Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1903-05-30
Rev. Hofheins Delivers Eloquent
and Patritic Address.
MEMBERS OF G. A. r. PRESENT
Attend Services at Christ Reformed Church u
a BODY and Listen to the Annual
Memorial Sermon

Grand ARM OF tlic RcpuDAc was No-
liyered at the II o'clock service int
Christ Reformed church Sunday |
morning bv the pastor, DIR. Hoffheins.
Nearly all of the old soldiers were
present, together with an audience |
which comfortably filed the handsome |
auditorium, and the sermon was lis
tened to with the deepest attention
throughout.
DR.. Hoffheins opened his address
with a reference to the significance
and appropriateness of the annual
memorial custom. and said that it was
fitting tribute Dlid BY the living to
the dead. who had shared with them
the hardships aud perils of deadly in
ternecine strife, and the memory OF
whose deeds of heroism and valor were
cherished by the beautiful flowers or
remembrance on the Memorial day of
which this is but the happy prelude.
He said the issues OF that BLOODY strife
are dead and lie buried with their
dust. To some the final result was
certain as the reasoning of logic, to
Others it was sadly disappointing but
to all it was final. And today we are
again a united people. the old north
and the old south blended in union
that knows only common heritage
and common hope. In this hour.
when the memories of those DAYS are
AZ 10 ft,r
sentiments uttered by that grand old
man. Gen. John B. Gordon. at the re-
union at New Orleans of those who
wore the gray. as well as the express
\ sions of Judge Rogers on the same oc-
casion. when they so feelinglv and
nobly said the south had drawn the
curtain of oblivion over the regretful
things of the Past. and faced the COM
mon future of a reunited people with
out trace of bitterness. They said
that the question of disunion had been
forever settled at Appomattox, and
that the people of the south were joint
heirs with the other sections of the
fate held in the womb of the future.
DIR. Hoffheins said that such express
sions of loyalty and devotion in such
manly and generous terms from those
who wore the gray cannot and would
not be met in a spirit less noble and
generous by those who wore the blue.
He continued. saving that the memorial
services and tributes of flowers to lie
laid on the graves OF the departed
soldiers are but the symbol of the
yet greater tribute due their name,
their frame AMI their sacrifices. The
reality lies in the duty of magnify
ing by our own high standard of cit
1zenship and nobler. worthier lives,
the prize so dearly purchased with
their blood. The greater America of
4 the future will call for the intensest
vigilance on our part as the price of
our liberties Our leaders and citi-
zens generally will need further and
more advanced training. hut not in
the warfare of sectionalism or the
contests to be decided by the arbitra-
ment of the sword. They need to be
led up to a higher respect for the
laws OF Righteousness based upon the
golden rule. We need to strengthen
| the forces which make for good gov
ernment in all our commemorative.
and especially in our cities, from
which as eenters of our state and
4 national life, go out the mightiest in
fiuences for good and evil. We need
to exercise care, not only as nation,
hut as individual citizens. to create
the greater and better America. For
this the citizenship of America needs
the same stern stnff in both private
and official ranks today as it did in
the days when the dead soldiers fell
by the side Of the living on the en-
battled fields and gave their lives for
the preservation of their country.
SNatlonal degeneracy will be STAYED
ouly by the high courage which comes
from the conviction of right-that
courage which showed itself SO persis-
gently in the ranks of the private SOL
llierv OF forty wears ago, whether that
soldier wore the blue or the gray. The
fundamental articles of the Grand Ar
ny of the Republic call not alone for
he preservation and strengthening of
lind and fraterDal feeling and to per-
,etuate the memory of the dead, to
ssist old comrades and assist the
Widows and orphans of the departed
oldiers. Great aud noble as are these
bjects in themselves, there is yet the
! 5ei0htier obligation of fostering and
Maintaining true allegiance to our
puntry. based upon paramount re-
pect for and fidelity to it's constitu-
on and laws, discountenancing what
yer tends to weaken loyalty or in any |
ny may impair the efficiency and |
srmanancy of our free institutions. |
is the very highest standard of |