Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1898-05-30

y
day in the usual manner. The sermon
was by Rev. p. p. Womer and we print
same in part. The theme was
"KONOR TO WHOM HONOR IS
DUE.''
TEXT" Render, therefore, to all their dues !;
tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to
whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to
whom honor.'-ROm. 1881.
What wonderful interest has come
to center in this day. Of all the SER
vices of the year the annual memorial
service has come to be the most attract
i've and significant to the American
people.
To-day a nation is gathered in her
houses of worship to do honor TO the
memory of her heroic sons who gave
their lives in her defence; and to speak
word of love and gratitude to those
who were fortunate enough to survive,
both the carnage of battle, and the NOR
tality of the intervening years, and who
still live among us to fight the battles
of few and ever growing people.
Of the 1888 1928 men who enlisted in
the federal army during the war less
than half the number are now alive
The bodies of over 100000 repose in
70 national cemeteries North and South
II host of others occupy unknown graves
in confederate soil, or at the bottom OF
the sea; while since the war enough tt
form a respectable army have been
overtaken by premature death, as the
result of the hardships they endured,
the wounds they received, or the dis
eases they contracted.
With reverence for the heroic dead
and honor for the heroic living we come
together today. From farm and from
study we come; from office and store
room; from all the busy walks of life
And this is just as it should be; because
by the gaeatest teacher of Christianity
yea, by the greatest teacher of religion
the world has ever seen, excepting the
Master, we are commanded to render to
all their dues, tribute to whom tribute
custom to whom custom is due fear tc
whom fear; honor to whom honor.
Every heart in this broad land should
respond to the summons of this day
and enter into this service which char.
acterizcd the days of enlistment, and the
organization of the grand army.
The chief thought that is suggested
by our subject, is the claims of our he.
roic dead, and heroic living upon the
honor of American citizens.
The pure and eXhalted patriotism Of
these men. is reasonable and just claim
upon the "honor" of every right minded
man and woman.
Among the sublimcst passions which
human being Is capable of sustaining
is patriotism. In all ages and among
all races the deeds of the patriot have
been blazoned in song and illumined by
story and he, himself, has been the re.
cipicnt of peculiar honors.
In the Hebrew Scriptures there are
many illusions to the patriotism of jew
ish Kings, and statesmen. And the
Jewish poet sang, "Beautiful for situation
is Mount Zion. Let my tongue cling to
the roof Of my mouth if | forget thee,
o. Jerusalem, And again, elf l forget
thee, o. Jerusalem, let my right hand
forget her cunning"
The Nurse of History has never grown
weary of reciting the story of Marathon
and Thermopolae, and the heroic
achievements of MuIiiades and Leodidas
against the Persian invaders.
Macaulay has told in unperishable
verse the story of Horatius holding the
bridge; and Scottish fiction has found
well-spring of inspiration in the gal
liant conduct of Scotland's sons at Ban.
nockburn and Sterling Castle.
But it is not necessary for us to resort
to other lands and other ages for the
highest examples of patriotism. The
nations of the world, says Chaplain
McCabe, have waited for the history of
our own country to develope the patrio-
tism that would bind in one, the sons of
every land and cline, in defence of the
institutions of free Republic. Tell us
not of the Persian invaders of Europe
tell us not of Marathon or Thermopolac.
We have heard of Bunker Hill; of
Lexington, Princeton, Shiloh, Fair Oaks,
Gettysburg, Lookout Mountain, and
Richmond. Let Scott sing of Clan
Alpu, and Macaulay tell of Horatious
holding the bridge; we have read of
Shcrilan's ride, and of Sherman's march
to the sea.
1t is probably time, as some have not
been slow to urge. that many of the SOL
dicrs who enlisted in the Union Armies
for the suppression of the rebellion were
not guided by the most patriotic motive.
Some enlisted purely out of the spirit
of adventure, some were carried away
by the enthusiasm of the times and others
were forced to enlist. But as a whole
the world has never seen an army of
men, who were animated by as pure
spirit of patriotism as that which inspir-
ed the soldiers of our late civil war.
They fought not for personal glory,
they fought not for hire. nor for the
support of selfish ambition, or in the in
terests of tyrannical government; but
for the principle of free institutions, and
free government. "for the people, by
the people and of the people,"
Said George William Curtis, "a mans
country is not a certain area of land, of
mountains, rivers and woods, but it is
a principal. and patriotism is devotion
to that principle.
In poetic minds and in popular ENTHUSIASM
this feeling becomes closely associated
with the soil and symbols of the coun-
try. But the secret sanctilication of the
soil and symbol is the idea which they
represent, and this idea the patriot wor-
ships through the name and symbol, as
the lover kisses with rapture the glove
OF his mistress or wears lock of her
hair upon his heart.
So, with passionate heroism of which