The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1913-05-28
Ills Greatest Glory In Sacrifice for Others"
lin

Thus one of Gods truest soldiers sale
of himself: 81 die daily" The same
soldier eXhorted his fellow soldiers
to present themselves as Giving sac
rifices."
The TaIisman Of the Camps.
Comrades, have sought to ap
proach nationally as we'll as reverent
ly truth of singular interest to us
If you have followed the thought you
have now fair view of its bearing
Only let me say before proceeding
that in speaking of our fallen com
rades We shall add nothing to their
memory by exaggerated statement
They are not before us as candidates
for civil Office that we need to cover
their faults with spangled robes OF
such commanding intellectual and
moral gifts as would make them un-
familiar to their nearest friends. Ours
is not the task of political costumers,
who get up characters to order. The
ears of our dead comrades are deaf
to fiattery, and we should stultify
ourselves and violate the sacredness
of their claims should we attempt to
make out of single virtue, however
Commanding, a rounded character.
When country is in peril it fixes
no standard of moral measurement
for it's armies. 1t calls only for
muscle, nerve, courage and good eye
sight, combined with ordinary intel
ligence. Nor is an army a school of
morals. Morally an army of fifty
thousand men in the field is about
what a like number would be in a
great city, with no churches and no
wives, mothers or sisters to restrain
and help by their blessed ministries.
How quickly mere veneering of re-
ligion or decency wears through and
the real man energies under such
test! And how like FURNISHED gold
shines the genuine character when
tried in such fire! While army life
brings out the best in some men, it
exposes the worst in others. None of
us would say that all who died were
fit to die.
But O, my brothers, how had it
been with some of us had we not in
the silent watches of the night, spent
on guard duty, or as We lay looking
up at the stars, or drawing the sold
dier's blankets over our faces to pro-
tect them from the storm, felt once
more the warm kiss, looked again and
again upon the fearful faces and
heard over and over the farewell
words of the dear ones in the old
home up Gin Gods country" as We
called it, and felt sure in our heart of
hearts that mothers, wives, sisters
and sweethearts were praying for our
safety of soul as we'll as of body? Ev-
cry old soldier will hold a broad
shield of charity over the comrade
who carried no such talisman, what
ever his faults, if he was true to his
cause even unto death.
But let no one mistake this candor
as to the few for insinuation as to
the many. Never was there an army
by more intelligent APP
prehensiOn of the value and sacred
ness of it's cause, or by a loftier sense
of duty, purer patriotism or a more
determined courage than that which
rallied to the defense of the old flag
in 1861. All that it suffered through
officers for the first two
years of the struggle did not suffice
to break it's front or daunt it's spirit.
From field and workshop, from office
and store, from bank and railroad,
and even from college and pulpit
not for hire, not for glory, not for ad-
venture, but for the preservation of
l government which stood for prin-
,iples dearer than life-came this cit
zen army, the best blood and brain
If the land. It's battle cry was THE
Union" it's inspiration the love of
reedom, it's support in reverses, in