The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1917-03-10
burdens of the march through life is

George Rogers CidTh lHIouSA uIIiiiu6-
Unable hardships across the wintry
prairies from Kaskaskia to Vincennes.
Last week I passed by the crumbling
timbers of the old fort and found their
bullets sunken in the logs inside the
embrasures. Some of you men in this
audience were with him in that ter
rible march and daring assault. 1t Is
useless to say that we will never for
get what you have done for us. Cen
eral Clark is now pennileSs and pal
sled cripple in his sisters home. Do
not expect that a republic which has
no rewards for the leader will be less
forgetful of the man in the ranks.
"You have not entered on this DEATH
lessly heroic struggle with the wilder
ness with the expectation of material
reward alone: you have come here
from the old quiet places in Virginia,
in Massachusetts,, in Connecticut, in
Pennsylvania and New Jersey because
you have the fighting spirit in you;
and you stay here because the fighting
spirit stays in you.
"'For which of you, intending to
| build tower, stitch not down first,
and counteth the cost. whether he have
sufficient to finish it?'
"Lest haply, after he hath laid the
| foundation, and is not able to finish it,
all that behold 1t begin to mock him,
"'Saying, This man began to build.
and was not able to finish."'
1.-THE tower that you have begun to
build is an invisible tower: new and
mighty nation. Today you sit down to
count the cost of the building, to see
whether you have sufficient with which
to finish the vast ediflce. What is the
cost? The world watches you, and not
only it's generations of today but those
| unborn generations who will weigh
your work to see whether it was good
or bad. / know that you have counted
the cost and are willing, ready TO pay
it: treasure of sacrifice, treasure
of blood and wounds and dreadful
agonies and bitter tears. But you will
pay it. You will pay it to the utter
most, holding yourselves to the grim
account with iron wills, forcing your
selves on with unconquerable resolve.
mot of you shall it ever be said:
After he hath laid the foundation, and
is not able to finish it, all that behold
it began to mock him.
"'Saying, "This man began to build,
and was not able to finish
sFor the tower which you build is
not built with hands, but with souls.
"'So likewise, whatsoever he be of
you that forsaketh not all that he hath,
he cannot be my disciple.
"'Salt is good: but If the salt have
lost it's SAVIOR, wherewith shall it be
seasoned?'
"An of you know how hard it is to
get salt in this new country-how we
have to haul bushels Of salty earth
from the spots which the red deer of
the forest have discovered, the deer
licks.' You put this salty earth in an
ash hopper, pour water over it and
catch the water in a trough after it
has leaked through the dirt. And then
you boil the salty water down till
there is left little of the precious
mineral with which we can preserve
our meats. You all know how labo-
rious and tiresome process 1t is, and
how much the salt means to the set
tier. How the cattle moo for taste
of it! What would our children dc
without milkl
"We can all understand this manner
of speaking: Salt is good: but If the
salt have lost its SAVIOR, wherewitt
shall it be seasoned?
''That great soldier, Christ, means tt
say that he looks to his followers moi
only to begin great tasks, but to con
tinue in them; for there are no greater
soldiers than the soldiers who fight IL
good cause. The man who stops mid
way In his fight Is like salt that lose:
It's essential quality. There is NJ
longer any reason for its existence
Better not be at all, than to cease from
being strong. For then who Is left tt
give new strength to the salta There
Is no one for you to fall back on-yol
{ have chosen a certain work In life ans
E you must stick 1t out to the end.
II want you to remember thi
i through all the great struggles whicl
5 are left before you. Today we ar
4 waiting, and waiting for the appear
D ance of terrible foe. They may com
: to raise the war-whoop or they ma,
j come in peace. But however they ma,
f come they will find us ready, like tn
i wise king who hath consulted an
d found himself ready to meet the fore
: that cometh against him. For 20
+ have learned to fight the greater strue
l giles of the spirit. You have learned t
/ be. cool, temperate and steady, first 0
r all; and having learned these virtue
e of manliness and pluck and master
= over self, you will add to them the ST
preme virtue of tenacity: to keep, t
It hold, to grip as in a wise the purpos
l. to which you have consecrated YOU
j. selves.
Il "And then, some day, the tower G
IL this new and beautiful nation wi
l. stand as a dream made visible. Th
Is foundations Washington laid, an
e Clark and Harrison have added to; tn
/ - nh, w