The Canton times., 1899-10-13

the sea gives up its dead. The jack tars
knew that while loving arms might
carry the men who fell on the land
and bury them with solemn liturgy and
the honors of war, for the bodies OF
those who dropped from the ratlines
into the sea or went down with all on
board under the stroke of gunboat
there remained the shark and the whale
and the endless tossing of the sea which
cannot rest. Once year, in the deco
ration of the graves, those who fell in
the land were remembered. But how
about the graves of those who went
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 Westfeld
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 a 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
Narrows. sailors in new rig singing:
A life on the ocean wave,
| A 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 splintsred
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 flotilla, hear our thanks! Take
the benediction of our churches. Ac-
cept the hospitalities 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 a
mausoleum of sculptured marble, with
model of the ship in which you won
the day. 1t is considered gallant
thing when in naval fight the flagship
with its blue ensign goes ahead up
river or into a bay, its admiral stand
ing in its shrouds watching and giving
orders. But / have to tell you, o vet
Grams of the American navy, if you are
as loyal to Christ as you were to the gov
ernment 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 ye 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
Heaven!
While we are heartily greeting and
banqueting 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 childrens home
steads. o ye veterans, l 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-
posure. Let every ache and pain, in
stead of depressing, remind you of
your fidelity. You have in nerve and
muscle and bone and dimmed eve
sight and difficult hearing and short
ness of breath many intimations that
you are gradually going down. 1t is
the service of many years ago that is
telling on you. BE of good cheer. We
owe you just as much as though your
lifeblood had gurgled through the Soup
pers of the ship in the Red river ex-
pedition or as though you had gone
down with the Melville off Hatteras.
Only keep your flag flying, as did the
illustrious Weehawken. Good cheer,