The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1896-07-25
TALMAGE's SERMON.
r,essons OF Patriotism Drawn From
Decoration Day.
Love of Christianity should be Inspired
by tho Graves Of the Nations Desa
"A Blessed Hope OF No
More War.

the following Decoration day sermon
before his Washington congregation
taking for his text:
The tower of David builded for an armory.
wherein there hang thousand FUCKERS, az
slie,ds Of mighty men.-Solornons Song, w., :.
The church Is here compared TO an
armory, the walls hung with trophies
of dead heroes. Walk all about TINS
tower of David, and see the dented
shields and the twisted swords. ana
tho rusted helmets of terrible battle.
So at this season, a month earlier at
the south. a month later at the nortn'
the American churches are turned INTO
armor,es adorned with memories OF
departed braves. Blossom and bloom,
| q walls. with stories of self-sacrince,
and patriotism, and prowess!
Bv 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 gone
out of the national solemnity, and as
the men and women OF the south one
month ago foralized the cemeteries
and graveyards, SO yesterday we, Inc
| men and women of the north, put
nnon the tombs of our dead the kiss OF
patriotic affection. Bravery always
appreciates bravery, though it fights
on the otherside; and If a soldier OF
the federal army had been month
ago at Savannah, he would not have
been ashamed to march in the floral
procession to the cemetery. And II
yesterday confederate soldier was at
Arlington, he was glad to put sprig
of heart's-ease on the silent heart OF
our dead.
In battle during our last war the
confederates were driving back the
federals, who were in swift retreat
! when a 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 muskets
were aimed at the young man who was
j, picking up the officer. But the con-
federate captain shouted: Hold!
0 don't fire! That fellow is too brave to
shoot And as the federal officer, held
= up bv his private soldier, went limping
/. slowly off the field, the confederates
4 gave three cheers for the brave pri'
J, - yate: 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 confed
lie crate captain.
Shall the Gospel be less generous
). than the world? We stack arms, the
i bayonet of our northern gun facing
le this way, the bayonet of the southern
gun facing the other way, and as thu
ut gray of the morning melts into thu
t. blue of noon, so the typical gray ant
blue of old war times have blended a
d. last, and they quote in the languag
IS of King James translation withou
40 any revision: "Glory to God in tn
" highest, and on earth peace, good will
er to men," Now, what do we mean D.
lis this great observance?
First, we mean instruction to on
whole generation. Subtract 1867
se when the war ended, from our 1896
and YOU will realize what vast nun
Der of people were born since the wal
'aI Or were so young as to have no vivi
90 appreciation. No one under Al year
Of age has any adequate memory
ire that prolonged horror. Do You re
rs member it? "Well," you say. Il onl
remember that mother swoon ava
he while she was reading the newspaper
- and that they brought my father hon
wrapped in the flag, and that goo
ace many people came into the house
pray, and mother faded away att
lad that until again there were many PEI
!. ole in the house and they told me tn;
- she was dead"
There are others who can not r
member the roll of a drum or tt
ramp of regiment, or a sigh or
ear of that tornado of woe that swel
the nation again and again until the
r,. was one dead in each house. Now
n lis the religious duty of those who
remember it to tell those who do nc
NV young friends, there were SUI
= partings at rail-car windows al
"a steamboat wharves and at front doc
y of comfortable homes as / pray g.
you may never witness. Oh, what
time it was, when fathers and mothe
gave up their sons, never expecting
!. 81. see them again, and never did see the
- again until they came back mutilate
nus and crushed, and dead!
u Four years of blood. Four years
hostile experiences. Four years
ghastliness. Four years of graz
digging. Four years of funerals, c
fins, shrouds, hearses, dirges. Moul
Ing! mourningl mourning! 1t "
=. hell let loose. What time OF wa
1T Ing for newsl Morning paper
- evening paper scrutinized for int
gence from the boys at the fro
First. announcement that the bat
7. must occur the next day. Then
news of the battles going on. On
following day still going on. III
news of 80, 1000 slain, and OF the mar
i, - of the great generals who had fall
! - but no news about the private soldit
a m. Waiting for news! After many day
load of wounded going through
.''. town or city, but no news from
'nna'' boy. Then long list of wounded
rams a long list of the dead, and long
tiedo of the missing. And among the
list, our boy.
When missing? How missing? y
saw him last? Missing! Missing!
he in the woods or by the stre'
)" How was he hurt? Missingl miss
idre What burning prayers that he may
be heard from. In that awful wall
Igent. for news many life persisted.