Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1907-06-01

Sermon
By Rev.
Frank De Witt TalmaGe. d. ID.

Los Angeles, Cal, May ZO.-ln lnlS
sermon, appropriate to the time, the
old. tender theme Of nations sorrow
and how it was healed receives new
treatment, and the lesson is learned of
n great people united in the bonds Of
common patriotic brotherhood. The
text is Isaiah xiii, 6, Il will say to the
north, Give up and to the south, Keep
not back"
sometimes think we make a mis-
take when we think Of the civil war as
ending at AppomattOx. The wounds
were too fresh then on both sides. We
know that the war Is ended now, ana
thiak the beginning of the end dated
about twenty years ago. The begin
ming Of the end came in letter which
Adjutant General Il. c. Drum on April
80. 1887, addressed to Hon. w. c. Endi-
colt, secretary Of war in President
Cleveland's cabinet The letter went
thus:
slr-I have the honor to state that there
are now in this office. stored in one OF the
Union flags captured in action, but recov-
cred on the fall OF the Confederacy and
forwarded 10 the war department for safe
keeping. together with a number OF Con-
| federete flags. which tho fortunes OF war
placed I'm our hands during the late civil
war. Whilo I'm the past favorable action mas
always been taken on applications. proper
/ lv supported. for the return OF the Union
flags to organizations representing surviv-
| ora Of the military service or the govern
| ment | beg to submit that 1t would De q
| graceful act to anticipate future requests
! ~ this nature and venture to suggest the
| propriotv Of returning all the flags (Union
and Confederate to tho authorities OF the
| respective states in which the regiments
which love those cOlors were organized.
While in all civilized nations OF the old
world trophies taken In wars against ior-
elCn enemies have been carefully preserv-
| cd and exhibited as proud mementos OF
the nations military glories, wise and OBJ
vfous reasons haye always excepted from
1 the rule evidences of past internecine
| troubles which. by appeals TO the arbltra-
| ton Of the sword. have disturbed the
peaceful march Of a people to It's destiny
| Over twenty years have elapsed since the
| Termination Of the late civil war Many
| 81 The prominent leaders, civil and mill
| tHTN, are now lbuOltu lASoNt'N''N''N"
the people in the national council or In
other eminent positions and lend the aic
| OF their talents to the wise administration
of the affairs Of the whole country, and
the people OF the several states compos-
ing the Union are now united, treadine
the broader road to a glorious future
VERY truly YOURS. r. c. DRUM,
Adjutant General.
But were the people in 1887 united
| No sooner did President Cleveland al
low Secretary Endicott to approve tho
suggestion of his adjutant general thar
great howl of denunciation arose
IBy one Of the leading newspapers Of
| minnesota, Cleveland was assaile(
lvith opprobrious epithets. The news
Il 1papers east and west excoriated him
r0yel tho public BANQUET tables Gen
eraI 3. +. Butler, General Lucius Fair
chiid. commander in chief of the Crane
Army of the Republic; Murat Halstea'
and others hurled their vituperatlon
The then governor Of Ohio wrote a let
fer which Senator John Sherman IN
dorsed. in which he emphatlcally re
fused to surrender the flags, saying
"No rebel flags shall be returned Will
Ii am governor" General Fairchll'
said; MAY God palsy the hand tina
wrote the order. May God palsy tn
. brain that conceived it, and may Co
5 palsy the tongue that dictated it, )
overwhelming was the public bitter
ness at the thought of giving back IN
captured flags that the president ha
to rescInd the order to deliver up t
the southern states their flags on th
ground that the flags were the propel
ty of the United States, and therefor
the United States alone had the rig[
to return them.