The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1896-06-12
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
Lessons OF Patriotism Drawn From
Decoration Day.
Lave of christIanity Should be Inspired
By the Graves OF the Nations Dead
"A Blessed Hope OF ne
More War

shields q mighty men.-Solomon's Song w., 4
The church Is here compared tc IN
armory, the walls hung with trophies
Of dead heroes. Walk all about this
tower Of David. and see the dented
shields and the twisted swords, and
the rHstcd helmets of terrible battle.
80 mt this season, a month earlier al
the south, a month later at the north.
the American churches are turned into
armorIes adorned with memories Of
departed braves. Blossom and bloom,
Q walls, with stories of self-sacrifce.
and patriotism, and prowessl
BY unanimous decree of the people
OF the United States of America. the
graves Of all the northern and south
ern dead are every year decorated.
All acerbity and bitterness have rome
out Of the national solemnitv. and as
the men and women Of the south one
month ago foralized the cemeteries
anu Rraveyards, so yesterday we, the
men and women Of the north, Dut
upon the tombs of our dead the kiss of
patriotic affection. Bravery ALWAYS
appreciates bravery, though it fights
on the otherside; and if soldier Of
the federal army had been a month
ago at Savannah, he would not have
been ashamed to march In the floral
procession to the cemetery. And if
yesterday confederate soldier was at
Arlington, he was glad to put sprig
Of heart's-ease on the silent heart of
our dead,
In a battle during our last war the
eonfederates were driving back the
federais, who were in swift retreat.
when federal officer dropped wound
ed. One of his men stopped. at the
risk of his life, and put his arms
around the officer to carry him from
the field. Fifty confederate fauskets
were aimed at the young man who was
picking mp the officer. But the con-
federate captain shouted: ''Holdl
don't hrel That fellow Is too brave to
shoot" And as the federal officer, held
up by his private soldier, went limping
slowly off the field, the confederates
gave three cheers for the brave nri.
vate; and just before the two disap-
peared behind barn, both the wound
ed officer and the brave private lifted
their caps in gratitude to the cenfed.
crate captain.
Shall the Gospel be less generous
than the world? We stack arms, the
bayonet of our orshern gun FACING
this way, the bayonet of the southern
gun facing the other way, and as the |
gray Of the morning melts into the
blue Of noon, so the typical gray and |
blue Of old war times have blended at |
last, aud they quote in the language |
OF King James translation without |
any revision; "9lory to God in the
and on earth peace, good will !
to men," Now, what do we mean bv
this great observances
First, we mean instruction to one
whole generation. Subtract 1868
when the war ended, from our 1850
and you will realize what a vast num-
Der of people were born since the war.
or were so young as to have no vivid
appreciation. No one under Al wears
81 ago has any adequate memory of
that prolonged horror. Do Won re
member it? WELL" you saw, II only
remember that mother swoon ayav
while she was reading the newspaper.
IND that they brought my father home
wrapped In the flag, and that a good
many people came into the house to
'ray, and mother faded away after
hat until again there were many peo-
lie in the house and they told me that
he was dead"
There are others who can not re.
member the roll of a drum or the ,
ramp of regiment or a sigh or a !
ear OF that tornado of woe that swept :
ne nation again and again until there /
vas one dead in each house. Now it
5 the religious duty of those who do ,
emember it to tell those who do not. ]
dy young friends, there were such i,
'artings at rail-car windows and ;
team boat wharves and at front doors 5
j comfortable homes as / pray God ?
% may never witness. Oh, what a :
inc 1t was, when fathers and mothers
ave up their sons, never expecting to r
ee them again, and never did see them I
gain until they came back mutilated, :
nd crushed, and dead!
-Four years of blood. Four years Of '
ostile experiences. Four years of L
hastliness. Four years of grave @
igging. -Four years of funerals, cof- I
ms, shrouds, hearses, dirges Mourn t
lgL mourningl mourning! 1t was v
ell let loose. What a time of wait A
lg for newsl Morning paper and S
vening paper scrutinized for intelli- c
ence from the boys at the front. y
lrst, announcement that the battle e
lust occur the next day Then the Y
ews Of the battles going on. On the d
day still going on. Then V
ews of 300 slain, and of the names d
the great generals who had fallen, u
ut no news about the private soldiers. h
'aiting for newsl After many days o
ad of wounded going through the
'wn or city, but no news from our .,
~. Then a long list of wounded and a,
long list of the dead, and a long list !,
the missing. And among the last ?,
st, our boy. "
When missing? How missing? Who W
w him last? Missingl Missing! Was A
; in the woods or by the stream? w
ow was he hurt? Missingl missing! IL
hat burning prayers that he may vet Il
} heard from. In that awful waiting o.
T news many life persisted. The ei
rain of anxietry was too great. The al
Ife's brain gave way that FIRST week "
ter the battle, and ever and anon she s,
alks the floor of the asylum or looks m
It of the window as though she ex- Z
cted someone to come along the path II
Id up the steps, as she soliloquizes, OF
Missing! missingI' el
What made matters worse, all this "
ght have been avoided. There was al
more need of that war than at this
Oment I should plunge a dagger ST
rough your heart There were a few 70