The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1884-06-27

vel to be taken now, as In so many a
dark and boding hour before. Ny
thoughts were anticipated. That sight
so often dear to many eyes-Charles
Griffin riding up was never more well
commander. We brought together a
few tried and trusted spirits to discuss
the situation. We did not pretend to
be men of influence, but we knew we
we're likely, if anything happened, to
be men of action. SO we had a right
to forecast events. All we knew yet of
the situation at Washington was what
the brief telegram had told. But that
looked dark enough. The upshot of
conference was expressed in words that
[ can even now remember: "They
mean to destroy the government by as
~sassination. They will get possession
of the capital before anybody can stop
them. There is nothing for it but to
march the army to Washington and
make Grant military dictator until we
can restore constitutional government.
We Thought all was won, but all may
be lost if the army does not move
promptly to the rescue"
We may smile at these things now,
as the habit is, after the danger is past.
But in the situation of things then there
was little to be laughed at. The spirit
of that midnight conference showed
what the real reliance was in case the
need had come.
But no worse news came from the
capital. The heart broken people held
their balance and their command. So
the march was resumed calmly and
orderly; we were ready for anything.
On the morning of the third day the
order came to make no movement and
do no work, for it was the day of Lin
coins burial. It was fitting, surely,
that we should hold service too. So we
got the senior chaplain of the division
to prepare an address. Knowing his
Irish warmth of eloquence, | cautioned
him against stirring up our feelings to
revenge. At the appointed hour the
troops were formed In hollow square.
The old flags were brought to the front
-battle-dimmed and torn, but eloquent
of things that never could be told. On
the open side was planted the Maltese
cross of red. Around it gathered the
generals and staf-Grifin, too, never
forgetting his old division, and always
of reverential and religious mind. The
troops stacked arms and stood calmly
behind them. / placed myself close be-
side the chaplain to keep a restraint upon
him. He assured me he would be judi-
cious.
But his very first u~tterance thrilled
us. With that voice and c0untenance
of suppressed passion which heightens
power, and in deep and rounded tones
made yet more effective by a slightly
foreign accent, he launched forth these
startling words: "And she, being be-
fore instructed of her mother, said,
''Give me here John Baptist's head in a
charger"
The very text was thrilling. But he
went on to unfold the analogy. He said
the spirit that conceived the destruction
of the union had invited the spirit of
murder from the beginning. And IT was
that same spirit which had now demand
ed the life OF this just and faithful and
consecrated man. Heshowe6 the rebel
lion to have no justification. He point
ed ont tile fact that Lincoln had COM
mitted no other crime than being con-
stitutionally elected president of the
United States. He portrayed his sin
cere and generous character and his con-
ciliatofy course. Then he pictured him
stricken down with a bastard hand in
the very midst of acts Of mercy and
words Of great hearted charity and love.
Now his native eleaHenee took the mas
terry of him. CHANGING significantly
around, he reminded the soldiers Of
Lincoln's love for them and theirs for
him. He asked them If they could en-
dure this sacrilege, or let it go unpun-
ished.-If they would not rather sweep
such a spirit clean out of the land, and
cast it root and branch into everlasting
burning.
AT this ] saw the men spring forward
to their stacks and make the motion as
if to grasp their arms. / had tried to
moderate him now and then when his
kindiing words brought mutserings of
response, but now I fairly caught him
by the arm and told him he must stop,
or rather that he must steady the men
down.
Instantly, with native adroitness, he
turned the current of emotion he had
aroused. Lifting his hand full height
he brought it down with a tremendous
sweep. "But better so," he cried.
Better to die glorious than to live In
fsmousl Better to be buried beneath q
nations tears than walk the eartls guilty
Of o nations blood Better, thousand
fold, forever better, Lincoln dead than
Davis living"
Then, with an exhortation that rose
into a prayer, and then into a triumph
of new conservation to the undying cause