The record-union., 1899-05-30

field expressed it in one of his Immortal
speeches: In the very crisis OF our
fate God brought US face to face With
the alarming truth-we must lose our
own freedom or grant it to the slave
| We shall never know why slavery
and secession died SO hard in this re-
public until we know why sin has such
| longevity and Satan is immortal But,
| thank God, slavery and secession are
dead-killed by the war of 81 and past
resurrection. Thanks to the brave men
who barred their breasts to the leaden
rain and fiery hail of battle, with the
rugged resolve that their patriotic en-
deavors should never stop short of cs-
tablishing forever the principles which
make the foundation of good govern
ment There never were such soldiers
as ours. Wendell Phillips once said.
Cut an American in one hundred
pieces and boil him down. and every
drop will be Fourth of July" If you
don't believe it, look back over our his
tory and see how our soldiers have con-
Quoted themselves. They did not vol
unteer for pay, nor anticipate holiday
or a picnic. Listen to General Garfield,
questioning a tall, sallow man of the
mountains whom he wanted to be the
bearer of some important dispatches:
why did you come into the war;" ITO
do my sheer for the country, General,
and l didn't drive any bargain with the
Lord. l gave him my life square out,
and eff he's a mind to take it on this
tramp, why it's hissen. I've nothin' to
say agin it." 'You mean that you came
into this war not expecting to get out?'
That's so, General "Win you die
| a Lot Iic,1o toh no al
Il will, General!" And he forced his
way through the country bristling with
rebel bayonets, carrying the dispatch
folded closely and wrapped in lead to
resemble a bullet The Colonel Of the
Forty second read his dispatch, and
John Jordan was back in Garfeld's tent
two weeks later, but his horse had been
shot under him, and a score of bullets
had whiZzed uncomfortably near him.
John Jordan's words expressed the
sentiment of the average American SOL
| dier-'I gave the Lord my life, square
out, and eff he's, mind to take it, why
it's hissen. I've nothing to say agin it,"
Will not that explain the heroism with
which they bore the intensest suffering,
the grim humor that makes one marvel
to hear of it?
For instance, at Mission Ridge
poor fellow had one side of his face
shot away. An orderly riding down the
line saw him look up so pleadingly at
him, paused and said: "Comrade, what
can do for you?'' With a twinkle of
humor in his eye he replied feebly: I'D
like a drink of water if l had the cheek
to ask for it''
We can only understand the differ
ence between mere animal daring ana
moral courage which carries a man
through mortal peril when we listen to
incidents like this: A regiment of regu-
lars was advancing to take its place on
the firing line. One young officer, as he
passed his Colonel, was scarcely recog-
nized, so changed We're his features and
so distorted the expression of his face.
His one hundred men would obey him
implicitly, either right up to the enemies
/ lines, or in cowardly flight off the field
Seeing the look of mortal terror on his
! face, his Colonel rode up beside him. He
said, looking up at him: Colonel, I'm
sweating blood with fear, but I will go
ahead all right, and keep my men in
line, too don't you forget It'll" He went
on, and by force of character and un-
wavering devotion to duty carried mis-
weak and protesting body into the zone
of fire, and died at the head Of his COM
pany in the charge up the nights.
! 1t reminds one of the General whose
legs shook under him as he heard the
distant roar of the cannon, for his phys
| ical courage was not quite up to his
mental pluck and looking down al his
quivering limbs he said, "Oh, you'd
shake worse than that if you knew
where I am going to carry you to-day"
could forget the memory of such hero
ism. 1t is meet and right that we
should bequeath to our children intact
and not degraded in the least degree,
these sacred memories which emphasize
the eternal principles for which they
died-the equality of man, the suprem-
acy of the flag and the perpetuation of
the grand system of government hand
ed down by our fathers.
l consider it a sacred duty for our
churches to. honor these old veterans,
whose ranks are so rapidly thinning
Soon they will all have Joined the
''bivouac Of the dead,'' but let US not
cease to tell the story of their heroic
deeds. They have performed their part
in the time of trial and danger to our
home and country grandly and we'll,
and are entitled to the highest respect
and consideration that our people can
show.
Look at the character of the men who
composed our Union armies. They did
not volunteer for pay. They had not
| the faintest conception Of the glories of
war. 1t was not ambition to be Colo
nels, or Captains. or Majors, or Cen
erals-it was high and holy purpose
1t was for God and home, and native
| land"
What a revelation that war was to
us women. We had been all cur lives
living with heroes and we didn't know
it until the incidents of war set. as it
were, in an auerole of glory our broth
ers, husbands and sons.
AS we look over the last forty years
| history Of our nation we surely must
devoutly confess. with Franklin, that
! God governs in the affairs of men. that
through the ages one increasing pur-
pose runs
Can we contemplate The war with
Spain and not confess that the very
stars in their courses have seened to
fight for us?"
Admiral Dewey said, speaking of the
incidents of May 1. 1S9S 1T was
surely the hand of God that turned
away the Spanish shells, and left our
ships scathless.'
| i believe it, I believe it, 1t is easier
to believe this than TO believe that so
many shells could have missed us from
simple human inaccuracy Of fire
/ would stand there and see the smoke