Norwich bulletin., 1913-05-31
on the missionary. the explorer and
 the scientist. Ready at ths Crisis

f If10 SC1C1LISt
 Ready at the Crisis.
 Ours is a glorious heritage but oth-
 CTS have paid the price. When more than a half century ago the call came
 from the Great President of the United States to shoulder arms you respond ed. Husbands, fathers and sons mothers and sweethearts were left be- hind But all were willing to pay the price And what mathematician can estimate the tremendous price that was paid. We have entered into glorious heritage. Memorial day re- minds us that a price was paid for
 what we today enjoy. This day brings
 us face to face with not only an event
 but the crisis in American history. [ Less than century before our fath
 CTS died to give us this glorious heri-
 tage: ''The land of the free and the
 home of the brave" Now comes the crisis and for just a brief moment,
 it looked as though a nation, we
 might be cut in twain. Joshua's God and our God was on the side of right and crowned the Union forces with victory This day brings to our hearts mingled joys and sorrows. How many in the bloom of youth. hopeful and courageous started out to fight for
 the land they loved! How many were hoping and planning to see the dear ones again and recount their stories of suffering and hardship, but, alas, LIIty ISlI WILIl lllciI IdCOS lOWdid tIlO
 foe. History tells us of a young sol
 dier scarcely a month away from his peaceful home asking in tense whisper and with white, quivering ] lips: Do you think there is going to be battle? He had hardly spoken when from behind a wooded crest there came a sheet of flame that brought death to hundreds. The young hero had an older brother who left his position in the line for a moment to find his brother John whom he loved as he loved his own life. In a little time the older brother found John and laying his hand on the young hero's shoulder said: Be a man John" The tide of battle ebbed and flowed that day and when the moons pale beams shone on the battle field that night John lay cold in death, but his feet in the front ranks and facing the foe. We cover their graves today with earth's choicest flowers. We glory in their lives of heroism and patriotism. The Miracle of Century. The Civil war and attendant cir {, cumstances have given to the world the greatest miracle of a century, if not a millennium. God has made few
 men greater than Abraham Lincoln. I saw a picture of Lincoln some time ago in Philadelphia and underneath were inscribed Lincolns own words: T work and wait and pray and pos SIDIy lily tliIlS small come.
 Hit Slavery Hard.
 During those years of working and
 waiting and praying he said: If I ever get chance to hit slavery, I'll hit hard" And who will deny that Lincolns time did come. And when it came you responded to the presi- dents call for men. And together you did hit it hard. Lincolns memory will always remain green and fresh in the history of the world. And you who stood by him. How many of your comrades fell in the fight! We re-
 member you all with pride and grat- itude. The nation will never cease to do you honor. Your tears and sorrows
 and sacrifices have not been in vain. You may discover some day that from these your eternal crown was forged | and the tear drops and blood drops will be transformed into diamonds and
 rlIbies of surprising beauty and glory.
 God in History.
 One of the greatest dynamics in this world is the consciousness of Gods presence in all the affairs of history 1 My philosophy is not God in the heav- ems and everything is right on earth. | but rather God is in the heavens and everything is going to be right We can therefore be optimistic wheth- CT we wage war against visible or in- l visible armies. The unseen God rules | the universe. Napoleon was wrong l when he said: God is on the side of 1 the heaviest battalions. He surely dis covered his mistake when he retreat | ed from Russia with half of his army | frozen to death, driven out not by an l army of men but by the snow flakes which fell thick and fast God is every where and all the time on the side of | right. The two weapons of his war fare are truth and righteousness. With these God is going to batter down every obstacle that stands in the way of the onward march of His kingdom. Wellington said at Waterloo: Gen ] tlemen this is hard pounding but we will see who can pound the longest" l Napoleon met his Waterloo that day because Wellington pounded the long l est and hardest. God has been pound ing away through the centuries and will not cease until every great wrong
 has been crushed beneath His feet. It may seem to us sometimes God is slow in coming, but He is never late and when the dial on the clock of heaven signifies that the hour is ripe, then God marches with majestic tread to certain victory.
 We need the spirit of the drummer boy who, when commanded to beat a retreat, replied: Sire, I know not how. Desaix never taught me that But can beat a charge that will make the dead fall into line. I beat that
 charge at Lodi; I beat if at the Lyra- l l beat it here ?" His request was grant ed The charge was beaten. The army marched on to victory
 The Foundations of a Republic More than four centuries ago He who guides the stars guided Column
 bus over three thousand miles of sea. It was no mistake. The time was ripe to lay the foundation of this repub- lie. Only the Almighty saw it's fu- ture. During the Revolutionary war and especially at Valley Forge how hard Washington leaned on God. And the Divine General was pleased to crown the Colonial army with sue cess.
 Again in the Civil war Gods hand is unmistakably seen in history There Is a man in training down wonder in a Kentucky log cabin. A man who values the truth and who will do the
 right at whatever the cost. The crisis
 comes in '61 and God, who is never
 handicapped for man has his chosen
 leader to guide the nation through
 those years of bloody and civil war
 When Admiral Cervera discovered
 that in the great battle in which his
 fleet annihtlated the Americans
 had lost but one man and only two
 wounded, he exclaimed: God willed it