Milford chronicle., 1907-05-31
CalmaQe
Sermon
By Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmase. D. D.

Los Angeles, Cal, May 26.-In this
sermon, appropriate to the time, the
old, tender theme Of a nations sorrow
and how It was healed receives new
treatment, and the lesson is learned Of
a great people united in the bonds of a
common patriotic brotherhood. The
text is Isaiah Kill 6, II 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, and l
think the beginning of the end dated
about twenty years ago. The begin
ming Of the end came in a letter which
Adjutant General R. c. Drum on April
30, 1887, addressed to Hon. W. c. Endi-
colt, secretary of war in President
Cleveland's cabinet. The letter went
thus:
sir-I have the honor to state that there
are now in this office. stored in one OF the
attic rooms OF the building. a number OF
Union r ags captured in action. but recov-
cred on the fall Of the Confederacy and
forwarded TO the war department for safe
keeping, together with a number Of Con-
fedsrate flags. which the fortunes Of war
placed in our hands during the late civil
war. While in the past favorable action has
always been taken on applications. proper
~ supported. for the return Of the Union
dags TO organizations representing surviv-
orB OF the military service of the govern
ment, beg to submit that IL would be a
graceful act to anticipate future requests
OF this nature and venture to suggest the
propristy of returning all the flags Union
and Confederate) to the authorities Of the
respective states in which the regiments
which love those oolors were organized.
While IN all civilized nations of the old
world trophies taken in wars against for
sign enemies have been carefully preserv- !
ed and exhibited as proud mementos OF
the nations military glories, wise and OBJ
Vious reasons have always excepted from
the rule evidences of past internecine !
troubles which, by appeals to the arbitra-
ton of the sword. have disturbed the |
peaceful march of a people to its destiny. /
Over twenty years have elapsed since the /
termination of the late civil war. Many |
OF the prominent leaders, civil and mill |
9ary, are now hOnored representatives OF |
the people in the national council or in |
other eminent positions and lend the aid /
of their talents to the wise administration /
OF LuB aAIdlIA oL Ll6 WDOlG country anu /
the people of the several states compos-
ing the Union are now united, treading |
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 the
suggestion of his adjutant general than
a great howl of denunciatiOn arose.
BY one of the leading newspapers Of
Minnesota, Cleveland was assailed
with opprobrious epithets. The news
papers east and west excoriated him.
Over the pubic banquet tables Cen
eral E. +. Butler. General Lucius Fair
child. commander in chief of the Grand
Army Of the Republic; Murat Halstead
and others hurled their yituperatiOn.
The then governor of Ohio wrote let
ter. which Senator John Sherman in
dorsed. in which he emphatically re-
fused to surrender the flags, saying,
''No rebel flags shall be returned while
I am governor" General Fairchild
said: "May God palsy the hand that
wrote the order. May God palsy the
brain that conceived it, and may God
palsy the tongue that dictated it." So
was the public bitter
ness at the thought of giving back the
captured flags that the president had
To rescind the order to deliver up to
the southern states their flags on the
ground that the flags were the proper
ty of the United States, and therefore
the United States alone had the right
to return them.
Beginning of the End.
Oh, the sectional bitterness which
was ranking in the human hearts
north and south in 1887! But in spite
If that fact that letter of r. c. Drums
proved to be the beginning of the end.
Rapidly and surely the last fires Of
sectional strife died away. In 1898 the
very men who had most vehemently
opposed the returning of the COnfeder-
lte flags were most anxious to see Ma
or Mckinley do what President Cleve-
and had failed to accomplish. On Feb.
a, 1898, congress passed the bill au-
the war department to return
III the Confederate flags captured in