The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-05-26
Brief Account OF Sermons
 Preached m Local Churches

, pie of self-determination may occasion ally be wrong According to that prin- | clple, the Confederate states were right, but Gods world plan required a united nation as proven by events of the past | two years.
 Think of William of Orange in the Netherlands against the tyranny of Phil | lip of Spain Of the struggle of Europe against dictatorship of Napoleon. Of long fight by our forefathers for American liberty. Of brave work for freedom or Italy by red-shirted troops of Cara . baldL The struggle of the sos, which nos only freed the negro, but better freed our south from caste system, liberatlng her people for the wonderful achieve
 ments of the past few years and the even greater to follow.
 We honor the heroes who won thls fight for liberty, while, too. we respect
 and admire the men who from Robert E. Lee down to the privates of the old Fourth Alabama fought for what they considered right. The blood of the sons and grandsons of the heroes of the oos has mingled together on the fields or France. The old Fourth Alabama fought side by side with the 69th New Hork. The blue and gray were comingled in the insignia of at least one division-the 29th and we stand as one nation -indivislble' Ntth iiDCitJ anu ,JuoNiSC iOA eNAA.
 'The old memories of strife are still
 there, but as roses and the honeysuckle
 cover the old unsightly stump so the
 flowers of a new sacritice-of new
 national purpose-cover the old memories
 and glorify them and our minds are fXe1
 today on the honors won by our boys a'
 Chateau Thierry, the Champagne ot'
 Mihiel and the Argdnne
 We think of the sufferings, of the
 ri marches through rain and mud the te-
 dious. dangerous hours in the trenches;
 the perilous duty on the listening post
 and in the patrol squad; the fearless
 advance behind the barrage; the charge
 on machine gun nests, with comrades
 falling, bullets whizzing and shells burst
 ing. But they went on and on and broke
 the Hun line, winning for democracy
 for liberty.
 "As we think of their bravery, their
 unselfshness, the hand of the soldier In
 gray would put the flag on the grave
 of the one in blue, while the trembling
 hand of the old soldier in blue puts the
 wreath on the grave of the one in gray
 and together, arm in arm, they go Tn fancy to the shell-torn fields of bFance
 and place a wreath on the graves with the wooden crosses at their heads TO-
 gether they remember those who have re-
 turned, as well as those who would glad fly have gone. Verify man lights TOT freedom. but God gives it.
 I've think of the shell-torn fields of France and Belgium, devastated cites and villages to be restored, orphans to be reared, broken hearts comforted ana
 religious worship re-established. Russia to be quieted and educated. The grasp ing greed of European nations to be
 changed to unselfshness. Armenia ana Syria to be cared for. Unrest in China to
 be turned into right channels. Japan 10
 be given holier aspirations. The natural and spiritual hunger of lndia's millions to
 be satisfied Darkness to he removed from Africa.
 80 America is to be helped \and Mex |ico so helped to education and right think ing that she will be a peaceful instead of riotoVs neighbor. Then the work Tn the homeland. The foreigners, the crowd ed cities the rural districts, the moun-
 taineers, the Indian, the returned soldier,
 all call us to militant service to finish
 the job and stand for real liberty. This
 is what the centenary means.'