Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1896-06-04
MOUNDS OF THE DEAD
REV. DR.. TALMAGE breaches A ME.
MORTAL DAY SERMON.

Lessons From the -Four Years War OF the
Spirit of war--self Defense and Its Du-
ties.
WASHINGTON, May 31.--What could be
smore appropriate or stirring than this dis
course by the Rev. DR.. Tnlmage ut the
time of year when the friends of those
who wore tho blue and the gray have dec
Grated tho mounds of the fallonY Tho
text was Solomon Songiv 4, "Tho tower
of David builded for an armory, whcreon
there hang thousand buoklers. all shields
of mighty men,"
Tho church Is hero compared to an ar
mory, tho walls hung with trophies of dead
heroes Walk oil about this tower Of David,
and SEQ tho denied shields, and tho twisted
swords, and tho rustcd helmets Of ter.
rible battle So Mt this season, n month
earlier at tho south, n month later at the
north, the American churches aro turned
into armories adorned with memories Of
departed braves. Blossom and bloom, O
walls, with stories OF self sacrifice and pa
triotism and provost
BY unanimous decree Of tho people Of
the United States of America tho graves
of all tho northern and southern dead arc
every year decorated. All acorbity and
bitterness have gone out of tho national
solemnity, and as the men and wcmen of
the south one month ago floralizcd tho
cemeteries and graveynrds, so yesterday
we, tho men md women OF tho north put
upon tho tombs Of our dead the kiss Of pa.
trotic affection. Bravery always appreci-
ates bravery, though 1t fight on the other
side, and If soldier Of the Federal army
had beon n month ago at Savannah he
would not have boon ashamed to march in
tho floral PROFESSIONS to the cemetery,
And IL yesterday Confederate soldier YVES
at Arlington no was glad to put sprlg OF
heartsoaso on the silent heart OF our dead.
Brave Generosity.
In baltic during our last war tho Con-
federates were driving back tho Fodcrals,
who werc in swift retreat, whor Federal
officer dropped wounded. One of his mon
stopped at tho risk of his life and put his
arms around the officer to carry him from
the field. Fifty Confederate muskots were
aimed at tho young man who was picking
up tho Officer. But the Confederate cap
tain shouted: "Hold! Don't fire. That
follow is too bravo to DO shot, And as
soldier, went limping slowly off the field
tho Confedcratcs gave throc cheers for the
bravo private, and just before the two dis
appeared behind barn both tho wounded
officer and the brave private lifted thcil
caps In gratitude to tho Confederate cap
tain.
Shall tho gospel DO less generous thar
the worldg We stack arms, the bayonot o.
our northern gun facing this way, the bay
onct of tho southern gun facing tho Other
way, and as tho gray Of the morning melt'
into tho blue of noon so the typical gray
and blue of old war times have blended al
last, and they quote in the language o
King James translation without any re
vision. "Glory to God In tho highest, ant
on earth peace, good will to men," Now
what do We mean by this great observance
Fl L, wo mean instruction to one who'll
generation. Substract 1865, when the wa
ended, from our 1896, and you will realiz
what u vast number Of peoplo were borl
since the war or were so young as to hav
no vivid appreciation. No one under 4
years of ago has any adequate memory o
that prolonged horror. Do you romombe
itP "Well," you say, II only remembc
that mother swoonod away while she wa
reading the newspaper, and that the
brought my father home wrapped in tn
flag, and that good many people came Il
tho house to pray, and mother faded ava
after that until again there were man
people in tho house, and they told mo sh
was dead.
There arc others who cannot remembe
tho roll of drum or the tramp Of q rcgI
mcnt or u sigh or a tear Of that tornado q
woe that swept tho nation again and ngai
until there was one dead in each houst
Now 1t is tho rel gious duty Of those VIII
do remember it to tell those who do not
My young friends, there were such part
ings at rail car windows and stoamboa
wharfs and at front doors of comfortnbl
homes rs pray God you may never wit
ness. Oh what time it was when ia
theirs and mothers gave up their sons, neve
expecting to SEQ them again and mover di
sec them again until they came back mutt
lated and crushed and dead.
A Glance at the Past.
Four years of blood. Four years of hol
tile experiences. Four years of ghastl
ness. Four years of gravcdigging. Fou
years of funerals, collins, shrouds hcarsc
dirgos. Mourning, mourning, mourning
1t was hell let loose. What "a timo {
waiting for news Morning paper an
evening paper scrutinized for intolligcnC
from the boys at tho front. First, al
nounoement that tho battle must occur II
next day. Then the news of tho bait
going on. On tho following day still goin
on. Then news of 80, 600 slain and of ii
names of the great generals who had fallol
but no news about tho private soldier
Waiting for newsl After many days
load of wounded going through the tow
or city but no news from our boy. The
long list Of wounded and long list
tho dead and n long list Of tho missin
And among tho last list our boy.
When missing? How missing? VI
saw him lastP Missingl Missing! VI
no in the woods or by the streamf Ho
was be hurtp Missing Missing! VIII
burning prayers that he may yet be hoa
from. In that awful waiting for ne,
many life persisted. The strain Of an
lefty was too great. That wife's bra
gave way that first week after tho BATH
and ever and anon she walks the floor
tho asylum or looks out OF tho window
though she expected some one to con
along tho path and up tho steps as s.
soliloquizes "Missing; missing"
What made matters worse, all this mig
have been avoided. There was no mo
need Of that war than at this moment
should plunge dagger through yo
heart There were few Christian pl
lnnthropists in those days, scoffed at DO
by north and south, who had the right
1t. If they had been heard on both sidl
We should have had no war and no SLAYER
1t was advised by those Christian phila
thropists, "Let the north pay in mon
for the slaves as property and set the
Tha &C.