The Republican journal., 1902-08-21

CLUES OF the North. BEFORE moo Oh 1roQ-
zied people it is but short step from the
pedesta! of popularity to the gallows Of in
fanny. To-day, as in the time of the Great
Prophet and Reformer of Nazareth, we well
come them to our cities with cries of 'Ho-
zanna,' "Blessed is He who cometh in the
name OF the Lord and tomorrow, we join
in the raging cry of "Crucify Him. Yet
the heroiSm of the Nazarite has made of the
| cross, which was the symbol of disgrace,
the highest symbol of heroSm and sacrifice.
Jesus consecrated that cross with his heroic
| blood, and to-day it stands as the highest
and hottest symbol. SO these other and lat
er friends of mankind and prophets of pro-
| greSs have consecrated the word ''Free-
DOM" and to-day we do them homage and
| honor. And not only do we honor these
| men whose names are nationally famous,
| we each have our own Sainted dead, whom
we sadly delight to recognize and rever-
| ence. With garlands and flags We Wreathe
| their graves, and feel that each is to us
as great hero as are those whose names
| are heralded far and wide. Mothers and
| wives made their sacrifices, and their heroes
are remembered, and their sacrifices are
registered in whitening lips and fading
| treSSeS."
said Lowell:
"Once to every man and nation comes the
| moment to decide,
In the strife of Truth with Falsehood, for
the good or evil side
We, of the North. feel that our soldiers
| chose the side of Truth and went forth to do
| battle for Her Cause They fought and suf-
fered long and with galantry; endured the
horrors OF a Libby Prison and the foul Shiny
dungeons IF dark ness for the Cause of Free
dom and the lresel Walton of the | Mon.
| We celebrate the deeds and death, the life
and labor of these men of the North who
gave themselves as the price of the Nations
| salvation. They Went forth and gave all
for their country'S need. Young men, in
| their youth, dreaming of home bye and
bye, with ID good wife to keep it, and chill
dren to glorify it. Men in the prime of
| manhood, with strong tender ties binding
| them but these men stood up and looked
at things as they We're, and knew but one
| TRUTH one creed, that this Republic just as
it was when in the disturbed and gloomy
days of lS6O-6l, was great and good and
| grand enough to fight for and die for And
So they Went forth, some to live and some
to die for their best beloved,-their Goun-
try. Like Colonel Wright. with an arm
carried away, thanking God that one hand
might guide horse OF Captain Thomp-
son who said when dying 81 leave all
with Cod; or Silas Miller with life leaping
in hot blood from his veins: First win
the battle, then look after me-, or like
noble Ransom saying, Il have tried to do my
duty and have no fear OF myself after
death" Yes, and thousand more beside
1 soldier, however OBSCURE OF perhaps for
gotten; not one, ! say, who fought in the
great cause died in vain. II gave the great
sacrifice, and SO all are sayiours.
"\eW Occasions teach new duties; Time
makes ancient good uncouth;
They must upward still, and onward, who
would keep abreast of Truth.
Thus spoke one of New England'S sing
ers, and. we are taught by him the lesson of
! the day. that We shall honor our national
heroes not So much by verbal eulogy If
their hcroiSm and courage, but supremacy
by being faithful to the Truth and Right a.
We see it, and as We're they in following
after it and lighting for 1t. 10 every sin
and compromise with sin We should say as
resOluteIY and hlmlN as dld they, "Get thee
behind me, and should battle as nravely for
the cause Of Righteousness. And, now one
more thing,
Back of the uniform of each soldier.
whether of the South OF North. there was "a
power that no bullet could kill, 10 baYonet
could stab. How solemn the realization that
/ each of these men returning to the Capital
at Washington in %. after the war was over
and Lee had surrendered To Grant at Apo
matoX: that these men, weary and Worn and
wounded, each bore within himself an I'M
mortal soul that each man was a child Of
God. in spite of the sins and shortcomings
of each. How reverent and ennoblng the
thought that those comrades left upon many
fields of strife, and buried oftentmeS in one
common grave ditch, EMBODIED by the flag
OF the mon, We're immortal in Gods Eter-
nal home. Yes, that Father, Loving and
= Wise beyond our knowledge, is the great
Commanding General ofthis universe. How
ever harsh and severe some of his orders
may Seem to us, the good soldier must rec
ognize and reverence his superior wisdom,
and obey his command, feeling sure of the
result Happy that soldier who inWard1y
feels that this Great General viii at last
sound the recall, and that the drums shall
beat the sound of universal victory But
these truths are not for us, If they make us
in any way believe that our transgressi0ns
and sins are slight and unimportant things,
easily and readily forgiven OF God. the
Father DO we remember when we. do
wrong, and know that we do wrong, TIA
we are men and that man is a child of God,
created in his spirit. and destined for that
Fathers Home, though it be after repeated
scourgingS and punlshments.
To-day as YOU are gathered here in Re
union tender thoughts and memories leap
up from the graves of our sainted soldier
dead, the heart of man is made kinder and
tenderer, the pulses of men yibrate TO the
Sanctities of friendship and death it is not
a funeral dirge that is raised, but an eXul-
tant hymn OF victory ami hope. This mes
senger of God, whom we call Death-and
have too long recognized as the King Of
TerrOrs makes a beautiful appeal to US
for kindness, reconciliation and charity.
The marble form, composed and silent, of
ono Won have cal He'd NDt1r short