The times., 1897-05-31
OUR PATRIOTIC DEAD.
An Eloquent Sermon Preached by
Rev. +, Oiin Eldridye.

Rev. T.. Olin Eidridge, pastor OF Waugh
NJ. +. Church, yesterday morning deliv-
cred an eloquent and impressive sermon on
the sub iect, "Our Patriot Dead He took
as mis- text l Samuel, eighteenth chapter
and sey enteenth verse, only he thou
valiant and tight the Lords battles, and
spoke, in part, as follows
We are assembled this morning on one OF
tile most interesting and impressive OF all
the calendar days OF the year Memorial
bay This day is yearly growing more and
more in the popular favor of every section
of the country North, South, East and
West 1t would be utterly impossible FOR
tlI,. present generation 10 call up the stirring
and thrilling events which fired the hearts
OF the people at the time of the great civil
strife The rising generation cannot recall
thc sound Of drains, the furling of flags
and the tramp Of regiments. But there ar;
those VINO, with fearful eyes and throb-
bing hearts, call to mind "reminiscences OF
those scenes. Such memories Will never
fade Tne impress andrecDlI ections OF those
times are stamped upon the heart indeli-
lily. and may God grant that the American
people may never be der elicj or disrespect-
ful To the debt of obligation she owes to
her heroes.
That period forms one of the brightest
pages of our national history. May we
never he obiivious to the fact that the
nation rose out of that terrible civil strife
purged and purified and clothed in more
heau;irHl robe than had ever been dreamed
of. MacauIey has aptiy said that Woe
would come to any nation that does not
take pride in the deeds of its ancestors;
the nation that does not take an interest
iii It's past will never do anything to excite
the admiration OF posterity. Remember
that the past forms the scaffoid or plat
form upon which we are able to build
more for the future.
what days those were What breaking
of hearts and fearful separations there
weiein mansion aud ia lowly cabin Ca Ised
by the awful situation, as war with its
increasing fury blackened the skies. 1t
was four years of hell let loose. Seven
thousand mics OF territory Were hathed
with blood. A million lives We're let
down Oh each side, and groaning million
returned To their homes, shattered from
hardship, pestilence, and fever.
Will Americans ever forget that period;
the tattered flags, the weary faces of
the ycnng men as they were hurried u
the front, multitudes never to return
again?
Think of the soldiers sleeping on the
ground, waiting for the fateful hour; the
battle may begin at any morIent; the
reveille sounds; u hurried breakfast is pre-
pared; the soldier springs into line; the
great contest is about to begin Think or
the intensity of feeling and anguish of
these at home; the battle RACES; men fall
like leaves / n autumn: but il is not until
days that the list OF dead is obtained, and
with fearful eyes we read that it is our
boy, our father, our brother. The heart
broken mother goes to her grave; the
father, wild with frenzy, cannot look after
the destinies of his family. God grant
that the land may never know the blight
Of another civil contest.
The nation rocked and reeled, but did
not break. Today North, South, East and
common destiny. 1t is our privilege to
have the greatest republic that has ever
been known, aud we are one 1t would
be impossible for two nations to exist in
flag let us wave the palm branch of peace
and sing TIE Deums of everlasting praise
for the lovely scenes and waving fields
of golden grain with which nature has
clothed tie land sacred with the life blood
of both armies.