The herald., 1896-04-25

latnefS QlQ DeIOre you, III ueIenSe OL
your country and it's flag.
But war comes very seldom to ma
ton like ours. We are grown so strong
that other nations do not much care to
fight with us, and God knows we have
had fighting enough among ourselves to
last us forever. And if, as becomes a
strong nation as it does q strong man,
we are wise, just. generous, slow to take
offense, and attend strictly to our own
business. there seems to be good reason
to hope that no boy within sound of my
voice should ever be called on to take
up arms for the flag.
But is there nothing you can do for
your country in the hundrum, ordinary
times of peace? Are there no enemies
to fight? No victories to be won? All!
there is the rub. War in the life of a ma
tion is like great foot race or foot ball
game among boys. What a great time
H. is There is a vast crowd looking
on; all is excitement and noise; we get
our blood up; the fight is glorious. and
we strain every nerve and muscle to
win. But we can't be running races
or playing ball matches all our lives.
We have to get back to school again;
and 1 leave it to any boy here if it isn't
harder to keep pegging away at our
lessons and attending to our everyday
duties than to play match game OF
baseball or football, however hardly
fought. But all the same that is what
of his country and his flag serves it no
less faithfully in times of peace than in
times of war. He keeps himself posted
or all the facts and events that bear
upon the welfare of the republic, and of
his own state or city or town, which are
only smaller parcels of his own country.
lie feels proud that he is one of the SOW
ereigns of his land. He values his vote,
and does not give it lightly, OF for bad
men or bad principles. He stands like
q rock against the rule of corrupt men
i'll politics, even though the dishonest
politician should be his neghbor and
friend. In short he lives for his coun-
try, as he lives for his business, his
home, his family. Now a good many
citizens seem to think that the coun-
try lives for them; that the government
exists only for their personal benefit,
for the fat offices it gives them. for the
fame or money they can make off of
it. They live on their country rather
than for it. But the good citizen gives
it his unbought, unselfish service. His
is not band wagon, spread eagle pat
riotisn. He isn't for twisting the tail
OF the British lion just to show how
brave he is and to make the great beast
roar. And you might live with him for
a year and you would never hear him
say how much he loves his country and
his flag.
When I hear a man Dragging con-
stantly of his love for his country and
" hat he has done and suffered for it,
when all the time l know he is only
thinking of what he can make out of 1t.
/ think of the sailor man in the old song
who courted and married pretty girl
and vowed that his heart was true to
Poll Soon he went to sea again and
in every seaport picked up new sweet
heart, never sending line or a penny
tc. his poor wife at home, but still he
vowed his heart was true to Poll"
At last he comes home and in a drunken
fit beats and kicks his wife, and when
he is up for trial he pleads before the,
udge, with streaming eyes. that his
heart was always true to her: and the
song ends. with keen and stinging satire:
"No matter what you do,
If your heart be only true
And his heart was true to POLL
The moral of which is, girls and boys,
that it takes more than talk to make n
patriot.
And now my time is up, and I am
scing to put into compact shape, SO
you can carry it away with you, the sum
and substance of what have said.
1T is a fine thing to shout for the
flag: it is a grand thing to fight and suf-
fer for it; it is sweet and noble to ole
for it if needs be; but it is harder and
nobler to live for your country ana It's
flag.
UNDER OLD GLORY'S FOLDS
When Mayor Lee had concluded his
three confederate veterans laid hold OF
the halyards in readiness to raise Old
Glory
Blue-J. s. Pitman. private, company
b. Twenty fourth Iowa infantry; w. A.
Kennedy, first lieutenant company X,
first Pennsylvania cavalry: j. L. Skim
Ter. captain company d, Twenty-Sev-
enth Massachusetts infantry.
Grey-S. r. Thorpe. private, company
A, Second Kentucky cavalry: Johnstone
Jones, private. company B, Whites bat
talon. Elliott's brigade, Hardee's ar
my; Henry l.. Flash, aide to General
Joseph Wheeler.
While the flag was being bent onto the
halyards Superintendent Foshay men,
toned to the assembled multitude of
children the following interesting incl
dent:
During the civil war" said he, "a
military academy was established by
the confederate government at Column
bia. S. C. In September, 1864, a large
number of United States prisoners-of-
war. some 1900 officers Of the union
army, were moved from Charleston to
Columbia, S. G. Not having at hand
sufficient number of soldiers to guard
so large number of prisoners, all the
cadets from this military academy We're
called out to assist them in perform
ing guard duty. 1T was a handsome
company of boys. in their new. neat,
gray uIillOTltlS. III contrast with
the battleworn uniforms of the soldiers
and the tattered and torn clothing of the
prisoners. Gen. Johnstone Jones was
one of those cadets. and Captain J. S.
Skinner was one of those weary and
ragged prisoners-of- war. Today they
heartily unite together in raising the
glorious Stars and Stripes, and it proud
ly floats over reunited country.
Upon the conclusion of Superntend-
ent Foshay's words n signal was given
and the veterans of both armies did low
ing service in running up the flag Of
their common country. while the band
played and the masses Of people, old and
young, shouted their gladness.
When quiet had been restored the
simple and impressive little ceremony
Of giving the pledge and saluting the
flag was gone through with.
Il pledge allegiance to my flag" was
repeated in thousands of childish voices,
''and the republic for which it stands:
, one nation indivisible with liberty and
justice for ALL
Sir John Francis. the donor Of the flag,
after having shaken hands with the
forty-ive little maids who had done
such loyal service. addressed the assem-
bled children of the schools. He told
them that he bore to them by speciaI
command of his sovereign her very best
wishes, and to all of the little ones a
Kiss from the queen.
All present then Joined in singing the
RED. White and Blue and the highly
interesting and song-suggestive cere-
monies We're at an end