The National tribune., 1893-01-19
OBJECTS OF THE c. C.
With Some Practical Illustrations of Car
dinal Principles.

With Some Practical Illustrations of Car
dinal Principles.
FRIENDS OF THE G. C.: Some time ago was
agreeably surprised by p letter written by of
are, or should be, - friendship Patriotism Charity
and Loyalty" ef-4
Friendship is glorious thing. and when we
speak oi friendship we speak Of the world Of peo-
pie. Friendship is, tbeI existence of pleasant
Iaiions between mankind The world would be
better off to-day il every man was every other
mans friend. i-.3,
II every could say. l have not enemy,
nor am any man seBemy," you could walk down
some OF the snms IF opr large cities tonight and
where beer saIoo1s stand brightly lighted
bazaars. There would be no jails no robberies,
no murders, no drnlkards. if no one had ever said
a word to anotlier.F
But the &. c. friendsip as applied I'm your
organization. does not mean being friendly with
those who belong 10 your Order only; you should
be friendly to those outside your organization,
especially to the Southern soldier and his sons
do not believe in continually growing over
victory. The North won the fight and got the
crown. it is true. but the South fought for what
she thought was right. and do not make her feel
worse by growing. That Is not friendship n8
The converse OF friendship in your case is the SOD
def-bater. We all know what he is. But o. sons
aud daughters Of veterans. If ever you let the SOL
der-hater take this ship of State from her haven
der the hill and guide IL upon black sea of trouble
TO be lost swallowed up In the waves OF adversely,
If you let him steer this grand old ship upon
the rocks and reefs of hatred, malice and enmiiy,
like Scipio Africanus from such "A crisis pray
God preserve the State"
With what admiration the student of general
history pauses and reflects rs he reads, for the first
time. of the sacrifice OF LeOnidas at the Pass of
Ihermopyle where that dauntless SOO held in
check $4,000! What love and fires of patriotism
does Marathon knde In his youthful breast, as he
reads Of the victories of Miltiadesl But we have
had a Thermopyise in our own land; q Marathon.
too, have we seen here.
More glorious to me has been the charge of
Missionary Ridge than ThermopyR, more G.
nowned Gettysburg chan Marathon. AT the Pass
of Thermopyise the 300 were sheltered and pro-
posed. for Bragg had fortified the mountains till
they stood impregnable as Gibraltar before the
Northern troops. Itseemed impossible for squir-
rels. much more SO for men. to climb their sides
aud not meet with instant death.
Grant. Granger. and Thomas met Orchard
Knob. over a mile aud n half from the Ridge. TO
debate the advisability Of attack; at last IL
decided that Granger's Division should adyar CO.
and at least capture the rifie-pits mile and
half had to be traversed. uncovered by a single
tree yet out into their pitiless iron hail the
in blue moved steadily. Huge gaps
plowed in their ranks, but those who were
wounded closed up firmly and marched. straight
a thought OF God. upon the mountain side.
The fire of the enemy seemed to center most
fercely upon those parts of the line where waved
the Stars and Stripes; but ever as their gallant
bearers were stricken down brave hands lifted the
flag again, amid the murky wreck and appalling
thunder. Lines OF dead were behind them and
belching cannon before them. yet, cOolly as II
on parade. they marched shaking the plain with
their regular tread, and uplifting their brows to
the eaden storm calmly as to the kiss OF wife
child.
At the base of the Ridge the Union troops sat
down and rested. Above them the storm ragged
with renewed fury, while the mountains shook
from base TO summit. Great clouds OF gray smoke
rolled out over the plain like the storm-tossed
and terrible. Flash succeeded Aasl, like seraphs'
swords unscabbarded, waving the legiOns of
the air to the battle of the demons. Yet, stretched
there. and cracking jokes as pacidly as though
met together in a summer harvest-held, the men
Al last the order came to advance; or was ii an
impulse and not an order 2 for even Gen. Granger
did not dream that the Ridge could be captured
that day. Up leaped the men, and the mighty
scramble began. Up and up. aud farther up, from
severe to severer struggles came hands red with
nest. and the foxes fed from sounds more terrible
than the cry OF huntsmen or bay OF hound
As fast rs the rebels evacuated battery the men
deaih-song in their surRing tide Men chung to the
rocks and bushes and scrambled on hands and
knees, their eyes fixed OH the dear old flag as 1t
passed upward but blinded sometimes with the
hot blood from a comrades heart. who. wounded
TO the death, would ro1into the valley below.
in their ewes: YES Hood was about their brows ss
II laurels were too mean nrowns for heroes ON that
day. Upward they venatill the last rebel breast
work WAS carried. till teJast rebel gun was mute.
and Missionary Ridge was won.
The men OF the South, fleeing down the other
side OF tho mountain, saw Sheridan raise his flask
and drink to them as they fled; they paused
instant, and lifting their hats. cheered the man and
men that had ennobled Americas name that day.
g. that patriotism is not Often !. pa!.,o.ism
trioi should be ready 70 answer the call. The star
OF Thermopyle would pale before the sun Of Mis-
sionary Ridge and the star of Marathon grow dim.
When that great day comes when honor shall be
bestowed upon him to whom 1t is due, shall see
the men Of whose fame poets have sung, and to
whose memory monuments have been raised: l
shall see them arise, and, dividing like the Red
Sea, allow these soldiers who gave their lives for
their country to pass through their honored ranks
and receive the crown from him who said. "lnas.
much as ys did 1t unto the least Of these my chill
dren. ye did II unto me,''
What a grand, noble thing is charity. That
disposition of heart which inclines men to
think favoraby OF their fellow.men, and to do
them good, especially, the poor Charity In the
Q. G. means the looking after. and the taxing caro-
OF. the soldiers widows and orphans and the high
est kind OF charity Is charity to the unoharitsble
Girst ses that Napoleon Is safe before you send
drouchy on his errand; attend frst TO charity
among yourselves before you look to help others,
for il Napoleon had stopped to consider his safety
before sending Grouchy on hts crrand the story OF
Waterloo would be q different tale to-day.
The last but greatest Of all these 10 loyalty;
not traitors but loyal, to one another, Say
what 10 right and then be loyal to It; stick to
1t, let nothing draw you from II. But above all
be loyal to your flag. be loyal to It, and then, when
your eyes shall behold for the last time the fast
fading vision Of earth, you shall see fortress
standing At the head of the world, and flying from
us ramparts the American flag. Loyalty yours
Frank M. Kemp. HaxletoM, Pa.