The record-union., 1898-05-28

You are going to fight battle waged
by man for man. You are going. there
fore, in the name of Christ. who died
for men. You are going to fight bat
tie for the glory Of God and your ma
tive land. You are going, therefore, un-
der flag which is the symbol, at once
Of freedom and humanity, and. having
Gods blessing upon it, has never yet
known defeat Look to it that you
carry yourselves as soldiers equally of
the cross and the flag.
NO man can be a good soldier who
is not at heart a good man. Self-pos
session in the presence of danger is the
truest courage, and he is the bravest
soldier who keeps his head, who knows
perfectly the right thing to do, and who
does it when, frightened out of his
boots, his legs would fain carry him
away. 1t is the sense of duty which
will make you men; duty to the flag
above you; duty to constituted author
ity; duty to country and honor to those
dear ones at home, who will follow you
with ever-tearful, but Frightening
eyes.
L believe in this war l believe in it
with all my mind, and with all my
soul If there ever was a justifiable
war, it is this. Though it should re-
suit in loss of lives that are dearer to
me than my own life, shall believe it
conceived in holy spirit, sanctified by
heaven and directed toward the ad-
vancement and the enlargement of a
benign civilization.
In these warlike spectacles, every
where manifest, it has already united
US as nothing else could have united US
-emancipating both sections Of the
Union from the mistaken impression
that we ever were or could be any
/ thing else than one people. In the
brilliant achievement of that typical
Green Mountain boy on the other side
of the globe, it has already exploited US
as a naval power, and as you your
selves shall show, it will presently
demonstrate US no less a military pow
er but at whose legions the enemies of
liberty and humanity will do well to
look before they leap Surely these
were consummations devoutly to be
wished They are worth all the war
has cost us or will cost us. I know
what war means.
Obedience, submission is the first and
perhaps the hardest of the soldiers
duties. If officers seem capricious or
tyrannical. do your duty. 1t will come
round all right. If the powers that be
seem partisan or unfair, do your duty.
The end will justify you. Be sure that,
in the long run, the man who does his
duty passes beyond the reach Of wrong,
for, as there is a God who saith Ven
geance is mine; will repay so there
is people whose voice is the voice of
God, who will visit upon those that
convert the places of trust which they
chance to hold into places of private or
political advantage a punishment as
complete as it is certain, as blighting as
it is Overwhelming.
I'm the nature of the case, but few
of you can hope to attain to great com
mands or to acquire exceptional dis
tinction. In the end most of you must
lay aside your uniforms and resume
the habiliments of civil life. But there
is no one of you who cannot do his
duty, and. doing his duty, cannot be
proud and happy.
"A neiehbor of mine came to me the
other day to ask me to exert my sup
posed influence in getting his son
commission I assured him that I
had no influence But, said I, I have
two sons carrying muskets in the ranks
sons whom I dearly love-but for
whose advancement I shall not put
forth the slightest effort. 1t is enough
for me to know that they are serving
their country and if it pleases God to
bring them back to their mother and