The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1899-10-06

down at sea? Nothing but the arch.
angels trumpet shall reach their lowly
bed. A. few of them were gathered into
naval cemeteries Of the land, and we
every year garland the sod that covers
them. But who will put flowers on the
fallen crew of the exploded Westfield
and Shawsheen and the sunken South
field and the Winfield Scott? Bullets
threatening in front, bombs threaten
ening from above, torpedoes threaten
ing from beneath, and the ocean, with
its reputation of 5000 years for ship
wreck, lying all around, am / not right
in saying it required special courage
for the navy in 1868 as it required spe-
cial courage in 1898?
1t looks picturesque and beautiful to
see war vessel going out through the
Sarrows, sailors in new rig singing:
life on the ocean wave,
home on the rolling deep.
the colors gracefully dipping to passing
ships, the decks Immediately clean and
the guns at quarantine firing parting
salute. But the poetry is all gone out
of that ship as it comes out of that
engagement, its decks red with human
blood, wheelhouse gone, the cabins
pile of shattered mirrors and destroyed
furniture, steering wheel broken,
smokestack crushed, hundred pound
whitworth rifle shot having left its
mark from port to starboard, the
shrouds rent away, ladders splintered
and decks plowed up and smoke black
ened and scalded corpses lying among
those who are gasping their last gasp
far away from home and kindred,
Oh, men of the American navy re-
turned from Manila and Santiago and
Havana, as well as those who are sur
vivors of the naval conflicts of 1868 and
1864, men of the western gulf squad
ron, of the eastern gulf squadron, of the
South Atlantic squadron, of the North
Atlantic squadron, of the Mississippi
squadron, of the Pacific squadron, of
the West India squadron and the Po-
tomac f1otkla, hear our thanks! Take
the benediction of our churches. Ac-
cept the Inequalities of the nation. If
we had our way, we would get you not
only a pension, but a home and a
princely wardrobe and an equipage
and banquet while you live and after
your departure a catafalque and
mausoleum of sculptured marble, with
a model of the ship in which you won
the day. 1t is considered a gallant
thing when in a naval fight the flagship
with its blue ensign goes ahead up
river or into bay, its admiral stand
ing in it's shrouds watching and giving
orders. But l have to tell you, o vet
Grams of the American navy, if you are
as loyal to Christ as you were TO the gov
eminent, there is a flagship sailing
ahead of you of which Christ is the ad-
miral, and He watches from the shrouds,
and the heavens are the blue ensign, |
and He leads you toward the harbor, |
and all the broadsides of earth and hell |
cannot damage you, and We whose gar
ments were once red with your own
blood shall have a robe washed and
made white in the blood of the Lamb.
Then strike eight bells! High noon in
While we are heartily greeting and |
the sailor patriots just now
returned we must not forget the vet
Grams of the navy now in marine hos
pitfalls or spending their old days in
their own or their children's home
steads. o ye veterans, | charge you
bear up under the aches and weak
nesses that you still carry from the
wartimes. You are not as stalwart as
you would have been but for that nerv-
Gus strain and for that terrific eX-
Dosure. Let every ache and pain, in
stead of depressing, remind you of
your fidelity You have in nerve and
MUSCLE and bone and dimmed eye
sight and difficult hearing and short
less of breath many limitations that
iou are gradually going down. 1t is
he service of many years ago that is
cling on you. Be of good cheer. We
1--WE you just as much as though your
had gurgled through the Soup
oers of the ship in the Red river ex-
oedition or as though you had gone
Town with the Melville off Hatteras.
only keep your flag flying, as did the
ilustrious Weehawken. Good cheer,
ny boy! The memory of man is poor,
nd all that talk about the country
never forgetting those who fought for
t is an untruth. 1t does forget. Wit
less how the veterans sometimes had
o turn the hand organs on the street
o get their families living. Wit
less how ruthlessly some of them were
urned out of office that some boat of
politician might take their place.
Witness the fact that there is not a
nan or woman now under As years of
ge who has any full appreciation of
he four years martyrdom of 1861 to
sos, inclusive. Dut, while men may
orget, God never forgets. lie remem-
ers the swinging hammock. lie re-
MEMBERS the forecastle. lie remem-
ers the frozen ropes of that January
empest. lie remembers the amputa-
ion without sufficient ether. lie re- :
lembers the horrors of that deafening
light when forts from both sides ;
etched on you their fury and the heay- ;
ms glowed with ascending and descend
lg missiles of death and your ship y
ua1yeJ 11-Iar. tho raooil of tho