Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1896-06-05
DIR. TALMAGE on WAR

DIR. .TALMAGE OK WAR
APPROPRIATE MEMORIAL DAY SER
MON BY THE ELOQUENT PREACHER.
lie Calls Down she wrath Of tho Almisht-
Against War, but Later lie Indulges In
Sentiments That wnI Please Bolligerent
Jingoes.
WASHINGTON, Nay 3L-What could
be moro appropriate or stirring than
this discourse by the Rev. DR.. Talmaga
at the time Of year when the friends Of
those who wore the bluo and the gray
have decorated themoundsof the fallen:
The text was Solomon 5 Song iy, 4,
THE tower Of David builded for an
armory, wherc0n there hung thou. lnd
buckles. all shields Of mighty men.
The church is here compared ID an
arnorv, the walls hung wi,h trophies
Of dead heroes. Walk all about this
towcr If David ard aee the dcn''d
shields. and the twisted swords. and
tine ru-tod helmets Il torrhla iat.o.
So nc this season, % month earlier 40 Che
south, a north later at th" north, the
American churches are turned into m-
norics adorned with memories If de-
rortrd braves blossom and bloom, O
walls. wiz stories Of self slcrihco and
patriotism and prawess.
By unanimous decree Of thspeop-e OF
the United Statos of America the graves
Of all the northern and southern dead
are every year decorated. All acero.ty
and bitterness have gone ont Of tic NE
tional s1lcmnity, and as tine mon and
women of the south one month ago
aoralizcd the cemc t,rics and srayoyards
SD yesterday we, the men and women Of
the north, put upon tha t.mbs Of our
dead the kiss Of patriotic affection.
Bravery always appreciates bravery,
though ii fight on the other side, and if
q soldier If the Federal army had been
p month ago at Savannah he would not
have been ashamed 20 march in the
floral professions 20 the cemetery And
l If yesterday a Confederate soldier was
at Arlington ho was glad to par % sprig
/ If hcartscase on the s.lcnt heart Of our
/ dead.
In battle during our last war the
/ Confoderates were driving back the Fed
erals. who were in swift retreat. when
n Federal officer dropped wounded. One
+ Of hismen stopped at the rsIof his life
and put his arms around the officer TO
carry him fr ~ The field Fifty Conted-
crate muskcts wera aimed at tAe young
man who was picking up the oaiccr-
But the Confederate captain shouted;
"Hold! DON'T fire! That fellow IS too
brave to shoot" Aud as the Federal
officer. held up by his private soldier
went limping slowly of the field the
Confederatos gave three cheers for the
brave private, and just before tine two
disappoared behind a barn bo,h the
wounded officer and the brave private
lifted their caps in gratitude TO the Con-
federato captain.
Shall the gospel be less generous than
the world? We stack arms the bayonet
Of our northern gun facing this way
the bavonot 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 ot old war
timcs have blended at last, and they
quote in the language Of King James
translation without any revision 'Oiofy
to God in the highest, and on earth
pcace, good will to men" Now, what
do we mean by this great Observance!
The Lesson OF 1t.
First. we mean instruction to one
whole generation. Subtract 1862 when
the war ended. from our 1896, and you
will realize what a vast number OF peo'
ple were born since the war, or Were so
voung as to have no vivid appreciation.
No one under Al years Of age has any
adeouate memory of that prolonged hor-
ror. Do YOU remember it? Well you
saw. Il only remember that mother
swooned away while she vas reading
the newspaper, and that they brought
nv father home wrapped in the hag'
and that a good many people came ID
the house to pray, and mother 1aueu
AWAY after that until again there were
many people in the house and they told
me she was dead.
There are others who cannot remem-
her the roll Of a drum or the tramp ot q
recimcnt or a sigh or fear Of that tor
nadoof woo that swept the nation again
and again until there was one dead III
each house. Now, it is the religious
dutv of those who DO remember it TO tell
those who do not. Ny young friends
there were uchpartings al rail car WIN.
dows and steamboat whails, ana al
front doors Of comfortable homes as
pray God you may never witness. vi,
what a time il was when fathers anc
mothers gave mp their SONS, never ex
Meeting to see them again and never oi,
see them again until they came bacl
mutilated and crushed and deadl
-Four years Of blood -Four years Of
hostile experiences. -Four years Of ghast
liness Four years Of gravedigging
-Four years Of funerals, collins, shiouds
hearses. dirges. Mourning, mourning
mourningl IL was hell let loose. Wha
a time Of waiting for nowsl Morninl
paper and evening paper scrutinized fo
I intelligence from the boys at the front
First. announcement that the battle
must occur the next day. Then the new
of the battles going or. On the follow
j. ing day still going on. Then news :
80, 600 slain. and Of the namS = "a
great generals who had fallen, but ID
| news about the rrivate soldiers. Wait