Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1899-10-26
DIR. TALMAGES SERMON.
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BY THE NOTED
DIVINE.
Subject: The Glory of the Nnvy-Naval
Heroes Deserve Full Measure Of
Praise-Useful Lessons Drawn From
Their Bravery and Devotion.

ueVOuI anu pdCIIOClC puTpOS0S some Oh the
great naval deeds Of olden and more recent
times. Text, James ILL.,, 4, "Behold also
:he ships"
Ifthis exclamation was appropriate about
1872 years ago, when 1t was written con-
corning the crude fishing smacks that sailed
Lake Gaiilee, how much more appropriate
in an age which has launched from the dry
locks for purposes Of peace the Oceanic of
the White Star line, the Lucania Of the
Cunard line. the st. Louis Of the Am erican
line, the Kaiser Wilhelm der Crosse Of the
North German Lloyd line, the Augusta Vic
toria Of the Hamburg-American line, and
In an age which for purposes OF war has
launched the screw sloops like the Idaho,
the Shenandoah, the Ossipee, and our iron
clads like the Kalamazoo, the Roanoke and
the Dunderberg, and those which have al
ready been buried I'm the deep, like the
Monitor, the Housatonic and the Wee
hawken, the tempests ever since sounding
a volley over their watery sepulchers, and
the Oregon, and the Brooklyn, and the
Texas, and the Olympia, the Iowa. the Mas
sachusetts, the Indiana, the New York, the
Marietta of the last war, and the Scared
veterans OF war shipping, like the Consti-
tuition or the Alliance or the Constellation,
that have swung into the naval yards to
spend their last days, their decks now all
silent OF the feet that trod them, their rig
ging all silent of the hands that clung to
them, their portfolios silent OF the brazen
Full justice has been done to the men
who at different times fought on the land,
but not enough has been said OF those who
on ships deck dared and suffered all things.
Lord God Of the rivers and the sea, help
me in this sermon! So, ye admirals, COM
manders, captains, pilots, gunners, boat
swains, sailmakers, surgeons, stokers mess
mates and seamen of all names, to use your
own parlance, we might as we'll get under
way and stand out to sea. Let all land
lubbers go ashore. Full speed now! Four
bells
1t looks picturesque and beautiful to see
a war vessel going out through the Mar
rows, 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 n parting
salute. But the poetry is all gone out OF
that ship as 1t comes out Of that engage
ment, its decks red with human blood,
wheelhouse gone, the cabins pile of shat
tered mirrors and destroyed furniture
steering wheel broken, SIN okestaok crushed
hundred pound Whitworth rifle shot hav-
ing left its mark from port to starboard
the shrouds rent away, ladders splintered
and decks plowed up and smoke blackened
and scalded corpses lying among those who
are gaspipg their last gasp far away from
homo and kindred, whom they love rs
much rs we love wife and parents and chill
dren.
Oh, men OF tho Anne lean navy returned
from Manila and Santiago and Havana, rs
well as those who are survivors Of the
naval conflicts OF 1868 and 1864, men OF the
western gulf squadron, OF the eastern gulf
squadron, of the south Atlantic squadr on,
Of the north Atlantic squadron, of the
Mississippi squadron, of the Pacific squad
ron, of the West India squadron, and OF
Sha b>AN l.
Take the benediction the churches. Ac-
cept the hospitalities of the nation. II we
had our way, we would get you not only
pension, but home and a princely ward
robe and an equipage and banquet while
you live, and after your departure
catafalque and mausoleum OF scupltured
marble, with model OF the ship In which
you won the dny. 1t Is considered gal
liant thing when In a naval fight the flag
ship with its blue ensign goes ahead up
river or into bay, Its admiral
standing in the shrouds watching and CIV
ing orders. But l have to tell you, o vet
Grams OF the American navy, IL you are as
loyal to Christ as you were to the govern
ment, there Is a flagship sailing ahead of
you OF which Christ Is the admiral, and He
watches from the shrouds, and the heavens
are the blue ensign, and He leadr you to-
ward the harbor, and all the broadsides OF
earth and hell cannot damage you, ana ye
whose garments were once red with your
own blood shall have u robe washed and
made white In the blood of the Lamb
Then strike eight Dells! High noon in
heaven!
While we are heartily greeting and ban
quoting the sailor patriots just now re-
turned we must not forget the veterans
OF the navy now in marine hospitals or
spending their old days in their own or
their children's homesteads. Oh, We vet
Grams, Charge you bear up under the
u4Ia Nd q, kI,nA .kII
from the wartimes. You are not rs stalwart
as you would have been but Tor that nerv-
Gus strain and for that terrific exposure.
Let every ache and pain, instead OF depress-
ing remind you Of your fidelity. The sinking
of the Weehawken off Morris Island, De-
not under fire. The sea was rough.
But Admiral Dahlgren from the deck
of the flag steamer Philadelphia
saw her gradually sinking and
finally she struck the ground. but the
flag still hoated above the wave in the
sight OF the shipping. 1t was afteward
found that she sank from weakness
through injuries In previous service. Her
plates had been knocked loose in previous
times. So you have In nerve and muscle
and bone and dimmed eyesight and difll-
,ult hearing and shortness of breath many
lntimations 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 expedition
Or as though you had gone down with the
Melville off Hntteras. Only keep your flag
flying, MS did the illustrious Weehawken.
Good cheer, my boys!
Sometimes Off the coast of England the
royal family Lave inspected the British
navy, manRuvered before them for that
purpose. In the Baltic sea the czar and
czarina have reviewed the Russian navy.
To bring before the American people the
debt they owe to the navy go out with
you on the Atlantic ocean, where there Is
plenty OF room, and in Imagination re-
view the war shipping OF our four great
conflIcts-1776, 1912, 1865 and 1898. Swing
into line all ye frigates, ironclads, fire
RATS, gunboats and men-of-war! There
they come, all sail set and all furnaces
In full blast, sheaves OF crystal tossing
from their cutting prows. That is the
Delaware, an old Revolutionary craft.
commanded by Commodore Decatur.
Yonder goes the Constitution, Com
modore Hull commanding. There Is the
Chesapeake, commanded by Captain
Lawrence. whose dying words were,
sd ont give up the ship" and the Niaga-
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