The Johnson City comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1916-1917, 1916-02-17
Lincoln Day
Continued from page one)


loyal to humanity in this great war
rare against wickedness and sin in
every firm. But in this war there is
no discharge and every one should be
as loyal to the cross of Jesus Christ
DIS tney were to old Glory, remember
ing that righteousness eXalteth a ma
non and that sin is reproach to any
people, God wants men, heroic men!
Men like our beloved Lincoln and his
followers who had principle and
dared to face the hardships and even
death that those principles might be
perpetuated. Honor the Christ, com
rade; the Christ that protected you
when your comrades were falling on
your right and your left and you were
filling in their places not knowing
when the summons would come and
call you to meet your God. Here are
those to whom the battle smoke be-
came native air, whose blood the
trumpet call sent pounding through
their veins. Here no doubt are some
of the men who heard Gods voice in
the call of the president, Abraham
Lincoln, for troops, and read the pros
lamation of the skies in their enlist
ment papers. Here is a handful of
the grandest of all grand armies, the
army that marched back from South
ern meadows to turn its members in
to citizens again. And here are we
who are rich because they bravely
dared; men, women and children who
have entered into an inheritance of
peace and plenty by the agonies of
others. Why then not lay on the al
tar of our country and our God the
very best there is of us? Abraham
Lincoln, though dead yet speaks, just
as surely today of the principles for
which he labored and sacrificed, as in
the days of that awful war and | am
sure if he were in my place tonight
he would urge the men to whom | am
speaking and especially to those who
heard his call for volunteers, to sur
render their lives to Christ, mans
Savior. o! for a few heroic compan
les of men who will know no higher
function than to obey. Oh! for Amer
lean men and women who would rath-
err execute some holy commission
than to have all the wealth and Grim
inal ease on earth! A nation is strong
in proportion as it's sons have learned
obedience. Obedience to every law.
Obedience to the powers that make
for righteousness; obedience to the |
purest ideals of civic life. This is |
what this day should teach We want |
to honor bravery and courage for
these are some of the ideals for which |
Lincoln stood. We would not have |
you like old uncle Jake Runyan of |
West Virginia, who when he heard |
the first minnie ball whistle by, told
the commander that they had sent for
him at home. When a shell burst
close by him, he started to run back
through the fields. Finally he ran
into the General. The General said:
Jake, where are you going?' I am
going home; the folks have sent for
me- The General said; Jake, go
back there and go to lighting and
don't be baby and Jake said:
General, wish ! was baby, and |
vish~I was a gal baby, and then
would not have to fight There were
/ few Jakes in the war that would
ike to have been gal babies when
he first minnie balls came whistling
through the air, but there were thous-
ands of brave soldiers, who while they
owed their homes, went into battle !
md gave up their lives rather than
lave this country divided, for our {
nartyred president had said: "A
house divided against itself cannot 7
tand. Another thought | wish to
ring out in this address is that of Z
| remember of reading
hat in Scotland there is battlefield
IN which they met their Saxon foes
n terrible encounter. No monument
marks the spot, but a singular little
lue flower grows there and there Y
lone. They call it the flower of Col
oden, because it sprung from soil
4 which the bodies of patriots were
uried. The seeds were there of
CURSE but needed the baptism of
lood to make them grow. And now
n every blue flower on Colloden T
cid, as it bends it's head to the sum N
Ter breeze, is a tender memorial of
he brave spirits who dyed that sod N
it'll their hearts blood.
Dear friends, the choicest flowers N
civilization are always Colloden NJ
overs. They spring alone from soil
lat has been watered by sacrifice. 7.
reedom is one such flower. Religi- NJ
is liberty is another. Christianity
another-it sprang from the blood Al
1ed ground at the foot of the cross.
hen do not expect to do mans full Ii
ity IN the payment of taxes and the
'rrectness of a well-ordered life. He ~
ho is not willing to open his veins
help sanctify his country, is not