The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1898-05-06
A Patriotic Service.
Rev. A. II. Webb Bids Company G, Brad
ford Guards, GOd-Speed.

dlcC OF every person IN the audience at
the close of the services in the Metho
dist church Sunday morning. The ser
mon was patriotic, earnestly upholding
the effort of our country to drive from
this hemisphere Spanish tyranny and
cruelty. ItshOwed that the benefits de-
rived from war are costly but that the
things we most enjoy in this life have
been purchased with blood. Itshowed
the important part Vermont is taking
in this conflict and offered many sug-
gestiOns to members of Co. G which
they will do well to follow.
There was not vacant seat in the
church when the services opened, set
tees and chairs having to be brought
in. Members of Co. G attended in a
body in fatigue uniform and a number
of the recruits were also present. 1t
was a patriotic service, the music, SER
mon and decorations moving the hearts
of all to a realization of the American
love of country, liberty and justice.
In front of the pulpit was stack of
arms and there was a splendid display
of the stars and stripes. Rev. II. T.
Barnard assisted in the services, read
ing a selection from the Scriptures and
offering a most excellent prayer. The
selections by the choir and the cOrnet
solo by Fred Cummings were we'll rem
dered. Rev. A. II. Webb took for his
text the oath verse of the ninth chap
ter of st. Luke, "FOr whosOever will
save his life shall lose it; but whose
ever will lose his life for my sake, the
same shall save it," Below is an alb
stract of the sermon:
| have been asked to say a few words to
the Bradford Guards before they leave
home to perhaps fight for their country's
good, and deem it an honor to do so. 1t
seems as If history was repeating itself.
There are some here who can look back
81 years almost from this very day, when
they assembled in this church for a SINH
lar purpose and heard words from one
now gone. Many thought then that the
war would soon be over as many think
today that the war with Spain will last but
afew weeks or months. But the fortunes
of war are uncertain and whether our con-
f1ict will be long or short we cannot tell.
To you who 90 to Cuba's help | cannot
do better than to call your attention to
the 11th chapter of Hebrews, called the
picture gallery of heroes. Here Chris
tians went forth to fight for their relig-
ion. They were often stoned and driven
into hiding places, but the principles they
represented We're right-and they never
gave up contending for them. Many OF
the things we enjoy today are the out
growth of the struggles of those heroes
who were the first to fight for humanity
and justice and to unfurl the flag of lib
erty.
If you would climb to the highest point
in life forget self. To reach the highest
point of honor you must lose sight of per
SOnal safety. Going to help another will
conquer dangers which could not be con-
quered If a person had himself in mind.
To enjoy good health we must cease to
think about it, for the very way to take in
feCtion is to always be on the lookout for
it, The man who has his COuntry's good
at heart has no fear of danger. He walks
through hospitals infected with conta-
gious fevers with no fear of the results,
thinking not of the danger to himself but
of what he can do to relieve others. Many
have found happier and nobler life in
losing their own. The Christian
martyrs who fell IN the arena fell only to
rise and be crowned in life superior to
the one here.
The richest things of life have been pur-
chased with blood. Our government, the
union of our states, was preserved to us
by the boys in blue who responded to the
call in '61. You go on an errand of mercy
to relieve the island of Cuba of Spanish
tyranny. What the benefits from your er-
rand will be only the future can tell. All
benefits arising from war are costly. The /
freedom of the slaves cost this country a
sacrifice which cannot be told. We can /
not count the lives that were loss, the .
tears that were shed in order that this un- /
ion might continue on to the end of time. |
Some of the guns for our navy cost $780, |
600 and can be used only about 100 times, |
each shot thus costing over $1,000. Adj |
vantages from strife have been and al /
ways will be costly. Too often society |
forgetS that everything we enjoy has been .
purchased for us by anOther's sacrifice. .
Homer lost his sight in giving us the llli-
ad. Milton wrote Paradise Lost when to-
tally blind. Not many centuries ago .
thought was not free. To criticize the .
Pope meant the dungeon and to say any
thing against the king meant death. Now .
every citizen has the right of free thought, .
but it has cost 1000 battles to secure this |
right. 1t is not ready cash but crimson |
blood that enables us today to enjoy free |
speech and free thought. About 100 years .
ago Italy was afflicted with a terrible |
plague and John Howard gave a noble eX-
ample of fself-sacrifice when he sailed from |
ConstantinOple to Italy in an infected .
ship determined TO find the root of the |
evil. He found it and the plague has not .
troubled Italy since.
a famous writer once said that three |
American generations would always live
in history. Patrick Henry at Williams
burg, Abraham Lincoln at GettysbuTy, |
Wendell Philips at Fanueil Hall. A
thousand martys to liberty lent eloquence /
to Henry's lips; the hills of Gettysburg
eXaled the memories that anointed Lin
coins lips while LoveiOy spirit newly
martyred at Alton poured over Wendell
Philips nature the full tide of speech di- /
vine. You, my young comrades, may be /
called this week to stay Spanish barbara |
ty and give liberty to Cuba. | am glad |
that you have the spirit of your fathers
and are ready to respond to the call. Re
member you represent the state that
sent forth Ethan Allen with his brave |
band of followers and that played an inn
portant part in the Civil war. Mrs. Liv-
ermOre has said that no soldiers perform
more valiant service than the Green /
Mountain boys, who did not surrender a 1
single flag during the rebellion. So con /
duct yourself that future historians may I
say the same of you. We are proud OF the /
part Vermont has taken in this war.
1t was the calm, dispassiOnate statement .
of our own Senator Proctor which aWak- T
ened the whole civilized world to the con /
dition of things in Cuba. This was fol-
lowed by an eloquent appeal from another /
Vermonter, Senator IhurStOn, which I
stirred the pulse of the whole nation /
Another appeal to American sympathy
was the death of Mrs. Thurston. a Yer