Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1888-05-31

/ llekt III dIlllltS. W dI W our tstTS Is Il
terrible word. Our commanders have
| been first in peace. Our nation never
| fired the first gun; never struck till death
blows We're dealt. 1t is sweet to live, but
sweeter to let the Republic live. 1t is
hard to die, but harder to see free ma
ton expire. In the dreadful darkness
that gathered, pure prayers like this arose:
sail on oh Ship of State;
Sail on. OH Union, strong and great
Humanity with all her fears,
With all her hope for future years,
Is hanging breathleSs on thy fate.
In spite OF rock and tempeSts roar,
In spite Of false lights on the shore,
Sail on, Fear not 10 breast the wave;
Our hearts, our hopes all with thee;
Our hearts, our hopes, our prayers, our tears
Our faith triumphant DER our fears,
Are all with thee; are all with thee.
The guns of Beauregard crushed in the
walls of Fort Sumter, and aimed death at
its garrison. \ call was made. One call
one was enough. \ father had four
sons. He said, 1--WE must leave one to
work the farm They went to the straw
stack, and the straws pulled told who
should stay. Away they went with mu-
sic: but the next day the fourth son came,
and said Mother says | can go, and she
will see to the crops" The moral sense
of a free people was aroused. Never was
there such an uprising. They came from
the pine forests of Maine, from the gran
ite quarries of New Hampshire, from the
fisheries of Cape Cod, from the oyster
beds of Maryland. from the plains and
praifies. from field and forest, from the
mountains and ship girded city. The
shoemaker left his last and aWl, the car
penter his bench, the hammer was left on
the resting anvil, the student his books,
the lawyer his clients and physician his
patients. The earth trembled under the
steady tread, and the skies shook under
Tramp, tramp, tramp, the boys are
marching" They marched to death in
the highways of danger The blood Of
some Redeemed the streets of Baltimore.
Others fell while on picket-others were
targets for the SharpShOOters-Ot
sunk in the Cumberland Others were
roasted in the burning fleets. Many
shrunk to shadows in Libby-many Shriy-
eled to skeletons in the brutalitieS of An
derSonville. Not few spoke their last
farewell i'll the SWampS of the Chicka-
hominy. How many answered their last
rOIl-call at Manassas, at Antietam, at
Gettysburg, at Malvern Hill, and before
the guns of Petersburg. What a host lie
buried in the Shenandoah, and through
the Wilderness. COrinth, Port Hudson,
Donaldson, Vicksburg, Pittsburgh Land
ing, Missionary Ridge, on over the soil
where Sherman swept with force of
thunderbolt down to the sea- the earth is
spotted with heroes graves. They held
the spears till it was settled at Appomat-
tOx. that on our nations banner all the
stars should appear.
Peace, prosperity, happiness at home,
and respect abroad. A nation without a
slave market, auction block or crack of
a slave drivers bloody whip-a soil where
men may be free as the air, a union of |
hearts, union of hands, and the flag OF
our Union forever. All these stars ap-
peared. To-day the tree of liberty spreads
its branches, its blossoms like the bless |
ingS of God; its leaves for the healing of
the nations. The temple of freedom is
wide as the atmosphere, and her songs |
mingle with the music of the sea.
Soldiers of the Grand Army, in few |
DAYS you will visit the tents of green, |
where those who shared the trials and
field with you. You will recall their |
names, rehearse their deeds, and strew |
the beauties of spring-time on their
graves. The fragrance of the flowers
may tell how fragrant their lives are, how |
sweet the liberties bought by their blood. |
The nation will not let their names die. |
If men forget,
"The winds shall nurmur of their names,
The woods be DeOped with their fame,
The meanest rl, the mightieSt river
Flow mingled with their fame forever.
The Grand Army should be made of grand |
men, and if each spring you visit their |
dnst bring more than flowers: bring man
hood. pure. noble manhood; it will be best |
to honor the cause and nation. All is not |
done -"Eternal vigilence is the price of
Liberty"
''FreedOm's battle once begun,
Bequeathed by bleeding sire to son,
Though baffled oft is ever wOn."
Keep down the red. rag of Anarchy. |
Array yourself against corruption at the |
ballot box. Take a stand for labor and |
against grinding mOnOpolieS. Don't let |
Mormonism count lust liberty, and infeSt
our land with licentiOusness. Keep your
eye ON the liquor trade, the worst foe
your country has to-day. 1t costs
more than rebellion, and kills more than
war This dragon of the pit should be
driven into the sea. You have served
your country well; why not enter the
service of our cOuntry's God? Why not
fight the battles of the Lord God Al
Why not have a liberty that
makes free indeed? Why not seek a City
that hath foundations? Washington
kneeled in prayer through the gloom of
Valley Forge. General Jackson declared
" On the Bible our Republic may safely
rest" General Grant entered every Sab
bath the sanctuary. Lincoln thanked
God for the churches in the hour of dark
ness. You may win crowns that Kings
will envy, and by doing good wear stars
that shall shine as the sky and burn i'll
beauty when all the other lights are dead.
DIR. Hollingshead requested the congre
CATION to remain seated at the close of
the service until the Post had marched
out, which was done.
The sermon was the subject of cOngrat
ulation among all who heard it.