The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1896-06-11


bucklers, III shields Of might. men. Sol
omon's Song, iv.. 4.
The church is here compared to an
armory, the walls hung with trophies
of dead heroes. Walk all about this
tower Of David and see the dented
Shields and twisted swords, and the
helmets of terrible battle So at this
season, a month earlier at the South,
month later at the North, the Amcri-
can churches are turned into armories
adorned with memories of departed
braves. Blossom and bloom, 0 walls,
with stories Of self-Sacrifice, and pat
riotism, and prowess!
By unanimous decree Of the people
of the United States Of Anne cica the
graves of all the Northern and South
ern dead are every year decorated. All
aceriby and bitterness have gone cut
of the national solemnity, and as the
men and women of the South one
month ago foralized the cemeteries
and graveyards, so yesterday we. the
men and women of the North, put upon
the tOmbs of our dead the kiss o.: Pat
riotic affection. Bravery always ap-
preciates bravery, though it fight en-
the other side; and if soldier OF tie
Federal army had been a month ago at
Savannah, he would not have been
ashamed to march in the floral pro-
cessions to the cemetery. And if Yrs
terday Confederate soldier was at
Arlington, he was glad to put sprig
of heart s-ease on the silent heart OF
our dead.
. In Il battle during our last war the
Confederatcs were driving back the
Federals, who were in swift retreat,
when Federal officer dropped,
wounded. One of his men stopped, at
the risk of his life, and put his arms
the field. Iifty Confederate muskets
picking up the officer. But the Con-
fedprate captain shouted, "Hold! don't
fire! That fellow is too brave to
Shoot" And as the Federal officer,
held up by the private soldier, went
limping slowly from the field, the Con-
federates gave three cheers for the
brave private; and just before the
two disappeared behind a barn, both
the wounded officer and the brave p"i
vate lifted their caps in gratitude TO
the Confederate captain.
Shall the Gospel be less generous
than the world? We stack arms, the
bayOnet Of our Northern gun facing
this way, the bayonet Of the Southern
gun facing the other way, and Us the
gray Of the morning melts iato the
blue of the noon, so the typical gray
and blue of old war times nave blend
ed at last, and they quote in :he IAN
guage of King James translation with
out any revision; GLORY to God i'll tie
highest, and on earth peace, good will
to men," Now what do we mean by
this great observance?
First, we mean instruction to che
whole generation. Subtract 1863, when
the war ended, from our 1896, and YOU
will realize what a vast number of
people were born since the way. CT
were so young as to have no wa ap-
probation. No one under fur-y-tne
years Of age has any adequate lae!n-
Dry Of that prolonged horror. d. You
remember it?
''Well," you say, II only remember
that mother swooncd away while she
was reading the newspaper, and That
they brought my father home wrapped
in the flag, and that a good many Ieo-
pie came in the house to pray, and
mother faded away after that until
again there were many people in the
house and they told me she was lrld.'
There are others here who cannot
remember the roll of drum or the
tramp of a regiment, or sigh, CT
tear of that tornado of woe that swept
the nation again and again until there
was one dead in each house. Now it
is the religious duty of those who do
remember it to tell those who do not.
My young friends there were such
partings at rail car windows and
steamboat wlarves, and at the front
doors Of comfortable homes as l pray
God you may never witness. Oh, what
a time it was, when fathers and moth
ers gave up their sons, never expect
ing to see them again, and never did
see them again until they came back
mutilated and crushed and dead!
Four years of blood. -Four years Of
hostile experiences. Four years Ct
ghastliness. Four years of grave-lig
ging. -Four years of funerals, collins.
shrouds, hearses, dirges. Mourning!
mourning! mourning! 1t was hell let
loose. What time of waiting fer
news! Morning paper and evening pa
the boys at the front. First, announce
ment that the battle must occur the
next day. Then the news of the bat
ties going on. On the following day
still going on. Then news of 10000
slain, and of the names Of the great
generals who had fallen, but no news
about the private soldiers. Waiting
for news! After many days load Of
wounded going through the town or
city, but no news from our boy. Then
a long list Of wounded and long list
of the dead, and long list of the
missing. And among the last list our
boy.
When missing? How missing? Who
saw him last? Missing! Missing! Was
he in the woods or by the stream? How
was he hurt? Missing! Missing! " hat
burning prayers that he may yet be
heard from. In that awful waiting for
news many life persisted. The strain
of anxiety was TOO great. That wife's
brain gave way that first week after
the battle, and ever and anon she
walks the floor of the asylum or looks
out Of the window as though she ex-
pected some one to come along the
path and up the steps, as she solilo-
quizes, Missing! missing!'
What made matters worse, all this
might have been avoided. There was
no more need of that war than at this