The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-05-29


afternoon in Trinity Reformed church
for the purpose Of paying homage 10
the memories and demonstrating their
intense patriotism and affiliation OF
reverence to those Of their comrades
who have passed into the great beyond.
The services were Jointly celebrated by
the two posts and they were accom-
panied to the church by the ladies of the
w. r. c. and about forty flower girls
who will assist on Decoration day In
strewing flowers on the graves Of the
dead soldiers. Hundreds Of auditors
were assembled at the church when the
posts arrived and the edifice was COM
pleteiy filled with a patriotic throng.
Several of the officers Of the posts occu-
pied the pulpit with Rev. e. p. Her
bruck, who was chosen to deliver the
address Of the day.
The ceremonies were opened with an
invocation by Comrade r. A. Cassidy.
Mrs. Walter H. Double sang "Memori-
am" a beautifully appropriate solo.
The flower girls rendered "Cover them
Over" The officers of the posts then
demonstrated their rituals. to which
the comrades responded. The principal
address for the afternoon was delivered
quence and patriotism met with sympa-
thetic accord and response on the part
of the assembled soldiers and hearers.
After brief and befitting words Of
greeting to the Grand Army posts and
patriotic orders in attendance. Rev.
Herbruck announced his text, Chron-
icles, 12:33"Fifty thousand which could
keep rank; they were not Of double
heart" He said substantially: "The
thought Of this text may not be entirely
clear at first glance, but when proper
ly understood 1t will be found to be
quite significant. In this chapter here
we have the muster roll of the Hebrew
army in the time of David. and they
kept a very accurate record of their
soldiers in that ancient time, just as we
do now. In the archives Of our govern
ment at Washington there's a list Of all
the men who took part in tho late civil
war, so many from each state, so many
in each branch Of the service. so many
of infantry, SO many Of cavalry, 30
many of artillery, etc., so that in years
to come our posterity may have abso-
lutely accurate and reliable statistics
concerning the strength of the brave
army which put down the rebellion.
Such a list we have, here Of the old
Hebrew army, so many bowmen, $500
from the tribe of Judah, Z, 100 from the
tribe of Simeon, 10000 from the tribe OF
Ephraim, $4,000 from the tribe of Icb-
ulen, and 1t is added, (which could keep
rank
Now, 1t may not seem go remarkable
to you that fifty thousand men shonld
be able to keep rank. You say, "That's
he h.,ot Ia 10 fro ir,nI ",
that art. If he cannot keep rank he is
not worthy the name Of soldier" Yet
after all, 1t Meant something for an
army of $4,000 men to keep rank, for
remember, they kept rank not only on
parade, but also in active service. NOT
only under the sympathetic gaze of ap-
plauding multitudes. but amid the
storm of battle. It was high praise tC
say of soldiers that they could subdue a
fort or charge a battalion with an un-
there was another Immediately at hand
to close up the ranks AMI present a solid
front to the foe. This meant not only
military precision, but undaunted cour.
age also. These men "were not Of dou.
BILE heart" They had one heart fol
king, for country and for God. They
forgot everything but the honor Of Goo
and the salvation Of the country.
We need such men now, men who will
keep rank when great principles are nj
stake, men who will present an un'
broken front when civil and religious
liberty are at issue.
We have had crises in the nation ant
we had the men to meet these cris IS
We are honoring today the memory o.
such men. A generation or more age
there arose in this country the question
of states rights, the question whether
this is a nation or simply a confedara
tion Of states. Back Of that question
was the other and deeper one. whether
slavery should be tolerated here. There
was prolonged discussion of 1t In pulpi
and press and congress. The slave
holders refused to listen to argument
Pushed on by the unseen hand, they
fired on the flag Of Sumpter, that flai
which enfolds the most precious hopes
of mankind. Then was witnessed th'
grandest scene Of history. Gaunt, awk
ward, gigantic Abraham Lincoln hitet
his bony finger and the North, which
had hitherto been divided, became one
From every section there sprang for
ward volunteer soldiers offering theil
services. Women gave their braves
and their best, their husbands and thei
sons. Hundreds Of thousands present
ed themselves to Father Abraham
though they knew 1t meant hardshipl
and suffering and even death. 1t wal
not child's play when the soldiers o
the North met the soldiers of thu
South. 1t was not mere skimish whei
Sherman and Sheridan and Grant stoot
face to face with Johnson and Jack
son and Lee. So well matched wer,
the contending forces hat for four loni
years the fate of battle hung In evei
scale; for four long years the shadov
of the sword rested dark on the land
Thousands Of men were smitten down
but their places were always flled b.
others. The army kept rank. The mel
were not "of q double heart" ana m
end came at last. On the great held o
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