The gold leaf., 1910-01-27
Sermon to Veterans.
Continued from first page

charge, he resolved to attempt it in
person even at the cost Of his life
Mounted on Old Traveller with un.
covered head, a veritable god Of war,
he rode to a point near the center Oi
his line and turned his face toward
Hancock's advancing column. One
moment more and there would have
come the command to follow-but
soldiers hand was laid upon the
bride: I'VE will go forward but you
must 90 back" With all the enthu-
siasm that would have come from
the majestic presence of your idol
lied commander, leading the charge
in person, your love for would not
permit you for one moment to
allow him to imperl his life, mud
as proof OF that love, you rushed
with the fury of tempest against
these advancing columns and drove
them back.
Never has there been witnessed a
greater manifestation of unfeigned
affection for Il leader than on the
morning of General Lees surrender.
when riding back from the McLain
house to his bivOuac through an
army OF weeping men, assuring him
in broken voices Of their unfaltering
faith and undying affection. Oh, how
you loved him.
THE CAPTAIN OF YOUR SALIVA
TION AND WHY YOU OUHGT
TO LOVE HIM.
Here again find an illustration
of what ought to be the attitude
of every Confederate soldier toward
the Captain of his Salvation.
You ought to love Him with all the
love Of your heart.
You ought to love Him because OF
what He is-the chiefest among ten
thousand, who in the purity of His
motives and in the perfeCUron of His
character is altogether lovely; in
whom dwelleth the fullness of the god.
head bodily, the image of the invisible
God, the first born of every creature.
Who i'll His human nature presented a
majesty of bearing, a purity of soul,
II perfection OF character that mark
Him as possessing every quality that
could appeal to the sentiments OI
man and every attribute that could
command the favor of God. Before
whom, i'll His divinity, the angels bow
and arch angels veil their faces, and
to whom every tongue shall confess
that He is Lord to the glory OF God
the Father. But more especially you
ought to love Him for what He has
done.
Once year you 90 outside Oul
city and amid strains of music scatter
flowers upon the graves of your de
parted comrades. Why do you dc
this? Because YOU loved them anC
revere their memory. And why die
YOU love them? Because of the live:
they lived; because of the character
they bore; the suffprings they en-
durpd; the death they died.
Here stands the Captain of youl
Salvation. Why ought you to love
Him? Because of the life He lived
the character He bore; the suffprings
He endured; the death He died-fol
you.
When Cyrus the Great captured the
King of Armenia. and Tigranes, will
his young wife h. carried them home
to his capital. When summoned into
his presence, Tigranes stood up anC
boldly offered his life on condition
that his wife be allowed to 90 home
Tree. Cyrus was so impressed that
he forgave them all and sent then
back to their country. On their way
home they were talking of the events
OF the recent days. One spoke of the
magnificence of Cyrus court, another
OF the brilliancy of his Jewels, another
OF his magnanimity. Turning to hi.
wife who all the time had been silent
IIgranes asked, "And what dds
thou think of Cyrus?" She gently re
piled, Il never saw him. Never saw
him? Where were thine eyes?" Il KEPT
them fixed on him whom | heard of
fering to lay down his life for me.
She had eyes for none other.
Oh, men of many battles, woulC
today that out of the abundance O
your love and the gratitude of you
hearts you would fix your eyes OF
Him who laid down His life for YOU
| would remind you, in the thirl
place, that your attitude ought to b.
that OF unquestioning obedience.
The first duty of "a soldier is to rem
der instant, nnquestioning, impIici
obedience to his Captains command
In military matters hesitation is dis
obedience; disObedience is mutinv
mutiny is death. The officer is to b
obeyed not because he always com
mands what is right but because b.
has the right to command. Thi
theory has an apt illustration in tn
reply OF Gen. jackson to a subOrdj
nate officer who came to him wit
reasons why lie had modified his or
der OF march. Gen. jackson inter
rupted him by saving, You shoul,
have Obeyed the order first and reas
oned about it afterwards. You ar
under arrest" In brief, the soldier
creed as expressed in those immorta
| words:
Theirs not to make no reply:
Theirs not to reason why;
Theirs but to do and die
! Nowhere better illustrated than b
the hero of this poem to whom
superior officer seeking to satisfy
personal grudge and remove hate
rival, gave the most foolish comman
ever heard on a field of battle. {
noble blood, an only son. the last {
his line-but he was soldier. TURF
ing to his brigade h,- said, Here die
the last of the Cardigans;;" then wit
a forward" rode into the Jaws {
death.
| A creed never more freely accepte
nor more promptly obeyed than b
the average Confederate soldier
With faith in your leaders geniu
and love for his person, you wer
ever ready to obey his command