Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-05-29
Eloquent Sermon in Honor
Of The Dead Soldiers
By Rev. F. {. Barton Before
Members Of the G. A. R.
And Affiliated Bodies Sunday at
Unitarian Church.

G. a. r., and affiliated bodies, was this
year delivered Sunday afternoon by
Rev, +. +. Barton at the Unitarian
church. A large number We're present.
The members of the Grand Army,
escorted by Co. II, Kennebee Camp.
No. II, United Spanish War Veterans,
and Garfield Camp, No. l. S. of v, as
sembled on Common street at o'clock,
and, headed by the Fort Halifax Band
of Winslow, marched TO the Univer
salist church on Silver street. Capt.
Sllas Adams was marshal. They were
met at the church by the auxiliary
bodies
The text of the sermon was from the
second epistle to Timothy. iv:7. Il have
fought good fight. In opening his
address, the preacher referred to the
fact that this year marked the 50th
anniversary of the beginning of the
Civil War.
THE word fight is ambiguous" =
said Mr.. Barton. Its range of defini-
ton is wide, from street brawl, to
a nations struggle for supremacy. The
highest kind of a definition is a sacred
one, the fight for principle as against
oppression;, the heroism of sacrifice
of ones self to some moral sentiment
Oftimes il is the putting In peril the
animal man, the lower life, fol, the sake
of evincing our faith In something
higher. 1t sees in right the duty that
should dominate, or the principle
which should prevail. II never falters
in the faith that always and every
where believes that sin must be re-
pressed and righteousness be exalted
This was the kind of a fight that
absorbed the soul and energy of the
Apostle Paul. Tt was a good fight: a
fight for principle. His declaration was
not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities and powers. against the
rulers of darkness. against the Spirit
ual wiekedness in high places, to con-
tend against which il is necessary to
take on the whole armor of God.
Whoever has become familiar with
the life of St. Paul as given to us in
Holy Writ cannot help being impress-
ed with the thought that he was a man
of strength. He had all the SYM
pathetic and magnetic qualities which
tended powerfully to influence men.
he knew men and knew how to ap-
proach them. His whole soul was I'LL
ed with the thoughts of men, His
mind was on that which portrayed
zeal, patience, perseverance and forth
tude.
This is the man who uttered the
words we have chosen as text. 4
have fought the good fight
AS nation we have set apart two
days to sacred and patriotic use.
Memorial Sunday and Decoration day.
While both days are sacred. they seem
to have their separate lessons for us
All
A peculiar sense of pride goes with
the thought that l have such men as
You to cali fellow citizens, for while
other nations fought for conquest, you
fought for principle. You also. have
Fought good fight. Like the Israel
ties of old, in whose favor / will make
another exception. you have fought a
good fight. You taught the world a
new lesson of what man can do when
God helps him in any strife. 1t was a
righteous cause that called YOU away
from home. Believing as declared by
our document of independence that all
men We're created free and equal, you
considered it unconstitutional to en-
large the boundaries of slavery, to say
nothing of those fellow beings already
under the yoke
LAS the thinned ranks in the annual
parade marches through the city in a
few days. the spectator will see two
professions. In one he will see the
hating tread of the surviving members
of the Grand Army. In the other there
may be seen the army over yonder,
very much larger than this one, the
countless throng who fell before the
shouts of victory made the wellSin
ring; whose bodies, cruelty shattered,
were hurriedly laid away in trenches
before the days bloody work was done.
Old comrades are there, swelling the
procession to enormous proportions,
while the ranks below are being
thinned. The order, Detailed for high
er duty has been heard in every
state in the Union this past year as
never before. Trimmed ranks? Yes. 1t is
appalling! In a few years some orator
VIII be addressing few venerable IA
theirs as all that's left of a once mag
nificent army of devoted patriots.
Peace pervades our goodly land to-
day. We rejoice in that When the end
came at Appomattox the victory was
shared by North and South alike. All
the difference was that the one
shouted while the other wept. The one
went home to a land of plenty, the
other to broken firesides and land
of desolation We do not, any of us.
glory in that desolation. Far from it.
And yet the victory is glorious. Polt-
ical and social results were confined to
no section. Although the South could
not sec ii for time, it was a blessing
shared by all.
To-day there is a kindlier feeling
than before the war. The loudest APP
plause that will come out of future
history will not be for the courage of
our soldiers. though that is unsur-
passed; nor the military genius of the
great commanders, though that was
peerless; but for the unrivalled charity
for the fallen foe. General Grant won
his greatest victory when he treated
General Lee like brother. Abraham
Lincoln was never so magnetic and
grand as Just before he was shot down. |
he StrNtphaI c,,t lpUipo hand tn the |