The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-06-17

battle not with warriors gauntlet, but with
kid gloves, not clutching the sword hilt too
tight less the gloves split at the oack.
In all our reformatory and CHRISTIAN work
the great want Is more Dackoohe, more
mettle, more daring, more proves. we
would in all our churches like 10 traoe on
hundred 10 nothings for one do everything.
"Ouit yourselves like men; be strong"
The saints in all this glorious war
Shall conquer. though they die.
They see the triumph from afar
And seize 1t with their eye.
Again, we mean by this national observ-
auce TO honor self sacrifice for others. To
all these departed men home and kindred
were as dear as our home and kindred areto US.
Do you know how they felt2 Just as you and
l would feel starting out tomorrow morn
ing with nine chances out of ten against our
returning alive. for the intelligent soldier
sees not only battle ahead, but malarial SICK
ness and exhaustion. Had these men chosen
they could have spent last night In their
homes and to-day have been seated Where
you are. They chose the camp not because
they liked 1t better than their own mousse,
and followed the drum and fife not because
they were better music than the voices OF tue
domestic circle. South Mountain ana Mur-
freesboro and the swamps OF Ch1ckanom'ny
we're not Fairgrounds.
Those who visited the national cemeteries
at Arlington Heights and at Richmond and
Gettysburg saw one inscription on soldlers
tombs oftener repeated than any other-"Un-
known" When, about twenty-one years ago,
I was called to deliver the oration at Airing
ton Heights. Washington, was not 80 mucn
IMPRESSED with the minute guns that shook
the earth or with the attendance OF president
and cabinet and foreign ministers and gen.
erals Of the army and commodores OF the
navy as with the pathetic and overwhelming
suggestiveness Of that epitaph on 80 many
graves at NV feet, "Unknown!" "Unknown"
II seems to me that the time must come when
the government of the United States shall
take of that s2itapb. They are no more un-
known! We have found them out at last.
They are the beloved sons of the republic.
Would it not be we'll to take the statue OF
the heather goddess off the top of the capt.
tol (for have no faith in the morals OF
heather goddess) and put one great statue
in all our National cemeteries-a statue OF
liberty in the form Of a Christian woman
with her hand on an open Bible and her foot
on the Rcck OF Ages, with the other hand
pointing down to the graves OF the unknown
saving, "These are my sons who died that l!
might live" Take off the misnomer. Every
body knows them. 1t Is OF comparatively
little Importance what was the name given
them in baptism OF water. In the holier and
mightier baptism Of blood We know them,
and yesterday the Nation put both arms
around them and Rugged them to her heart,
crying, "Mine foreveri"
Again, by this national ceremony We mean
the future defense of this nation. BY every.
wreath of flowers on the soldiers graves we,
say, "Those who die for the country shall,
not be forgotten" and that will give enthu-i
% In
should in the future need to defend itself in
battle. We shall never have another war be-,
tween north and south. We are floating OF,
farther and farther from the possibility OF
sectional strife.
No possibility of civil war. But about for
eign invasion am not so certain. When l
spoke against war, said nothing against
self defense. An inventor told me that ne
had invented style of weapon which could
be- used in self defense. but not In aggressivei
warfare. said. "When you get the nations
to adopt that weapon, you have introduced
the millennium" have no right to 80 on my
neighbor's premises and assault. him, but II
some ruf1an break into my house for the as
sassination of my family, and can borrow a
gun and load 1t in time and aim 1t straight
enough, will shoot him. !
There Is no room on this continent fori
any other nation except Canada, and bet-
ter neighbor no one ever had. II you don't
think so go to Montreal and Toronto and
see how we'll they will treat you. Other
than that there Is absolutely no room for
any other nation. I have been across the
continent again and again. and know thar
we have not a half inch OF ground for the
gouty foot Of foreign despotism to stand on.
But am. not so sure that some OF the arrog-
ant nations of Europe may not some day
do cnnyv fh0S6
forts around New York bay are to sleep all,
through the rext century. l DO not know
that Barnegat lighthouse will not yet look
off upon hostile navy. do not know but
that a half dozen nations, envious OF our
prosperity, may want to give US Wrestle.'
During our civil war there were two or three
nations that could hardly keep their hands
off US. It is very easy to pick national quar-
rels, and If our natior escapes much longer
it will be the exception.
Ifforeign foe should come, we want men
like those Of 1912 and like those OF 1852 to
meet them. We want them all up and down
the coast, Pulaski and Fort Sumter In the
same chorus ofthupder as Fort Lafayette and
Fort Hamilton-men who will not only
know how to fight, but how to die. When
such time comes, ifit ever does come, the
generation on the stage of action will sayi
My country will care for my family as they
did in the soldiers asylum for the orphans
In the Civil War, and my country will honor
my dust as it honored those who preceded
me in patriotic sacrifice, and once year at
any rate, on Decoration Dey, shall be res
urrected into the remembrance OF those for
whom died. Here I go for God and my
country! Huzzar'
If foreign foe should come, the old Sec
tional animosities would have no power.
Here 60 our regiments into the battlefield
Fifteenth New York volunteers, Tenth Ala.
bama cavalry, Fourteenth Pennsylvania rifle
men, Tenth Massachusetts artillery. Seventh
South Carolina sharpshoopers. do not
know but It may require the attack OF some
foreign foe to make US forget our absurd sec.
tional wrangling. have no faith in the
cry. mo north. no south, no east, no west"
Let all four sections keep their pecullarities
and their preferences, each doing its own
work and not interfering with each other,
each of the four carrying Its part inthe great
harmony-the bass, the alto, the tenor, the
soprano-in the grand march of Union.
Once more, this great national ceremony
means the Identification of the tombs,
whether of those who fell In battle or acci-
dent, or who have expired in their beds, or
in our arms, or on our laps. suppose you
have noticed that many OF the families take
this season as the time for the adornment OF
their family plots. This national observance
has secured the ar.,oriculture and foricul-
ture Of the cemeteries, the strengthening up
OF many slab planted 80 or 40 years ago.
and has swung the scythe through the long
grass and has brought the stonecutter to call
out the half obliterate1 epitaph. This day
is the benediction Of tho resting place OF
father, mother, son, daughter. brother, sis
ter.
1t is all that we can do for them now
Make their resting pla"es attractive, not alb
surd with costly outlay. but in quiet remem-
brance. You know how. If you can afford
only ono flower, that will do. 1t shows
what you would do if you could. One bios