The Washington times., 1902-10-06
THE Valiant Men Of the
Armies"
DIR. FRANK M. BRISTOL.

1
81. and the honor of the private sol
dier who carried the gun and not tht
sword, was the theme of patriotic scr.
mon delivered yesterday morning b!
Rev. Frank NJ. Bristol. at the Metropoli-
tan NJ. E. Church. 1t was an address
| upon national pride and promise. and
eulogized the American soldier, while il
lauded the blessings of peace.
| The church was packed to the doors
Hundreds of strangers in Washington
were in the congregation, and the blue
uniforms of the G. A. r. blended in har-
mony with the decorations of national
colors. with which the church was hung
American flags, gay silk banners and
streamers of bunting were festnoned
about the altar rails.
In the midst of bower of Old Glory
and banked high. with palms and ferns
was a life-sized portrait of the late
! President Mckinley, reposing immedi-
ately back of the pulpit. 1t was land
some painting, and striking likeness
| framed in heavy gilt, and calling mute
attention to the vacant pew of the mar
tyred executive The Presidents pew
was also draped in mourning and the
American flag. under which he had
fought as an officer in the Graud Army
OF the Republic.
Shake the Pastors Hand.
At the conclusion of the sermon long
line OF visiting veterans filed past Dr..
Bristol to shake his hand. They came
from all sections of the country, from
the South and West as we'll as from
the North. 1t was to them that the
pastor spoke. He compared the great
armies of the Potomac, the Tennessee.
the Cumberland. and the Mississippi
with the hosts of David and the legions
of Napoleon, and declared the American
men of arms to be the peer of any In
the history of the world.
They come once more from the val
leys and the mountains. from thrifty
farms and busy mills; from schools of
learning and halls of state; from pull
pits, studios,a and counting rooms. he
said. They come from every hamlet,
town and city: they come from every
State; from North and South and East
and West, the valiant men of the armies
the armies of the Cumberland, the
Tennessee, the Potomac, the Gulf, and
the Mississippi-in the reunion of the
Grand Army of the Republic.
Time has placed the crowns of glory
81, 30 fo,, If -
armies. Every hoary head has won its
halo And now, as they come marching
again to the old martial strains that
thrilled their hearts in the sixties. they
must be made to feel that no class Of
men in all this world could ever be more
gratefully, Hospitality, and enthusiastic
ally received than the men who saved
Washington, saved the Union and saved
human liberty. +77sc
Were Not More Valiant.
The valiant men of the armies.' The
best Book in the world. our guide to
freedom, the Bible of our fathers, pre-
serves for all ages to admire catalogue
of David's mighty men. Now, were they
better or more valiant than Sherman S
mighty men. and Grants mighty men,
and Meade's mighty mem,
"On brass and marble and in, song
and story the Greeks perpetuated the
names and deeds of their heroes Nor
was this barbaric. 1t was rather a sign
and manifestation of civilization. Ma
tions in their highest pitch of intelec-
tualism have been most sincerely ap-
preciative of military valor and OF true
patriotism. Only in their dcgeneracy
have they become 100 pusillanimous TO
remember the names OF their brave. and
TO honor the deeds of their heroes. But,
better than craven brass OF marble, bet
ter than pagan song or classic eulogy.
are these pages OF Holy Wri: on which
the spirit OF heavenly inspiration i'm
mortalizes the memory of the valiant
men of the armies There they are.
never to be erased from the tablets of
fame. never TO be forgotten while the
ages pass, the names Of the valiant men
OF the armies of Israel. What God has
taught the nations in the history of his
ancient people let this country be quick
and glad TO learn, and thus let the pages
of our national history shine resplen-
dent. and forever shine with the names
OF the valiant men of the armies whose
glory shall continue with the eternity of
freedom and the immortality of this re-
public.
Memorial and Reunion Days.
Memorial day is the day of the
mighty dead. Reunion day is the day of
The glorious living. AS We decorate with
laurel and blossoms the graves of the
heroes, so let us again strew with flow
ers the streets where march the heroes
who are still among us.
There is but one evil that is worse
than war. 1t is the evil which makes
war inevitable. Aud the wars that de-
stroy the causes of war are necessary
evils. There is holy side to every war,