Democratic Sentinel, Volume 13, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 June 1889 — INSPIRING SCENES. [ARTICLE]

INSPIRING SCENES.

'Sights and Sounds that Roused Spectators to the Highest Pitch of SentimentA dazzling flash of light liursts from the side of the ponderous warship Chicago ; a cloud of smoke rolls out upon thfc waters, and the boom of her great rifle makes everything tremble. Bang, bang, go the guns from the sides of the sacred old Kearsarge, the same guns that sent the Alabama to the bottom of the sea off Cherbourg harbor, and won for the Kearsarge and those who manned her imperishable, renown. The Yantic and Essex joined their guns in the salute, and suddenly the Boston puts in her great rifled cannon with a shock that almost stuns those nearest to her. The smoke gathers about and nearly conceals the warships, and through it can be seen the lightning-like flash of their guns, and from out of it comes the stunning roar that is echoed back from old Fort Columbus and the sides of Libertystatue. The excitement grows. The bands play with all their might. The crowds of people on board and the tremendous black masses upon the Battery, packing acres with solid humanity: the people covering the tops of buildings ten to fifteen stories high, all join in the mighty acclaim of the cannonade. Men’s souls are stirred to the depths. Patriotic pride in and and love of country mount triumphant in throbbing breasts. One understands, in the tremendous scene he is passing through, how it can be sweet for one’s country to die, though at his dinner amid conversationalities he maysneer or indulgently smile at such a sentiment. 'A man who would laugh at the idea of his possessing any sentiilientality or chivalric ideas of patriotism now feels his heart beating a little faster and his cheeks flushing, and he makes the same pretense of indifference that the man in the theater- does when some pathetic scene puts a lump in Iris tears in his eyes, and he makes a great ado about blowing his nose and pretending to have a cold in his head.

If there is anything in the world the American resents it is the idea that he has any “sentiment” or can be moved by anything in the way of the pathetic. And yet there is no man in the w'orld more tender or sentimental at heart, and, next to the Frenchman, more easily aroused or more emotional. Look about you as the stupendous scene progresses, and you w ill see exemplification of this fact. Near by are two gentlemen with their wives. One gentleman is young and handsome, with a peculiarly distinguished air. Looking at him once in a crowd, you would look back at him. There are very few men for whom Americans will do this. You do not need to look twice to see that he is carried away by the scenes of the moment, and is all wild with enthusiasm as w'hen he, a boy, leaped over the Confederate works at Missionary Ridge. He says, “Are we not a glorious people ?” Near by stands a stern-looking and scarred-faced man. The great scene is moving him. His face flushes as the heavy detonations of the war ships and the cheering and music greet his ear, and the unequaled spectacle pleases his eye. “Superb, superb!” he says; and a moment more he mutters, “Oh, this is glorious!” Just then the sun bursts forth, the heavy diapason of the cannonade increases seemingly in force, and under the irresistible grandeur of the occasion he suddenly turns to his friends and exclaims, “I thank God I am an American citizen.” That was how General Gordon, the famous ex-Confederate soldier, felt about his American citizenship.— F. D. M., in Cincinnati Commercial Gazette.