
that if it had not been so common in the
worlds history it would SCENE more
dreadful. If out of the bosom of the tran
guilty and peace there had risen but one
war, how like monstrous thing it would
seem to the race through all time, more
terrible than catac!asm of nature. But
I r. ~
nations we discern the succession of wars
!, that have marked its progress 'as the
hunter trails the wild beast to his lair by
the drops of blood on the earth, so We
follow man, faint, weary, staggering with
. wounds, through the black forest of the
past which he has Redeemed with his gore ,
When we see Napoleon strewing the
plains of Spain with the dead. whitening
, even the SHOWS. of the Alps with the bones
of his soldiers; desolating cities, devastat-
ing provinces, unsettling government anG
, subVerting civilizations. When We re
= member Terragona with its slaughtered
multitudes of defenceless women, gray
haired men and innocent babes; Saragoss
!, with its streets and court yards piled IN
heaps at the doors of churches and left tt
6 corruption and the flames; Albuera with it.
horrid pile of carcasses with the night rair
y pouring upon them and the mountain
y sending down their streams and the VALLEY
resounding with the groans of the dying
= Salamanca with its bleached skeletons
: whitened by the wind, and countless othel
fields CORY with blood. When we set
!. these sights and remember that they wer
!, to satisfy an overt0wering ambition. ther
we dread war and its curse. But when
we look elsewhere we see that scienc,
: civilization, freedom and religion hav,
= had their way heralded by the thunders o
! war. Rough places have been made
= smooth, the crooked straight andmountain
removed from the way, and rulers exalted
:, by this dreadful engine of the Almighty
y hand. War is heavens bitterest scourge
y Yet in this apostate world there ar
y many truths that can be taught only b
y the scourge. Each war for principle is 8
9 mighty battle which brings old eartl
y nearer to its regeneration.
In the dome Of one of the churches a
- Rome there is beautiful picture by TIT
" mastery hand of Raphael 1t represent
y y the god Mars in the attitude war wit
y uplifted sword ready to strike while a
= unsrmed angel overshadowing stays hi
hand. 1t is picture of beneticent peac
!, but peace is not benefcent when it mean
a lynch law, mob law. chain law and ga
. on the lips of truth and the slave sobbin.
:. himself to sleepamid curses, All this is pas
70 because the true peace has been purchase
\ by blood and the heroism that purchase
y it we commemorate today.
:, But this memorial service is not merel
commemorstion of devotion to prineipl,
: We advance step higher and say it is c
:, ought to be the exaltation of the principl
- :. itself. Wars cease, but principles al
g eternal Memory fails but truth is ever
=, lasting. When few more years sha
g come then the generation that took pa
:, in that great drama of our history wi
', have disappeared and with them richie
y. " and more precious than all written recort
y :, the unwritten history of the war for th
~ memory of the aged is as casket Deaf