Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1896-06-04

Of isS weapOnry, but because now IL takes
down tho best men, whereas once 1t chiefly
took down tho worst Bruce in 1717, in
his Institutions of Military Law" said
Of tho European armies OF his day, "If all
Infamous persons and such as havo com
mittcd capital crimes, hcretics, atheists
md all dnstardly feminine mon, wero
wocded out of tho army, it would soon bo
reduced to pretty moderate number. "
FloRgng and mean pay made thom still
moro ignoblo. Officers were appointed to
sec that each soldier drank his ration of u
pint Of spirits IA day. There were noble
mon in battle, but tho moral character Of
tho army thon was 05 por cent lower than
tho moral character of an army today. by
so much is war now tho moro dotcstablo
because It destroys tho picked men OF tho
nations.
Again by this national ceremony we
mean to honor courage. Many of these
departed soldiers wcrc volunteers not con
scripts, and muny of those who were draft
cd might have provided n substitute or got
off on furlouRh or havo deserted. Tho fact
that they lilo in their graves Is proof Of
their bravery. Brave Mt tho front, bravo mt
tho lannon's mouth, brave on lonely pick
ct duty bravo in cavalry charge, bravo be-
fore the surgeon, brave In tho dying mess
age to the home circle. We yesterday put
garland on tho brow Of courage. The
world wants moro OF 1t.
Tho church of God is In wocful need Of
mon who can stand under fire. Tho lion
of worldly dcrIson ruars and the sheep
trcmblc. In great rcformatOry movements
at tho first shot how many fall back,
Tho great obstacle to thc'church' q advance.
mcnt Is tho inarity, tho vnouity, tho soft
prottiness, the Mandy pnmbyism Of pro.
tossed Christians Great on n parade, cow
ards in battle. Afraid of getting their
plumos ruillod, thoy carry parnsol over
their helmet. They go into baltic not with
warriors gauntlet but with kid gloves,
not clutching tho sword hilt too tight lest
the glove split at the back.
In ali our rofurmatUry and Christian
work tho great want Is more backbone,
more mettlo, moro daring, moro prowess.
We would In all our churches like to trade
| off hundred do nothings for ono do every
thing. "Quit yourselves like men; be
strong"
Thy saints in all this glorious war
Shall conquer, though they do.
| They sec til" triumph from nfGr
And seize it with their eye.
Self Sacrifice.
Again wo mean by this national obscrv
anco to honor self sacrifice for others. II
all these departed men home and kindred
were as dear AS our home and kindred ar,
to us. Do you know how they felt? Jus
us you and would feel starting out to
morrow morning with nino chances out O
ten against our returning alive, for the
intelligent soldier sees not only battle
ahead, but malarial sickness and oXhaus
ton. Had these men chosen, they coult
| have spent last night In their homes ant
today have been seated where you arc
They chose tho camp not because they
| liked It better than their own house, ant
followed the drum and fife, not bccaus
they were better music than the voices q
the domestic circle. South Mountain ant
Murfrocsboro and the swamps Of Chicka
hominy were not Fairgrounds.
These heroes riskcd and lost all 70
others. There is no higher sublimity thai
that. To keep throe-qunrtcrs for oursclvc
and give one quarter TO others Is honora
bio. To divide even with others is gcncr
Gus. TO keep nothing for ourselves an,
give all for Others is magnanimity Christ
like. Put girdlo around your body an,
then measure the girdlc and see if you ar
30 or GO inches round And Is that the cir
y
self Or, to measure you around the heart
) would 1t take girdc largo enough to Ell
circle the land and cncirclo tho world
You want to know what we dry thoc
logians mean when we talk of vicariou
suffering. Look at the soldiers graves an
find out. Nicarious! pangs for other.
: wounds for others, home y lncss for 9th
ers blood for others, scpulchcr for Others
Those who visited tho national GENE
tories at Arlington Heights and Mt Ricl
mond and Gettysburg saw one Inscription
} on soldiers tombs oftcner repeated tina
any other" Unknown. When, about 9
years ago, I was called to deliver tho orr
ton at Arlington Heights, Washington,
was not SO much impressed with the mir
uto guns that shook the earth or with tn
attendance Of president and cabinet an
: foreign ministers and generals of the arm
and commodores of the navy as with tn
pathetic and overwhelming sugRestiyencs
Of that epitaph on so many graves at III
feet Unknown! Unknownl 1t seem
to me that the timo must come when I'll
government of tho United States sha
r take off that epitaph. They are no mon
, unknown. We have found them out 1
! last. They are the beloved sons Of the r,
t public
l Would 1t not be well to take tho statu
@ of tho heathcn goddess off tho top Of I'll
= capitol (for have no faith in tho mora
o Of II heather goddcss) and put ono gre,
o statue in all our national cemeteries
9 statue Of Liberty In the form of Christia
@ woman, with her hand on an open Bib
/, and her foot on the Rock Of Ages, with til
. other hand pointing down to tho graves
n the unknown, saying, "Thoso are my son
n who died that might live" Take off I'll
n misnomer. Everybody knows them.
# is of comparatively little Importance VIII
!. was the name given them in baptism
water. In the holier and mightier bal
o tism of blood we know them, and yestc
IS day the nation put both arms around the
y and Rugged them to her heart cryin
It "Mine forever"
u Future Defense.
Again, by this national ceremony y
mean the future defense Of this natio
II by every wreath Of flowers or the soldier
y graves we say, "1'hose who die for Il
u country shall NOT bu forgotten" and tn
- will give enthusiasm to our young men
y case our nation should in tho future net
~ to defend itself in battle. Wo shall nov
have another war between north NJ
~ south. The old decayed bono of oonte
y tion, American slavery, has been cast on
- although hero and there Is depraved po
/. tioian takes 1t up to sec If no can't gna
h something of ID. We arc floating Off fa
n thor and farther from the possibility