The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1902-06-06

lUo OOIl& AhAO AO1do. IN NSAAoAASS
have gathered to it in clouds, as doves
fly to their windows. Lift it up, that
all men may know it's story; lift it
high, that the people may hear it's note
of blessing to the race. There's no
greater attractive power on earth.
Lift it high, that refreshment may be
found for the weary. Lift it high,
that comfort may be had for the dis
tressed. Lift it high, that all the suf-
ferings of earth may lose themselves
in the full blessings Of Heaven. Lift
it high! Then, and only then, will
the Master find rest, when all the con-
ficts Of earth, its discordant cries, it's
clashing jangles, will be changed into
an everlasting song of peace; then, will
He see of the travail of His soul and
be satisfied.
To-day, dear friends,
WE HAVE SPREAD OUR BANNER OUT,
we have brought it in here. 1t is not
the little vine that grows in the midst
of the thirsty land. 1t is not a tree
that shelters the drowsy cattle. 1t is
not forest blessing nations with the
healing of it's leaves. 1t is not the
crimson-stained banner of the Cross.
1t is our own starry banner of the free.
We have flung it out to the nations.
Don't you see how they have come?
To the North we have said, Give up;
to the South, Keep not back. Why
have they come? 1t is because here a
man can think better, act more freely,
have better wages, better home, bet
ter laws, better government, and a
better chance to live and to pursue the
universal quest for happiness.
We call it "Old Glory" but it once
fiOated over a multitude of slaves. We
call it cold Glory" but strange indeed
that the. nation which pre-eminently
Stands for the brotherhood of man
kind, which, under God, seems to have
been founded and carried on for the
express purpose of making an empire OF
|:free men, should yet have waged the
most deadly fratricidal war that the
world has ever seen. I stand to-day
upon Lookout Mountain, where oul
boys fought above the clouds, anC
look down into the valley las the
Tennessee rolls it's silent flood in tortu
GUS, winding course to the sea, making
S after S with it's sinuous bends and
folds, writing Shame! Shame! Shame
shame that brother should wage wal
|
marks of carnage are all gone. a peace
full scene rises before me. Instead O.
serried ranks charging up the steel
slope, see in the valley below mi
meadows stretching away in beautiful
green and all around the signs that tn,
once warning brothers had joined them
seves in an eternal league of happy in
dustry. We call it "Old Glory,'' ant
yet upon it's folds there are traccc
many dark blot and stain. Where
are the Indians that once roamed owe
our Eastern hills, the Cherokees 0
| Tennessee, the StOckbridges of Massa
chusetts, the Sioux of Minnesota? Fo
most of them the last campfire has beer
lighted, the last war chant ha'
been sung. Slowly and sadl.
they climb the Western noun
tains and read their doom
in the setting sun. "Old Glory" in
deed, but what about the Mexican
War? A company of freebooters Sc
themselves in the Lone Star state
provoked quarrel with the weake
republic of Mexico which was backed
up by our government, and, as a conse
Quence our rich Southwest came int,
our possession. A glorious victory W.
call it? No; pretty big steal. W.
call it "Old Glory and yet what sink
holes of corruption are covered by it,
beautiful folds! Let me give you al
instance. In one of our great cities
need tell you the name?-there arr
5000 saloons which employ 81 800 men
In this city there are II theatres which
on a recent Sunday evening, were filled
with 17,lGO men and boys between
the ages Of Is and 45. In
single ward in this city there are 81:
houses Of impurity. Shall we call it
then, "Old Glory" when in one of ou
great divisions recently admitted int
the proud Sisterhood of States we ART
nursing a canker that isgnawing ava.
at one of the founda tion-principles or
which all stable government mus