The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-06-03
DR.. Bowers Speech.

Rev. DR.. Bowers is an able, eloquent,
! entertaining and independent speaker,
and for his independence the REFLEC-
| TOR is pleased to commend him, but
we cannot let his speech" in the Opera
House go by without saying a word.
The day was a sacred and holy one, and
the purpose for which the churches had
| been invited to unite in assisting in
memorial services to do honor to the
fallen and beloved heroes who wore the
blue, was also holy and sacred, but
when the pulpit is used to give vent to
hatred, and when a minister can stand
up and say that he rejoices in his hate
toward the southern people, that he
hopes to be never guilty of so mean
trick as to forgive them, and that he
could take pleasure in sitting up of
nights to hate them, we must ask the
DR.. and his hearers to accord to us, the
same independence, that was accorded
to him, in denouncing such bitter and
uncharitable utterances. How differ
erent were his remarks from those of
General Grant, man who underwent
all the hardships of war, faced the enc
my until they were his, yet he had hon
or and charity for them. Again how
would zach remarks of the DR.. have
sOunded in Chicago, where the soldiers
who wore the gray united with the
soldiers who wore the blue, and carried
a magnificent cross, heavily draped in
mourning and decked with flowers, and
laid it at the foot of the monument
erected In honor of the heroes who fell
wearing the blue? Yes, how would it
have sounded to those united boys?
And again, at the decorating of Gen'l
Grants tomb in New York, where with
the beautiful floral tribute sent by
Ulysses S. Grant post at Bay City,
Michigan, was striking contribution
from Robert E. Lee camp of confeder-
ate veterans, of Richmond, Va, with
the words, Let us have peace" in blue
letters on gray ground on the outside
of hollow pillow, in which was large,
elegant Virginia cedar, surrounded with
bright flowers. From Florida and South
Carolina were three trucks Of flowers
and evergreens, and from Virginia a
laurel tree from the field of the battle
of the Wilderness. And with all of this,
is it not strange that DR.. Bowers should
have used the language which he did,
language which entitled his remarks to
bemore appropriate for political stump
speech than for memorial sermon. 1t
is true he took his text from the Bible.
but he did not follow it, as the injunc-
ton from Col. Sd chap. and 18th verse
was completely ignored. The DR.. should
have studied well the first and third
verses of 1st Cor, 18th chap, for if he
had the REFLECTOR believes he would
have preached sermon more suited to
the occasion, for as we understood the
meeting, it was to do honor in cherish
ing the memory of the brave boys, and
not in abusing the enemy. There we
should have went with sad hearts, to
prepare ourselves for the coming to- |
morrow, when we would 90 to the
graves of those dear ones and put there
On garlands Of roses that tells of a love
which cannot die. No, the REFLECTOR
prefers charity which gives to the chris
tan heart the feeling and sentiment to
unite, as did the blue and the gray on
last Saturday in many of the Southern
ern and Northern cities in decorating
the graves of brave soldiers. Yes. how
much nobler it is to say with the poet:
No more shall the war-crY sever,
Or the winding rivers be red;
They Danish our anger forever,
When they laurel the graves Of eur dead
Under the sod and the dew,
Waiting the judgment day;
Love and tears for the Blue,
Tears and love for the Gray
And now in conclusion, while the |
REFLECTOR, with hundreds of others,
were not pleased with many of the un-
Charitable remarks of the Dr., yet we
wish it understood that we stand back
fer no man in hOnoring and cherishing
the memory of the brave and noble boys
S<no fell while fighting under that flagS
which we all love so wel-the stars and \
stripes.