Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1904-06-04

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 il not in his
actions before the war. find it not
I'm his wonderful equipoise and gentle
ness and marvellous powers during the
war. But after Appomattox the chief
nobility Of that life glowcd before his
fellow countrymcn as Il single star
might outshine all the other stars in
the heavenly armament. After the war
was over Il rich financial company of
New York city, in order to catch the
southern trade through Robert +. Lees
popularity. offered Lee S2J.HO per
year nj n salary to become its manager
What said General Lee: No. | can
not 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
and patriotic love for their whole
land" Robert f. Lee turned his back
at that time upon the most princely
salary then offered in the city Of New
York. In order TO teach his people TO
love reunited country and to have
faith in God he accepted Il humble
position rs the president of one of Vir-
ginia's bankrupt schools. Rather than
live for mercenary gain he quietly and
yet nobly and unselfishly went TO live
among the shattered walls of Wash
ington college i'm Lexington. He lived
there until the close Of his life. Some
people may tell you that the greatest
service the American soldier did for
his country was when he suffered up
on the field of battle. tell you that
the greatest service the Confederate
army and the Federal army ever did
for their native land was when they
dissolved and when their Christian sol
diers became the earnest. consecrated
advocates Of Christian peace. So to-
day praise no less highly than the
soldier who went out I'm 1861 TO fight
his country's battles the soldier in
1866 returning to civil life and striv
ing I'm home and factory and store To
heal the wounds of the nation and re-
unite its people In the bonds of Chris
tian love.
The Sentinel's Call.
Some time ago ! stood on the top of
the Washington monument and looked
of upon the battlcfclds OF America and
dreamed my dreams. I saw hundreds
OF thousands of human bones bleaching
in the sunlight. gnawed of the vulture
and the wolf heard the muiiled
drums beating the tattoo mt sunset. As
the artillery wagons rumbled away 10
the rear. and star twinkled TO star. |
heard sentinel by the glare of the
campfire call TO sentinel: "Alrs well.
Ans well along the Potomac"
There 20 the booming Of the can.
non and the sharp commands of the
officers. STEADY. boys: steady. steady
There is the ping of the bullet. and the
dying soldier clutches at his heart as
he means. MY babies. o God. my poor
babies and then drops dead. There
comes the blood cur,liing Confederate
cry. "Hi' Iii. Iii. Hi. HIi"' There is
the long line of set faces behind the
gilttering bayonets. The heavens red
den and glow. The flames leap and
hiss and dance and make merry over
the burning homes. The falling beams
go crash. crash crash. The rivers are
deep with flowing blood: the grave
trenches are filled with million dead.
AS I turn and look upon the great
white dome of the capitol the old ma
tional flag flaps and waves. Its stars
glitter likS the eyes of the mothers
waiting for their boys who never came
back. and like the eyes of the maidcns
who. after awhile as old women. read
and rercad the torn and the yellow let
tiers which their heroes just before Ill"
fatal battle wrote about the bridal
homes which were destined never Ia
be built. And as l look upon the old
flag again the white stripes look like
the white banlages which were pm,
about the shattered arms. The long.
deep strcaks of red prove that its folds
had once been dipped into pools of
human blood. Then the great white
dome of the legislative hall. glistcning
I'm the sunlight. looks as though il were
built out of the broken tombstones
of Arlington Heights and Gettysburg
and the Wilderness.
The War Forever Ended.
Then. as I look up and down the
great Pennsylvania avenue. | seem To
see the united armies OF the boys in
blue and of the boys In gray marching.
marching. marching. | see the lines
melt away. Following with my eye
one soldier. I see him take his dis
charge. and he starts for home.
cannot tell whether this discharged
soldier Is now heading for the Michi-
gan hills or for the Georgia planta-
tions. In his civilian dress he has no
distinctive insignia telling me whether
he fought under Grant or under Lee.
Then l see this soldier coming up To
the farm gate and being welcomed
home by his dear ones. Now his wife
nearly faints away for JOY. Then in
the evening hour I see him gather the
little children about him. He opens
the old book: he reads II chapter: III"
family kneel In prayer: then the lights