The age-herald., 1898-05-31

l After third of a century of peace and 1 prosperity all the children of our common 1 country knelt at the altar of a reunited faith. The blue and the gray lie in eternal slamber side by side, heroes all A Nations Sin sH. i They fell face to face brother against l brother, to expiate a nations sin. The lonely firesde and the unknown graves, 1 the memory of the loved, the yearning for I the last; tho desolated altars and the broken hopes are past recall The wings of our weak protest beat in vain against the l Iron bars of fate. But through the mingled l tears that fall alike upon the honored dead l or both. the north and south turn hopeful eyes to that new future of prosperity and power. possible only In the shelter of the l dear old flag To the conquerors and con- 1 quered, to the white man, to the black, to l the master and slave, the result was Gods providence
 Under normal conditions am opposed to ceremonizing, to the reading of homelies and to the discussion of public questions on Decoration Day. believe our service should be love-feast of prayer and praise and song, that out of the heroic memories of the past we should draw new inspira- tions of patriotism and find new ardor for the preservation of the free institutions which come to us through the baptism Of fire and blood.
 BDI. my COunIfymen. IOT lue ntSt lb'ic in our history on decoration day we are at war. Once more upon the soil of old Vii ginia the federal bayonets are agleam. From day to day the boys in blue pass by; the reville, the bugle call Is heard even in this city of the silent dead.
 This time, thank God the war is not sec- tiona1 There are brothers 1rrayed against brothers, no Americans against Americans. There Is only uniform in the land; one flag in the sky, one senti- n.fnt in the breasts of all the heroes oi the republic.
 Wcr is terrible thing, to be spurned and avoided whenever and as far as poss'- ble. But, I have no sympathy with those who believe that war should be avoided al the sacrifice of national honor, at ths ex- pense of humanity or the loss of liberty. cannot love those who turn deaf ears to the unceasing cries of the victims of " rarny, inhumanity and barbarity, because liberty and relief can only come through the shedding of blood.
 If I read Gods history alright, civiIiza tioa and Christianity have come from tfe survival of the Attest, but by the sacrifice of tie best. What puny human inteili- gence dares to asesrt that blood of Lexing ton was not sacrificed even as the blood of Calvary? Warren at Bunker Hill; Baker at Balls Bluff; Bagley Ut Cardenas. all gloriously died to hasten the coming of Gods Kingdom on earth. Yea, and Dewey
 
 messenger of Gods just wrath.
 Is Worth It All
 I do not know when this war With Spein will cease; I do not know what sac rifceS we may yet be called upon 10 make. do not know how many stones may yet be added to this city of the dead. I do not kEow how many mothers hearts may mourn. I do not know how many. alters may be desolated. But I do know that
 
 wO'l Id from the barbarity and inhumanity of Spain's merciless despotism will be worth it all. I do know that the cement ing together of the hearts of all the peo- pie in enduring friendship and abiding love. I do know that the conservation tf American energies, the uplifting of American sentiment in so unselfsh and holy a cause; do know that this touch ing of elbows under the one flag bS the men and the sons of the men who faced each other on our battlefields under two flags. I do know that this accomplishment of Gods great purpose will bring to the American people Gods choicest blessing and reward. s..5 ..s-t.
 And I have faith to believe that from above the opened heavens the great war president, Abraham Lincoln, looks down approvingly upon our great war president William Mckinley, while Grant and Lee, could they but speak to us today, would fire the hearts of their old liesltenants now in commend of the armies Of the United States with the inspiring cry, "On to Cuba"
 Rest in pcace o mighty dead. The cause for which you fought can never be assai ed again. Rest in peace. The race whose freedom you achieved will bless you with their latest breath Rest in peace-the union you preserved remains forever. and liberty, equal rights and justice is the heritage of your descendants to the iudg- ment day. God bless the men who followed tfe fiag.
 Simultaneously with the exercises in the amphitheater a small assembare gathered on the front porch of the mansion, where the confederate chieftan, Lee. spent much of his life, to attend special naval services at the tomb of Admiral Porter.
 Ex-Secretary of the Navy Hilary A Her bert. of Alabama, was the speaker of the day and an address was also delivered by W. H Michael. clerk in the state depart- ment. MT. Herbert said in part:
 Herbert's Address
 "Here rest the hallowed remains of the heroes of. the army and navy of the union, but here also are heroes of the confeder- acy. all sleeping in the same soil and V cred by the same flag, and ex-union and ex-confederate soldiers and sailors are here alike to pay united tribute to the deeds of those who made forever glorious the epoch of our great civil war. Never was tn re a civil war like ours, and never were the fruits of a war richer or more beneficient. There was no compromise. Secession the issue and slavery the incident were settled forever: nothing was left for dispute, and as the God of nature intended 1t shou'd be, we became at last countrv, such a union of state and people as Washingt n and Franklin and Jackson fought for. dreamed of and planned for: but never lived to see. would not pluck leaf from the chap'et that aderns the brow Of any solder of that war federal or co federate, yet it is only fair to say that while his- tory has done no more than justice to them, it has not done full justice to the sailors of the civil war. Certainly none know better than the confederates tre telling effect of the blows delivered by the United States navy. and it n'av hr th' without them we should have had two gov ernments where we now have one. and that Wheeler and Fitzhug'a Lee would be today commanding army corps on = the south side of a, line of forts and custom houses. running across this continent from east to west while Brooke and Shafter c mmanded the northern side of the