The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-06-11
NORTH AND SOUTH.
Two Garlands Are Twisted for the
Graves of Their Soldier
Dead.
They We're Alike Brave and Fought
for What They Considered
Right. h..

BROOKLYN, N. Y. Special
Garlands for Northern and Southern
Graves" was DR.. Talmage's sub
ject. Over the pulpit were two wreaths
OF beautiful flowers, and they were
linked together so that they were an
object lesson OF the subject presented.
Text, Isaiah Xiii 6: II will say to the
North, giveup; and to the South, keep
not back
Just what my text meant by the
north and south, cannot say, but in
the United States the two words are
so point blank in their meaning that
NO one can doubt. They mean more
than east or west, for although be-
tween those two last there have been
rivalrles and disturbing ambitions
and infelcitles, and silver bills, and
Worlds Fair controversies, there
have been between them no
batteries numbered, no entranch-
ments dug no long lines OF
sepulchral mounds thrownup. 1t has
never been Massachusetts. Four
teenth regiment against Wisconsin
Zouaves; it has never been Virginia
artillery against Mississippi rifles.
East and West are distinct words and
sometimes may mean diversity OF in
terest, but there is no blood on them.
They can be pronounced without any
information OF wailing and death-groan.,
But the North and the South are
words that have been surcharged with
tragedies. They are words which
suggest that for 40 years the clouds
had been gathering for a four years
tempest which 80 years ago burst in q
fury that shook this planets as it has
never been shaken since it swung out
at the first world-building. I thank
God that the words have lost some
of the intensity which they possessed
three decades ago; that vast multi
tude OF
NORTHERN PEOPLE HAVE MOVED SOUTH,
ana a vast multitude of Southern peo-
pie have moved North and there have
been intermarriages by the ten thous-
and and Northern colonies have mar
ried the daughters OF Southern cap
tains, and Texas rangers have united
for life with the daughters of New York
-aboitionists and their children are
half Northern and half Southern and
altogether patriotic. But North and
South are words that need to be
brought into still closer harmoniza-
ton. l thought that now when we
are half way between presidential cleo
tions and sectional animosities are at
the lowest ebb, and now just after a
presidential journey when our chief
magistrate, who was chiefly elected by
the North, has been cordially received
at the South, and now just after two
memorial days, one OF them a month
ago strewing flowers on Southern
graves and the other strewing flowers
on Northern graves, it night be appro-
pirate and useful for me to preach a
sermon which would twist two gar
lands, one for the Northern dead, and
the other for the Southern dead, and
have the two interlOcked in chain of
flowers that shall bind forever the two
sections into one; and who knows but
what this may be the day when the
prophecy Of the text, made in regard
to the ancents may be fulfilled in re-
gard to this country and the North
give up its prejudices and the South
keep not back it's confidence. ri will
say to the North, give up, and the
South, keep not back"
Before | put the two garlands am
twisting upon the Northern andS outh-
ern tombs, detain the garlands lit
tie while that [ may put them upon
the brow OF the living soldiers and
sailors OF the North and South, who
though in variance for a long while,
are now at peace and in hearty 10y
atty to the United States government
and ready if need be to march should
er to shoulder.
AGAINST ANY FOREIGN FOE
The twenty-slx winters that have
passed since the war, [ think have
sufficiently cooled the hatreds that
once burned Northward and South
ward to allow the remark that they
who had fought in that conflict were
honest in their prayers. The faces
that went into battle, whether they
marched toward the gulf Of Mexico or
marched toward the North Star, were
honest faces. It is too much to ask
either side to believe that those who
came out from their homes, forsaking
father and mother and wife, and child,
and many OF them never to return,
were not in earnest when they put
their life into awful exigency.
Witness the last scene at family pray
ers up among the Green mountains or
down by the fields of cotton and sugar
cane. Men do not sacrifice their all
for fun. Men do not eat musty bread
or 60 without bread at all for fun.
Men do not sleep unsheltered in
equinoctial storms for fun. There
were some no doubt on both sides
who enlisted for soldiers pay or ex-
pecting opportunity for violence and
pillage or burning with revenge, and
thirst for human blood, but such
cases were 30 rare many of you who
were in the war four years never con
ironted such an instance OF deprav-
ity.
Yea, there was courage on both
sides. They who were at the front
know that. When the war opened
the South called the Northern men
.'mudsills" and the Noroh called the
southern men "braggarts and "pomp
Gus nothings,"
BUT AFTER A FEW 7, rrr nc M