The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-05-31

mortal are those who give their. lives
for liberty.
ITO have lived long, puTposeless, neu-
trail years is nothing; to have lived
few glorious hours, to have bravely
faced the infinite, to have calmly met
the Master in humanity's cause, is SUBJ
lime. Why mourn for those who SUM
Der here? Their epitaphs are written
in the grandest history Of the ages. Be
fore them will reverently pass the pro-
cession of the centuries. And every
headstone roundabout, even those with
out a name, viii be given honorable
place in the mighty monument that is
to commemorate the ennobling and up
lifting of the human race.
My countrymen, these men who died
may not have known, but you and 1
know now, that the roar of their bat
ties was but the echo of Gods footsteps
moving on. I am believer in an over
ruling Providence, in the infinite wis
dom that guides the destinies of ma
tons and of men. I am deeply i'm
pressed with the thought that we as
people are struggling onward and up
ward to the fuIfllment of a supreme
purpose. It was Gods providence that
strength and fealty, until the resistless
strength of men had realized ciVii-
cation fit to be planted here.
1T was Gods providence that gave
strength and courage and victory to the
little band of sturdy patriots who
wrought the mighty miracle of Amer
lean independence. 1t spoke in every
line of the Declaration of Independence;
49, f oaiT
the sword of Appomattox. 1t inspired
Washington, Lincoln and Grant. i Sc
lected each for his glorious work, 50
gloriously performed. Let the fool an
swer how he. win, I prefer to sea the
finger of supreme design. The ringer,
maybe. is even now moving toward an
other mana man who shall lead our
triumphant hosts to a glorious victory
for liberty and humanity, who shall
wreak Gods vengeance on wicked,
cruel. merciless Spain and drive from
this hemisphere the last vestige of ty-
ranny and oppression And it may well
be that some sword, sheathed in defeat
by the judgment of God, that Hberty
might be the heritage of every Amer
lean child. will now, by command of Je-
hovah himself. leap from its scabhard
to give liberty and self government to
the oppressed and downtrodden people
of the beautiful Island of Cuba.
What an inspiring sight to see those
who once fought aga INST each other now
raIlying under the one flag, eXulting
and rejoicing that the azure field OF
the Union banner holds in equal honor
every star of Statehood. and singing
together the music of the rearranged
Union. Yankee Doodle and Dixie the
favorite airs.
Under normal conditions 1 am op-
posed to sermonizing, to the reading Of
homilies, and to the discussion of pub
lie questions on Decoration Day. 1 be-
lieve our service should be a love serv-
ice of prayer and praise and song; that
out Of the heroic memories of the past
we should draw new Inspirations of pa
triotism, and find new ardor for the
preservation of the free institutions
which came to us through the baptism
of fire and blood.
But, my countrymen, for the first
time in the history of Decoration Day,
we are at war Once more upon the
soil of old Virginia the Federal bayo-
nets are agleam. From day to dSy the
boys in blue pass by; the reveille of the
bugle call is heard even in this city of
the silent dead This time, thank Cod,
the war is not sectional. There are no
brothers arrayed against brothers, no
Americans against Americans. There
is only one flag in the land, one flag in
all the sky. one sentiment in the breasts
of all the heroes of the republic.