The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-06-05

sent TO the mother or the wife at home
was penned by the faithful chaplains
who looked after the boys Of their regi-
ments as a father might care for the
children about his own Preside But
what about that gray haired old minister
of the village church? Did he not serve
any patriotic purpose?
Jackson's Advice to Minister.
We cannot today too much praise the
work of the gospel minister during the
agonies of Americas four years OF car
mage One day a man applied TO Cen
eral Jackson for a position i'll his army.
-, nat is your business?" asked Jackson.
II am a minister of the gospel" was the
reply Then Jackson, the Christian sold
Ter, said: my friend. | can give you no
position as high as that which God has
given to you. Go back to your own
church In the name of Jesus Christ
give comfort to the widows whose nus
bands have been shot. to the children
whose fathers, on account of this bloody
war, will never come back; to the young
maidens who can never again see their
sweethearts. Go back and preach the
gospel of sacrifice to the young men who
must be enlisted from your town. Go
back In Gods name, go back Aye,
the duty which Thomas j. Jackson as
signed to the ministers of Jesus was
grandly and nobly fulfilled by hundreds
of consecrated clergymen. both In the
north and the south. Today honor the
memories of the noble men of God who at
home were true and firm to their Lord
and their people during the awful con-
flict
But have still another long list of
unpraised heroisms. | would not praise
the boy in blue or the boy In gray for
what he did In 1861 and 1865 more than
| would praise him for what he did after
peace had been proclaimed. 1t was q
spectacle that astonishcd the world. a
spectacle unprecedented In history, that
of the soldiers of those two huge armies
LAYING down their muskets and taking
up the plowshare. To their honor be II
said that they were ready to turn their
backs upon strife and, side by side, work
together In the vocations of peace. The
vast armies OF America going forth TO
battle is not nearly as impressive, from
a historic standpoint. to the student of
sociology, as those armies. almost in
stantly melting away and then and there
their ex-members fraternzing with one
another and striving to the uttermost
10 build up the country with as much
earnestness as they had shown In fight
ing each other to the death.
without any doubt, Robert r.. Lee
was one of the finest characters Ameri-
ca ever produced. Would you like to
know what was to me the greatest act
of that grand life? ] find It not In his
actions before the war ! find II not
in his wonderful equipoise and gentle
ness and marvellous powers during the
war But after Appomattox the chief
nobility of that life glowed before his
fellow countrymen as single star might
ontshine all the other stars In the heaven
~ armament. After the war was over
a rich financial company of New York
city, in order to catch the southern trade
through Robert e. Lees popularity, Of
fered Lee $3.50 per year as a salary to
become its manager. What said General
Lee? mo, | cannot come. | must stay
among my own people to help teach them
to become true Christian citizens. to help
teach them how to have faith In their
God aid patriotic love for their whole
land Robert e. Lee turned his back
at that time upon the most prineely
salary then offered in the city of New
York In order to teach his people to
love reunited country and To have