Daily Kennebec journal., 1916-05-29

The members OF w. .. t1edln 1oss'
G. A. R.. the Ladies of the Grand Army.
Sons Of Veterans, and allied patriotic
bodies, observed Memorial Sunday by
attending service at the Getchel street
Free Baptist church. where an eloquent
sermon was delivered by the pastor,
Rev John Franklin Thurston.
Mr. Thurston tok his text from He
brews XI:4; Being dead yet speaketh."
Beginning his sermon with the ques-
tion why he should undertake to ad-'
dress such a congregation, he asked,
WAS I upon the stricken field? No.
Around about you are others that I
see today. Were they in the pitched
| battle or the long march? No. Why
should l speak to you. Because mine
is the generation of today; yours is
the generation of yesterday, and Me-
! mortal Day is founded not for you. but
for us. You do not need any Memorial
Day, or service set apart; but we do.
"rhe boys and girls Of few years
past need to stop short and remember
your deeds
ITO fifty voice the sentiments appro-
pirate to a day like this demands an
understanding of and deep sympathy
with the foundation principles Of our
| government"
The speaker graphically described the
scene following the adoption of the
Declaration of Independence He re-
| peated the words of Lincoln. uttered
| in the state convention of Illinois,
This country cannot remain half slave
| and half free and recalled the hour
! when over the wires rushed that aw-
, full word. Rebellion"
Quick as flash the duty Of our
citizens became apparent. Hesitation
We're disastrous. delay fatal
The War of the Union was a vital
necessity. 1t was only when our men
saw the broken sword of Robert E. Lee
and the stars and bars Of the Confed-
eracy lying in defeat and humiliation
! at the feet of Gen. Grant that they
turned their footsteps toward home
sweet home.
About 2s000O of them would never
return. for wrapped in their blood
stained shrouds of gloom they lay life
less on the sacrifcial altar of their
country and they sleep in the soil made
holy by their lifeblood, They went to
! rest on the nations wounded bosom
| May they ever be inshrined in their
| country's love.
"Never before in the history Of war
| fare did two such vast armies face
! each other without the greed of DOM
| ination, accumulation of territory or
| spoilation. Never before did a victori-
| Gus general refuse triumphal entry
into the chief city of the conquered as
| Grant did when he turned away from
| Richmond.
Never will our country celebrate
| the triumphs of that awful conflict
save only in silent thanksgiving that
from that mighty baptism of blood our
nation emerged purer, stronger, fairer
| than ever.
| Freedom, unity liberty and pros
perity are the principal elements of
national splendor that leaves no room
for further ambition. There can be no
liberty without law; there can be no
law without religion, thus it follows
| that we cannot be free people unless
we are religious people. Religion has
brought mankind from the lowest
depths to the loftiest heights
! The speaker paid tributes to WASH
ington and to Lincoln and to the pri-
| vate soldier who carried the musket.
| OF the flag he said: THE flag Of our
country, given to us by Washington
and his men, preserved by Grant and
his men. baptised in the blood Of Lin
coln-dear old flag. We cannot forget
it,
He gave in detail sketch Of Names
part in the war. Maine blood flowed
freely. Names standard was to the
front. Maine was never wounded in
| the back"
Comparing the war Of '61'65 with
the present was in Europe he said Of
the present war; that it is nothing
more nor less than a war of CONNER
cial greed and political Jealousy"
To the Sons Of Veterans he address,
ed few words, drawing attention to
some of the lessons to be drawn from
the great Civil. conflict. He gave sta
tistics; showing the extreme youth of
the Boys of ST. showing that $780,
coo were II years Of age, 250,0G0 were
Is, and 100000 were Is years old
1t is the boys that must save our
institutions today. It is the boys that
IT. 1~