The morning times., 1896-06-01
if need be to march shoulder to shoulder

if need he to march shoulder to shoulder
against any foreign foe.
Tie thirty-one winters that have passed
since the war, / think, have sufficiently
cooled the hatreds that oucc burned
North ward and Southward to allow the
remark That they who fought in that con-
lilCt were honest on both sides. The
chaplainS of both armies were honest in
their prayers. The faces that went into
latte, whether they marched toward the
Gulf OF Mexico or marched toward the
North star. were honest faces II is too
much TO ask either side to believe that
those WHO came cut from their homes for
saking rather ana mother, ana wife and
chlld, many OF them never to return, were
not III earnest when they put their life
into awful eXigency.
BOTH SIDES WERE RIGHT.
Witness the last scene at family prayers
up among the Green Mountains, or down
by the fields of cotton and sugar cane
Men do not sacrifice thcir all for fun
Men 90 not eat nUidy bread or 20 without
bread al all for fun. Men do not Steer,
unSheltered in equlnoCtiai storms for run.
There were some, no doubt, on both sides
who enlisted for soldiers nav or cxpect-
lng opportunity fer violence and piilace
or burning with revenge, and thirst for
human blood, but such cases were so rare
many OF you who were i'll the war four
years never confronted such an instance
OF deprayity-
Yea, there was courage on both sides.
They who were at the front know that
Northern men 'mudsills'' and the North
called the Southern men "braggarts'' and
ponpouS nothl ngS,' but after a few
battles nothing more was said abont North
ern 'mudsills' and Southern "braggartS. :"
1t was an army of lions against an army
OF lions. 1t was flock of eagles mid sky
with IRON beak against another flock of
eagles iron-beaked.
1t was thunderbolt against thunderf ct.
IT was archangel of wrath against arch
angel OF wrath: 1T was Hancock against
Wade Hampton. 1t was Slocum against
Gordon. 1t was o. o. Howard against
Hood. 1T was Sherman against Stone
wall Jackson. IT was Grant against Lee
auu lne men who were under them were
just as gallant, and some of them are
| here, and ] detain the two garlands that
have twisted for the departed and, in
recognition of honesty and proWess put
the coronals upon these living Eederals
and Confederates.
PLEA FOR GREATER UNITY.
Among the thousands of gatherings at
the North and at the South for Decoration
Days, l am conscious that this service is
unique, and that 1T is the only one in
Which there has been twisted two garlands.
one for the graves Of the Northern dead and
| one for the grave of the Southern dead.
o, Lord God of the American Union, is it
not time that we bury forever our old
grudges? My! My! can we not be at peace
on earth when this moment in heaven
dwell in perfect love, Ulysses S. Grant and
RODeTJ =. Lee, Nllild1n L. sherman and
| Stonewall jackson, and tens of thousands
| of Northern and Southern men who, though
| they once looked askance at each other
from the opposite banks of the Potomac
and the Chickahominy and the James aud
| the Tennessee, now are on the same side
OF the river keeping jubilee with some of
those old angels who, near nineteen GEN.
| turies ago, came down one Christmas to
chant over Bethlehem: "Glory to God
in the highest; on earth peace, good will
| to menl''
And now hand over the two garlauds.
| both Of which are wet with many tears,
| tears Of widowhood and orphanage and
childlessness, tears of suffering and tears of
gratitude, and as the ceremony must be
| performed in symbol, there not being enou gll
flowers to cover all the graves, take the
one garland to the tomb of some Northern
| soldier who may yesterday have been
omitted in the distribution of the sacra.
| ment of flowers, and the other garland
| to the tomb of some Southern soldier, who
may, month ago. have been omitted in
| the distribution of the sacrament of the
flowers, and put both the wreaths gently
down over the hearts that have ceased to
| beat. God bless the two garlandsl God
save the United States of Americai