Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1899-11-10
SAVANNAH TENNESSEE, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1899
come, all sail set and all furnaces in

full blast, sheayes of crystal tossing
from their cutting prows.
And now all the squadrons of all de-
partments, from smallest tugboat to
mightiest man of war, are in process
sion, decks and rigging filled with men
who on the sea fought for the old Nag
ever since we were n nation. Grandest
feet the world ever saw! Sail on be-
fore all ages! Run up all the colorsl
Ring all the bells! Yea, open all the
porthoes. Unlimber the guns and load
and fire one great broadsde that shall
wake the continents in honor OF peace
and the eternity Of the American union!
But | lift my hand, and the scene has
vanished. Many of the ships have
dropped under the crystal pavement OF
the deep, sea monsters swimming III
and out the forsaken cabin, and other |
old craft have swung into the navy |
wards, and many of the brave spirits
who trod their decks are gone up to the
Eternal fortress, from whose easements |
and embrasures may we not hope they
look down to-day with JOY upon ma
ton in reunited brotherhood?
All those of you who were in the
naval service during the war OF 1868
are now in the afternoon or evening OF
life. With some of you it is two o'clock,
three o'clock, four o'clock, six o'clock,
and it will soon be shutdown. If you
were of age when the war broke out,
you are now at least 60. Many OF you
have passed into the seventies. While
in our Cuban war there were more
| Christian commanders on sea and land
than in any previous conflict, l would
revive in YOUR minds the fact that at
least two great admirals of the civil
war were Christians, Foote and Far-
ragut. Had the Christian religion been
a cowardly thing they would have had
nothing to do with it. In its faith they
lived and died. In Brooklyn navy yard
Admiral Foote held prayer meetings
and conducted n revival on the receiy-
ing shin North Carolina and on Sab
baths, far out at sea, following the chap
lain with religious eXhortation. In
early life, aboard the sloop of war
Natchez, impressed by the words of
Christian sailor, he gave his spare time
for two weeks to the Bible and at the
end of that declared openly: Hence
forth, under all circumstances, l will
act for God" His last words while dy-
ing at the Astor house, New York, were;
81 thank God for all His goodness to
me. lie has been very good to me-
When he entered Heaven, he did
not have to run u. blockade, for it was
amid the cheers of great welcome.
The other Christian admiral will be hon
ored on earth until the day when the
fires from above shall lick up the wa
tiers from beneath and there shall be
no more sea.
Oh while old oceans breast
Bears white sail
And Gods soft stars TO rest
Guide through the gale,
Men will Him neer forget,
Old heart of oak
Farragut, Farragut-
Thunderbolt strokel
We hail with thanks the new gen
Grafton of naval heroes, those of the
wear 1898. We are too near their mar
velous deeds to fully appreciate them
A century from now poetry and sculp-
ture and painting and history will do
them better justice than we can do
them now. A defeat at Manila would
have been an infinite disaster. Foreign
nations not over-fond of our American
institutions would have joined the
, other side, and the war so many months
past would have been raging still, and
perhaps hundred thousand graves
: would have opened to take down our
= slain soldiers and sailors. 1t took this
{ country three years to get over the DIS
! aster at Bull Run at the opening OF the
e civil war. How many years 1t would
have required to recover from defeat
t at Manila in the opening of the Span
S ish war / cannot say. God avcrtcd the
S calamity by giving triumph to our navy
e under Admiral Dewey, whose coming
r up through the Narrows of New forl
j. harbor day before yesterday was greet
: ed by the nation whose welcoming
e cheers will not cease to resound unit
). tomorrow, and next day in the capita
e of the nation the jeweled sword votet
:, by congress shall be presented amit
:, booming cannonade and embanneret
y hosts,
+ Especially let the country boys o
= America join in these greetings TO TIT
d returned heroes of Manila. 1t is thei
t work. The chief character in all tn
! scene is the once country lad, Georg
c Dewey. Let the Vermonters come dow
# and find him older but the same mod
=. est, unassuming, almost bashful persol
a that they went to school with and witt
II whom they sported on the playground
# The honors of all the world canno
o spoil him. A few weeks ago at ban
Y quet in England some of the title
i noblemen were affronted because on
= American minister plenipotentiary as
l. sociated the name of Dewey with tina
y of Lord Nelson. AS well might we b
l. affronted because the name of Nelso
G. is associated with that of our most re
q nowned admiral. The one man in a
IS the coming ages will stand as high a
v the other. So this day, sympathizin
j. with all the festivities and celebration
p of the past week and with all the fei
10 tivities and celebrations to come thi
j. week, let us anew thank God and thos
II heroes of the American navy who hay
IN done such great things for our believe
n land. Come aboard the old ship Nol
t., ye sailors and soldiers, whether still
II. the active service or honorably di
I'd charged and at home having resume
to citizenship. And ye men of the pas
I'd your last battle on the seas fought, tai