The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1915-05-27
REBELLION WAR
WAS RIGHTEOUS
CIVIL CONFLICT ONE or FEW
THAT WAS JUSTIFIED, DE
CLARES DIR. j. $. HOAG-
LAND.

Cltlb CONltLitJ ONE ot FEW
THAT WAS JUSTIFIED, DE-
CLARES DIR. J. $. HOAG-
LAND.
The annual memorial sermon to
the members of the G.. A. r. was
preached Sunday night at the First
Methodist Episcopal church by the
pastor, DR.. j. S. HDagland. The
members of the Grand Army, the
Woman's Relief Corps and the Boy
Scouts attended in a body, occupy
ing seats in the front tiers of the
auditorium. The church was crowd
ed. Lewis Lovinger sang the solo
and the choir rendered Kipling's
"Recessional' as an offeratory.
DR.. Hoagland spoke on the elements
which enter into the highest sacrifice
and closed his address with these
words: II think of the soldiers OF
the Civil War as illustrating in a hui
man way the glory of self sacrifice.
j also think of the women of those
days as sharing equally in hat glory.
War In the language of one of
your W generals, is hell. | suppose
you who know the most about war
will endorse THAT statement. Most of
the wars of history have had no JUS
tification in ethics or religion. They
have been waged to satisfy the lust
OF vengeance, power and ambition.
Millions of the noblest men have
been led to the slaughter to lift some
war-god up or to satiate hate that
was more personal than national.
III any war could be cited as an
exception. it is the war of the Rebel
lion under the leadership of Lincoln.
This war was for national union and
human liberty. Possibly it might
have been averted. l do not see how.
l know that the president had in his
heart malice toward none and charity
for all; that he wanted to do the
right as God gave him to see the
right and that he was willing to go
u great way along the line of COM
promise and concession il tho union
might be preserved and that he never
sword until all possible efforts for
honorable peace had been exhausted
So that when he called for men, it
has always seemed to me, that his
voice was the voice Of God.
How splendid WIS the response!
Hear 1t! We are coming Father
Abraham one hundred thousand
strong Yes, they came a million
strong, and more, from Pine tree
state to Golden Gate. They marched
through four years of bell. They
faced bullet. bayonet and lannon's
bursting shell In heroic battle. They
faced fever and famine in prison pens
the heat and cold of the camp, the
the WEAKNESS OF marches, fostering
wounds, the pain of death without
prayers or m%inistering hands. All,
1t was Il noble sacrifice, the flower OF
Americans young manhood, and 1t
was done deliberately with the full
consciousness OF its tremendous cost
In the meantime the mothers,
wives and sisters were making a sac
rifice just as noble, just as patriotic,
just as costly. o. the suspense Of the
silent weary weeks, Wondering what
the issues of the struggle would be
and whether. husband, father and
brother and son would ever come
back! O, the drudgery of the double
duty that developed upon these wo-
men then! They were not cheered
by the comrades of the campfire. or
stirred by the martial music, or
thrilled by the charge. They must
wait and work and wonder and weep
God knows, and we are coming to
know, that they too paid the price
by 'treading the w%ine-press alone
1T is not my privilege to share
with you the sacred fellowship of
the Grand army. ] belong to the
next generation. That fellowship
was baptised at the fiery affairs of
the republic and consecrated in
blood. But l can thank you and can
give YOU the gratitude of those who
are enjoying the fruits of your vic
tory. Ws too can honor your de-
parted comrades, comrades that sleep
In nameless and u~nnumbered graves
IN many a southern hill and valley.
We a also help to carry flowers to
the graves of those who came home
to die and whose sacred ashes con-
socrates ten thousand cemeteries OF
the northland. All honor to the
memories of these men! To you who
yet live, the golden link which con-
meets us with those days of blood
aud iron, let me extend greetings
and express the hope that your de-
clining days may be sweetened by
the growing gratitude of your coun-
trymen. and that at last you may be
part of the comradeship of the
external camp. whose Great Captain
is the Christ of the centuries, and In
whose cause o paid such a full
measure Of devotion"
MISSIONS In BALKANS