Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1893-05-31
THE ASHES OF THE BRAVE.

NcNichol, delivered in Westville Congre-
gational church Sunday before the New
Haven q. A. R. and many others gathered
In commsmoration of brave deeds and
patriotic sacrifice, was, most worthy
tribute to the hour and occasion, and at
the desire of many the following, taken
from the address, is given.
The speakers subject was, 'Monuments;
Their History and Significance" and the
text was Joshua iv: 20. Said Mr.. Nc
Nichol:
It affords me pleasure to address surviv-
ing veterans of our civil war. We always
admire manly soldier; but for the man
who loves his country more than his life,
who leaves comfortable home and pros
porous business to face the buffeting of a
long campaign, and the probability of bs-
ing buried in a trench with Thousands of
unknown dead, in order to defend his
country in the hour of peril. for that man
we have the most profound respect and
love. Ny soul is thrilled as lock into the
weather-beeten faces Of these men, and
think of what they and their comrades
have endured and achieved. see ths sad
parting scenes-the lonely homes whore
wives and mothers weep, and pray, and
hope and yearn, where little ones call in
vain for paps's dear face. I see hundreds
of maidens with hope gone from their
sunken eyes because their betrothed fell on
some southern battlefield. see the wreck
of disappointed hopes. unfinished plans,
and eostatic MONDAY dreams without
number, lying between the firing of tho
first shot on Fort Sumpter and the surren-
der of Lee at Appomatox. I see the
homesick husbands, fathers and sons lying
on the damp earth, with no covering but
the cold canopy, dreaming or thinking of
dear ones far away whom they shall never
see again, while the falling rain or dew is
sowing the seeds of disease which will
shorten life, if 1t is not destroyed by
showers of lead. see them marching up
| wilderness amid binding smoke and
| screeching shells, and while rebel guns are
moving down thousands of their number,
see them, with heaven inspired resolu-
/ ton, planting the nations flag on the
| ramparts of the foe. see the bsttlefelds
| where unsurpassed heroism is displayed,
| the prison pens, where horrible barbarities
are perpetrated, the hospitals where Christ
ian women are tenderly nursing the sick
and dying in the absence of those who
love them most. Behind all these tragic
I L
rock of divine revelation, raising it's mas
sive sides aloft, like great cathedral, and
piercing the sky with its forty-two tur-
rets, standing firm as the Rocky Mountains
against the tempests of war, and bidding
defiance to Its enemies. Above all, IN
stained by It's many baptisms of blood
and unsinged by the eannon's blazs, see
the Stars and Stripes gracefully futterine
in the breezs; and hear this stipend
GUS heap of moral masonry proclsimine
to the world the indestructibilitJ
of American institutions-the success of 8
republican form of government. The boyt
in blue defended that temple OF liberty
when it was assaulted by the misguided
south They went out from fatterins
prospects and happy homes, not expecting
to be covered with glory and universally
held in loving remembrance. They die
!. not dream of public personal mention
They went forth to lose their identity, a
it were, in the general mass of others a
J unambitious as themselves. They expect
= ed that defeats and victories would b
i flashed across the continent over the sigma
3 lures OF their commanders only. Yet the
. obeyed their imperiled oountry's call, an,
without anticipating any reward othe
and suffered, and died. They exhibite
E the sublimest type of manhood and self
renunciation worthy of the Jewish proph
l. cts and Christian martyrs. These Unto
so]diers-the living and the dead-hav
: made for themselves name which wi
= live as long as government of the people
by the people and for the people exists i
j., Another monument which will kee
/ | fragrant the memory of the Union soldier
;, is that of liberty. This country has bee
d called the home of freedom since th
!, Yorktown victory, but what we'll informe
n man will admit that it was freedom's hon
It before the surrender at Appomatox Ho
h | can a country be the home of freedom thu
Is disgraced with four million slayes? Lii
coins proclamation broke the shackle
from off these four millions of human VII
b Tins, and what he wrote out and signe
e God Almighty sealed with the blood {
Il 800, 900 men. The colored man can 4
more be bought and sold like beast {
burden (but he and his white brethren
= north and south are bought and sold in
Il more humiliating sense) The negro ca
travel from Florida to Washington. an
from California to Maine, without fearin
the tusks of the bloodhound or the club {
q the brutal detective. He Is politically an
socially a free man. He can walk
a. church, and school, and college. and sci
ate, and bar, with as much dignity as tt
10 white man. We hope the time is nes
|, when he will be protected from the bloot
- the right of trial by jury, and when, aft.
due conviction, he will be allowed an ex
y eution such as the statute law prescribe
and not be hurried out of the world by
!. process of torture revolving to every il
stinct of humanity, and which can enl
pander to the appetite for lawlsssness an
70 crime; when he will be able to walk up
y the ballot box in any part of IL
J.. country and vote according to
~ convictions; when Unole Sam wi
turn the guns of justice upon any tyran
10 corporation, that would dare to interfel
10 with the free exercise of the negro's RICH
as sovereign citizen of the United State
% Another monument is worthy of yor
s notice. It Ia the monument of prosperit,
d We must thank the soldiers of the Gran
g Army for this also. Had the Union pc
ished where would our prosperity ha,
been to-day. Two nations would have bee
no nation. The progress of both section
of tho country since the war has been phi
nomenal. The nation has boundless r
J. | never before. A unique exhibition is no
q open at Chicago. 1t speaks eloquently
+ the enterprise and growth of the wester
- world. There is no land beneath the So
4 | where the social condition of the poop
can compare with ours In other coul
tries burdens grievous to bs borne rel
upon the poor, and Israels cry in Egypt
re-eehoed throughout the land and acrol
= the seas. But here no burdens exceI
= those of vice and crime crush any maj
9 Nearly all the poverty and suffering a,
caused by laziness and intemperancs. L:
9 men be men and go to work, and psupel
a ism will disappear like spectres before tt
light. Buy land here and you can call
your own. Make improvements and 20
. reap the benefits. The poor man ca
70 make himself comfortable if he viii
n All lines of industry are
full blast. Our manufactured good
. and agricultural products are 81
port d to all parts of the earth. Tt
q | world Is looking to us for an example, an
1t ought not to look in vain. It is amazs
at our prosperity. If We will e1terminat
= the liquor traffic, maintain the sanctity {
[. the Sabbath day, put the necessary restri'
}: tions ON immigration, and not allo
J. armies Of vicious and helpless people to b
washed out upon our shores, If we will r
wise our naturalization laws, and pa
|. strieter attention to the registration {
/, | voters, 30 that man who has not bee
twenty-four hours on American soil cannc
have as much power in making our ruler
as one who was born and brought up /
the country, if we will tax what is POI
sessed and not what is consumed, and
we are true to conscience and the Bibl,