The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-04-08
DIR. TALMAGE'S SERMON


oE VII TALMAGE, D. o.
OF the New Orleans disaster and that he
was the coward who got his fellow Off
GERS to retreat in disgrace. Sir John Fox
bufgoyne said nothing. He was too much
OF man to try to clear his own record
| Dy besmirehing the characters of his
brother officers In all probability had
he tried to defend himselef by denounclng
ms companions in arms his last condition
would have been worse than the first.
But there at last came forward an unex-
peeted defender, who completely vindi-
Gated Burgoyne
This was Major Stovin, whose supposed
DEAD body was lying under the sheet upon
the table OF the council room Major
StoVln mad been very seriously wounded,
but he was still alive and heard all that
mad been said in the council of war. He
| TOOK up his pen and vigorously cham
ploned the cause of the DETAINED officer.
lie wrote; Il was lying there in the
room during the council of war, and
heard all the officers speak. I want to
TESTIFY that Colonel Burgoyne pleaded for
renewal Of the attack and not for re-
| treat. And so, my friends even when
| injustice IS being practlced against you,
do not waste your time by going forth to
attack someone else and trying to be-
smirch other peoples characters Be like
Sir John Fox Burgoyne-hold your peace
Do your work; do it faithfully, and God
Will raise up your defenders Have no
fear Of the results. The STRIPPING David
going out to meet the Philistne giant
had good cause to resent the taunts of his
brothers, who Knocked him and babe him
go home and tend the sheep, but 1t was
good thing for his people that he con-
trolled his temper and went out to slay
Goliath.
Work of the Bitter Tongue.
The ungovernable temper is to be feared
and dreaded FOR still another reason-the
bitter tongue never made an enemy less
bitter; the angry retort never blunted an
enemy's sword or threw him off his
guard or made him less energetic for
your destruction. We have read about
great ambassador who was a man of
such violent temper that even the grand
vizier of the Turkish Sultan would trem-
bic before him. He would rush into the
turkish officials presence when anything
went wrong, crying: ut must be done,
tell you; 1t must be DONE or else our
Warships will soon be bombarding your
capital!' But that is not the way Won and
| are going to make our enemies bow be
fore us. We will not subdue them by tor
retns of invective, but only by kind
words. 1T is the angry tongue that
breaketh the bone" says the Bible? Oh.
no. by long forbearng is prince per
suaded, and soft tongue breaketh the
bone. All, my friends, you want to over
come your enemies, do you? Then do ii
not with a sledge hammer, but with the
power of kindness. When a person hates
you or ill treats you, then systematically
go forth to win him over by love and for
giveness.
l was never more impressed with what
love and kindness can do than when
studying the life of Lincoln His gentle
ness did more to save the country and
give us a reunited north and south than
all the bullets ever fired or all the swords
even drawn. His policy of conauering bv
gentleness was beautifully illustrated bv
an incident told in reference to General
Rosecrans Missouri was at that time
under his command. Guerrilla bands
for which the Confederacy was in no wise
responsible, had captured three northern
soldiers. one major the other two pri-
Yates, and shot them down in cold blood
General Rosecrans. TO retaliate. ordered
pthat three Confederates one a major and
two privates. should be shot one of
| those so sentenced to die was Major
Lyons. No sooner did Lincoln hear of IL
than he sent "A telegram ordering a re-
prieve until he could look into the mat
ter and pass upon the action of the
court martial. When General Rosecrans
received the Geographic orders he was
furious He declared that If the officials
al Washington did not leave him alone he
would resign. This pardoning policy of
the President was absolutely running the
army.
What did Lincoln do? Did he discharge
Rosecrans? No After he had looked into
the matter he sent a letter to the COM
mander which went thus:
Dear General Rosecrans-I have per
sonally examined all the papers in the
Lyons case, and | cannot see that It is
matter of executive Interference, so I
will turn it over to you. with the full
confidence that you will do what Is Just
and right, only begging you. my dear
general, to do nothing in reprisal for the
past. only what is necessary to insure Sc
curity for the future, and reminding you
that we are not fighting against a for
eign foe, but our brothers, and that cur
aim Is not to break their spirits. but only
to bring them back to their old allie
glance. Conquer by kndness-let that be
our policy. Very truly yours,
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
Conquer by Kindness.
Do you wonder when General Rose
Grams received that letter he refrained
from executing Major Lyons? Do you
wonder that Lincoln's policy of love was