Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1895-05-30

or for an unjust cause; or for any
political wrong. 1t had nothing to
apologize for in its splendid history.
This, he said, was only the national
side. Would that the individual life,
under the flag could say the same
thing. Here the preacher dwelt at
great length in showing that it was
through Divine Providence that this
nation was called into being, and that
God had a purpose in it, and so, he
argued that the flag was the symbol of
that purpose, and that we did not
really glory in that flag, when as in
dividuals, we we were inhuman in our
relations in life, or were the victims Of
intemperance, and were the followers
of strange and wild theories which
scorned and treated with contempt the
word and will Of God, as expressed in
domestic, social and political order.
Here the preacher said, that the
splendid history of the country was a
pledge of a splendid future for the
nation; but this splendid future could
only be wrought out through moral
and spiritual conquests, and such con-
quests would be real and could only
come through much suffering. He
asked the veterans to interpret the
word conquest" in the light of their
war experiences, Of which he gave a
vivid picture. And he argued, that as
II nation triumphant we would go
in history, bnt these triumphs would
come through panics and strikes and
tribulations, which would teach us in
time, how we must walk "ordelly and
honestly, and soberly," if we are
worthy of the flag and country. And
this would be national victory,
which would show to the world how
we led captivity captive.
In closing, the preacher spoke OF the
Woman's Relief Corps (Which was
presently and its work, and how that
the veterans could have no fear that
their work and service would not be
appreciated, while the work Of these
women ain mlnisterng and not being
ministcred unto" might be overlooked,
and the best thing the veterans could
do would be to walk worthy
of these fair co-laborers; to be as pure
as they were; to be rs strong and
courageous for the right as they were;
and the blessing Of life and the peace
Of death would be theirs forever.
And for the sons of these veterans,
the preacher gave the wholesome
advice, that they could not live in the
the shadow of their fathers repnta-
ton, but they must win victory for
themselves, in doing something for
their lclloWmen in suffering for their
country, in ascending and leading
captive Of all that is mean and con
temptiblc in life.
In the evening many members of
the Post and Corps attended services
ut the NJ. f. church, and listened to
an able sermon, appropriate to Memo
rial Sunday, which elected words of
COMMUNICATION from those who heard
1t. II was delivered by the pastor,
Rev. f. w. Straw. Following is
II synopsis;
The preacher selected for his text,
Psalm III; 3:
"lr 1t had not been that the Lord ho was
on our slide when men rose up against
ms, then they had swallowed us up quick"
The three Psalms of which this is
the center, give us three panoramic
pictures which are applicable to all
ages and people. They may have
been written out of David's expert
ence; or of lsaaels escape from
Egypt; or of the Jews deliverance
from Babylon. They are equally APP
plicablo to our nation, and suggest
three pictures appropriate for this
occasion, under each of which we can
write our text:
lst Birth of our nation. 1t looks
easy to us rs we read history; but the
founders had to hew it out Of the
rough, with no model for II pattern.
But the trend of English and French
contomporaneous history was toward
this end, showing IN overriding hand,
The same hand was visible in the
adoption of the constitution, which
also was the first of its kind. Wash
ington recognized this help when he
said in his inaugural address Every
step by which we have advanced to an
independent nation has been distin-
gnished by some token of proyidential
agency. No people can be more
bound to acknowledge and adore the
invisible hand which conducts the
affairs of men than the people of the
United States"
I'd. Cleansing Of the nation. 1t
grew to manhood like young giant,
and like some men had in the body
polite sins rs well rs strength. The
great sin was slavery; and this had TO
be put away. Here, rs ut the begin
nirR, the way which looks SO plain to
us now was II new path for those who
lived in 81. There was always n
danger that England and France
would recognize the contederacy. The
Mason \ Slidell affair showed that jeff
erson Davis was working for 1t. Then
it would cost money to rid the land of