The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-05-26

ourselves immortal, and say. 80 Grave.
where is tiny victory" IL has none; the
victory Is ours Thanks be 10 God,
which givcth us the victory through our
Lord Jesus Christ"
BEYOND DEATH.
We see, therefore. In Christ. that there "
n certain immortality. and a resurrection.
beyond death. in eternity. Is there not
an immortality beyond death In this pres
ont world? Let us see.
This occasion IS in memory OF the dead
II has nothing TO do with the politics Of
the great war between the States. That
terrible struggle between the two sections
of the country is now far distant IN the
mast Tho passions IL aroused are fadinB
away. quandam foes meet now TO clasp
hands over the green graves OF soldiers
who fell under either flag. This is well
II is best that the hard feelings engender-
cd by the war should melt away IKE
the smoke Of its guns: but II is not meet
that we should forget the dead who lie
in innumcrablc soldiers graves: nor that
we should blush 20 speak Of the heroic
valOr and self sacrifice Of those who gave
their lives FOR their country. This VIII
apply alike 20 those who fell on either
side. 1t is fitting that the North SHOULD
cherish tho memory Of its soldiers VINO
died fighting for the Union. and It IS
right also that the South should pcrpet-
unto the memory Of those who gave their
lives for what Is now called the Lost
Cause" Moreover the time il coming
when the whole Of this great nation VIII
rejoice 10 do honor TO the brave men on
both sides. who astonishcd the world by
their valor. and who fell contendlng Tor
what each believed was right.
Tho North has its Pantheon Of Nroes;
50 has the South There will AZ length
be n national Pantheon for all the nation
glorious dead.
II is well known that for generations
tho Scottish and English races contended
I'm many bloody wars Cordially did thos"
who dwolt on both sides Of the Tweed nate
ono another I'm the olden time. But now
these races are united in one great nation
nj organization The remarkable th'hs
is not 50 much that they are united. as
that ancient enemies. men who fought
10 take each others lives. are now the
common heroes Of the British nation.
What true Enclishman does rot glory
I'm tho val0r Of Pohcrt the Bruce and
william Wallace? Wlat Scotchman Is
not proud tina. I'm war his ancestors had
I'm the English focmcn worthy r. their
steoi2
This suggests that in human events. IN
war as well as othcr struggles. there IS
often an imncrishable something. an I'M
mortality which is separate from ana
entirely Independent Of the question OF
1.f.at ~. victory. There are certain
great principles which may Ice defeated
arp,rontv. but If they are right VIII
Ultimately prevail The only thing tnat
co, mover Doe permanently successiul us
wrong: and right never can bc hna'iy
overcome. Now I'm any great conihct one
side must be right and the other wrong
ar both may be partly right and parity
v,rong But even in case where the
RIGHT is an on one side ana the Wrons
All ON the other. may there not ne sun,
even On the wrong side Somelhlns vi
truth. something impcrishaple' so"ie''i'6 ~
that will be and deserves TO DE liliii"I'di
~ ,boro often is. This noble thing Is
- ,c.t 1o,.otion TO what is believed 10
be duty. and that devotion strong enough
40 mako q man willing to die. The pulpit
has nothing TO do with the principles ol
Government about which. the war was
,vaead but self-sacrihcc unto death ior
what a man believed I'm, is heroiSm'
boroism that deserves immortality
yes more than deserves ~ carries I'M
mortality I'm its heart. OF this we may
rightly speak tonight.
Is not the unselhsh valor OF our heroes
vet "a mower in these States? IS II not one
of the most potent ilith'ii''' ~ -
shaping individual and national life? Nhat
,ives This union Of States such undaunted
courage I'm confronting the various threat
euing complications which arise IRON
time TO time with foreign powers? Amer
lea is not kept back from taking stahd
for what she believes to be right from
dread of war with any nation.
GLORIOUS HISTORY.
The dread Of war does not enter into
the consideration Of any great nterna-
tional question. is this because we are
conscious of wealth and vast resources?
This indeed. enters into the question
lint il is far more because We stand IN
front of a glorious history, because we are
tho iuhoritOrs of an heroic past ana the
descendants of men who were ready 10
die for their country. In any great IN
ternational crisis. the people of the North
feel stronger TO meet it. not only because
thelr own fathers were NalOrous in the
0eld Of war but also because they know
that The sons of those who Ill Coined
crate graves are brave men Ike their
sires. The her0ism Of the past still lives
I'm the present. and those who would
keep from falling into fOrgetfulness the
memory OF heroes are not only doing the
thing which duty 10 the dead requires
but are serving their cOgntry-their whole
country. from East TO West and North 10
South They are not making heroism
immortal. but are helping 10 make ITS
Immortality effective in their own day
and I'm the time TO come.
Death does not end the life Of noble
man. nor is his Potentially for good
buried in the grave. often this life is
more potent when ended that while its
posgcssor walked among men. The
heroes Of all the past ages are dead;
most Of their graves are. unknown; but
has their immortal spirit vanished from
the world? Docs the past have no influ-
cncc upon the present? Yea, IL has. Its
heroes live IN the hearts of mankind.
They sway as all: they hold Us 10 truth
and duty. their influence never sleeps.
The truth is as an actual power over
the destinies Of the race. The dead
are more alive than the living. Where
fore. being compasscd about with so great
a cloud of Witnesses, let us run with
patience the race that is set before us
is there a man in America to-day who
wields as great an influence a. either
Washington or jefferson? Is there any
Englishman as powerful in this nineteenth
century as oliver Cromwell? Are all the
great sons OF earth as mighty in our time
AS st Paul. who has been dead nearly
twenty centuresl or as Moses. whom
God bur ed. nearly three thousand five
hundred years ago. These men are far
greater in the worlds life now than while
they lived. The truth IL they grow in
influence with each advancing century.
And we all know they Will be greater a
thousand years hence than they are to-
day The longer they are dead. the more
they are alive. in the best. the n0best
sense. the greater is their Potentially in
the world