The Osceola times., 1888-08-18
ASLEEP AT ARLINGTON.
The Funeral Obsequies Over the
Dead General.
The Services 81 st. Mstthews-Touching
Tribute tn sheridan By Cardinal
0lbbons-The Remains Laid
Away st Arlington.

over the remains or Generai oneriuhn,
which took place yesterday morning at
ten O'Clock at St. Matthews Church, we're
solemn and impressive, and in many re.
spects as simple an affair ss II well could
have been, considering the great promi'
nence Of the man whose memory was be-
ing honored. No one could gain admit
tancs to the church except those who had
tickets, and Il was . most difficult matter
to procure them, as the church building
Il small However. there were seats not
occupied, in spite of the fact that thou
sands Of people thronged the streets In
the vicinity. These seats had all been
apportioned, and the reason why they
were not occupied was because many
persons to whom tickets had been sent
were not In the city. These were
mostly Senators and Representatives.
Neither gallery In the church was half
full of people, but the auditorium was
filled comfortably. There were hun
dreds Of persons on the outside who knew
this, and many Of them pleaded hard to
be allowed to enter the edince, but to no
purpose, as the police were tmmovable,
we'll knowing that II they allowed few
to 20 In, there was NO excuse for keeping
out others as long as there was standing
room even In the aisles.
The decorations in the church were de-
cidedly military. The catafalque on
which the caskct rested was draped with
United States flags, and over the casket
was also spread q large flag. The late
Generals sword was lying across this.
At the four corners Of the catafalquo
were flags on poles; flags were also on
the altar, and the railings Of the gall
lsries were festooned with National
colors. On either side OF the chancol
had been placed the magnificent floral
emblems which had been sent BY various
organizations and admirers Of tho dead
military hero.
The services commenced promptly at
the appointed hour. The requiem mass
was celebrated by Father Mackin. Car
dinal Gibbons delivered the address, and
twenty. Ave or thirty priests were also
present to assist in the chants, and the
acolytes numbered nearly fifty. The
choir Of st. Matthews is . large one, and
con sidered the finest Of any In the city.
The singing was nne, and altogether the
entire service, which lasted about one
hour and half, ives solemnly and sa-
credly beautiful The address Of Car.
dinal Gibbons was delivered with such
feeling and earnestness that many Of tho
old warriors present had moist eyes. The
Cardin al enjoyed a personal acquaint-
ance with General Sheridan, and during
his discourse Of about thirty minutes he
touched upon some Of the characteristics
Of the General in private aud domestic
life. The salient features Of General
Sheridan's character, the Cardinal as
serted, were his courage and his modesty.
The Cardinal also endeavored TO correc,
the impression formed by many that
General Sheridan, as soldier in the late
war, was one who took delight In inflict-
ing hardships upon those against whom
he fought, and while he did not specify,
he evidently had in mind the Shenandoah
Valley campaign. There was one part OF
the address which will be read with in.
tense interest by all who wish to bury the
issues Of the past and forget tho conflict
OF '6l.65, and that was the Cardinals al.
lusions to the causes which have wiped
out sectional pass ions and reunited the
people. It was an eloquent appeal tc
American manhood, followed by the
most inspiring advice by this eminent
Catholic.
At the offertory the 70. Christi, Sal
vator Mundp was sung. The ceremony
occupied forty minutes. When II wal
concluded Cardinal Gibbons ascended the
pulpit and began the sermon. He said:
"And Jonathan and Simon took Judas, theil
brother, and buried him IN the sepulchre o.
their fathers, In the city OF Modin. And all the
people OF Israel bewailed him with grea
lamentations. and they mourned for him many
days and said: How is the mighty fallen tha
lead the people Of Israel" - l. Mach. IL
1874.
Well might the Children of Israel bew oil
the great captain who led them 80 often TO bat
tie and victory, and well may this Nation grievs
for the loss Of the mighty chieftain whose morta
remains now lie before US. In every village ant
town In the country, from the Atlantic to the
Pacific, his name is uttered with sorrow AND
his great deeds recorded with admiration
There is one consoling feature that distin
guishes the obsequies Of our illustrious hero
from those Of the great Hebrew leader. HI
was buried in the midst of war amid the clash
ing Of arms, and surrounded by the armed
hosts Of the enemy; our Captain, thank God, u
buried amid profound peace while we are en-
joying the blessings Of domestic tranquility
and are in friendship with all the world.
The death Of General Sheridan will be Ia
mented not only by The North, but also by the
South. know the Southern people. I know
their chivalry / know their magnanimity
their warm and anectionate nature. and I am
sure that the sons Of the South, and especially y
those who fought in the late war, will Join the
National lamentation, and will lay . garland
OF mourning on the bier OF the great General.
They recognize the fact that the Nations Gen.
erai is dead, and that this death 10 the Nanon's
loss
And this universal sympathy. coming from
Gil sections OF the country Irrespective OF party
lines, is easily accounted for when we consider
that under an over-ruling Providence, the
war, in which General Sheridan took such q
conspicuous part, has resulted in increased
BILE ssings TO every State in our common coun-
try.
there's divinity that shapes our ends,
Rough-hew them how we will"
And this is true Of the nations ~ well % Of
individuals. What constitutes the great differ
ence between the wars OF antiquity and our re-
cent war; The war Of the olden time was fol.
lowed by subiugation and bondage; in the train
OF our great struggle came reconciliation and
freedom. Alexander the Great waded through
the blood Of his felowman. BY the sword no
conquered, and by the sword be kept the van
pushed in bondage. Scarcely Was he cold in
death when his vassals shook OF the yoke. and
his empire was dismembered into fragments
The effect of the late war has been TO weld to-
gether the Nation still more closely into one CO.
hesive body; II has removed once for all slav.
cry, the great apple Of discord; IL has broken
down the wall Of separation which divided SEQ
tion from section, and exhibits us more strik-
ingly as one Nation, one family. with the Same
aims and the same aspirations. The humanity
exhibited in our late struggle contrssted with
the cruelties exercised toward the vanquished
Of former times Is an eloquent tribute 10 the
blessings Of Christian civilization
In surveying the life OF General Sheridan, II
seems 70 me these were his prominent feat
ures, and the salient points in his character:
Undaunted heroism combined with gentle.