The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1910-06-02
TRIBUTE TO HEROES
Rev. j. o. Fisher Delivers an Able
and Patriotic Sermon to the
Old Veterans i'm Blue.
Memorial Services at Congregational
Church Impressive and Must
cal Numbers Inspiring.

'AOSo WI y AOlO IL AOAOI " UlO SO1O10I
dead. There we're % veterans in
attendance and the church was we'll
filled with people. An excellent musi-
cal program, prepared by Mrs. q. G.
Cooney, was rendered, and the floral
decorations, together with the stand
ard of the Grand Army of the Repub-
lie and Old Glory, produced a very
pleasing effect. The sermon, or
rather address, was delivered by the
pastor of the church, Rev. J. o.
Fisher, and it was an address that
appealed not only to the old soldiers,
but to the entire audience. In sub
stance the address was as follows:
Theme, 1.-THE Voice of the Stones:n
text, Joshua 4, 6: "What mean ye by
these stones?'
Israel is reaching the land of
promise. She has come to the banks
of the Jordan. AS the waters of the
Red sea divided, so the waters of the
Jordan are parted before the Ark of
the Covenant of Jehovah. Jehovah
spoke to Joshua and commanded that
a stone be carried up out of the midst
of the Jordan, one by representa-
tive from each of the twelve tribes of
Israel. There was no inscription on
them. They we're placed as memoir
ial Of the fact that when Israel passed
over the Jordan by the goodness of
God the waters we're cut off before the
Ark of the Covenant of Jehovah.
We shall not confne our thoughts
to the significance of those stones at
Gilgal. Let US rather turn to the
monuments that stand over southern
battle6elds, those monuments and
slabs of stone in our cemeteries that
mark the burial places of the men
who fought for liberty and union in
the civil war. I ask, "What mean these
stones?" It means first the liberation
OF the slaves, the freedom of four
million bondsmen. Our fathers saw
the evil of this institution They
fought it and eradicated it forever.
A>O oA AASo ONOl IL CCO ~ JULIUS.
men. No armies fought harder for
the right. Their posterity will never
forget the heroic service that they
rendered, and will never cease to
honor their memory. The sons of
slavery will not forget. after the
passing of time shall leave it's mark
on the monuments and the graves of
the heroic dead then the posterity of
slaves now free shall stand beside
their graves humble, grateful,
reverent.
But these stones mean more than the
liberty of the African race in Ameri-
ca. They suggest not only liberty,
but union. The south stood for state
sovereignty. It held that state had
the right to declare null and void an
act of congress that if state desired
it could withdraw from the union. If
this principle had prevailed it would
have divided our country into as
many nations as there are states. It
would have made congress toy to be
played with. It WOULD have robbed
the government of head.
The men of the north stood for
national sovereignty-for an in
dissoluble union of all the states
under one central government. Be-
cause they won there is today no
north, no south, no east, no west. eve
are one people, with one language and
one flag" II there is any value in
unity and free governments; if there is
any benefit in safety and projections;
if there is any worth in having flag
that has not lost single stripe nor
single star, then to those men who
lived and died for liberty and union
all coming generations must ever
render profoundest gratitude.
But these stones remind US of great
er things than the liberation of bonds
men, greater things than the establish
ment of peace and union in the family
of states. If they had failed after all
their efforts to accomplish their pur-
pose, still their services would have
been just as great, their memory lust
as sacred. True greatness does not
consist so much in the successful
accomplishment of a work as in the
motive and purpose which prompt the
action. "Not failure but low aim is
crime"
The greatest conquests Of the men
who fought in the civil war we're won
not on southern battle6elds, but in
their own hearts. Their supreme
greatness was their loyalty and devo-
ton to the call of country and the
call of God. They knew what the
answer to the call would mean. They