The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1864-07-02

Sumner, brave, honest chivalrous yete
ran, of more than half a centurys service
who had confronted death unAnchngly
on scores Of battle-felds, had shown his
gray head, serene and cheerful, where
, death most reveled, who more than once
told me that he believed and hoped that
his long career would end amid the din
of battle. He died at home from effects
of the hardships Of the leadership OF his
campaigns That most excellent s. ldier,
the elegant G. F. Smith, whom many Of US
remember to have seen so often on this
very plain, with his superb bearing, es,
capped the bullet to fall victim to the
disease which has deprived the army of
so many of its best soldiers. John Buford,
cool and intrepid; Mitchell, eminent in
science; Palmer and many other officers
have lost their lives by sickness contracted
in the field. But | cannot close this long
list of glorious martyrs without paying a
sacred debt of official duty and personal
friendship. There is one dead soldier who
possessed peculiar claims upon my graft
tude; he was an ardent patriot, an un-
| selfish man, true soldier, the beau cal
Of staff otiicer-he was my AID de Camp,
/ Coz. Colburn. There is lesson TO be
I drawn from the death and services ofthese
glorious men, which We should read fer
!
/ ton.
/ War IN these modern days is a science,
and Il should now appear 10 the most
preiudced that in the organization and
( aErning of armies, and the high cembua-
/ ton o. strategy, perfect familiarity with
I the theoretical science OF war ls requisite.
/ 10 count upon success when the plans or
/ execution et a ign are intrustsd to
men who have no knowledge OF war IS as
/ IDLE As 10 expect the legal wisdom Of =
/ Story or 4 Kent from a Skillfu. physician.
! But what IS the honorable and holy
cause for which these men have laid down
their lives and for which the nation still
demands the sacrifice 0! the precious blood
OF her children
Soon after the Close OF the Revolutionary
war, it was found that the contederacy
which had grown up during that incIeor-
able contest was falling 10 pieces from lis
own weight. The central power wa. too
weak 1t could recommend to the differ
eat States such measures as seemed best,
and it possessed no real power 10 lesislate,
because il lacked the exc pt.Ye force 10
cempe! obedience 10 lis laws The na
tonal credit and self res pect had G.ssap-
peSred, and it was feared BY the friends Of
human liberty throughout the world that I
ouIs was but another added to the !ous /!
list Of irUiilcss attempts at se.!-gOVeru- /
nent. The nation MAS evidently on the .
brink Of ,uin and dissolution when, some
eighty years 90. many OF the se=t and +
most patriotic Of the land met to seek a
remedy Tor the great evils which threat
ened 10 destroy the great work Q! the
revolution Their sessions we're !org and
often stormy ;"r time the most san-
guine doubted the possibility o. a asuccess-
iuI termination OF theF 4-ooTs. butiFon
aM.dst lAa cohAict oil secloh&! interests
O. party PFrlua.cr ma oil persona! Se.r'h,
ness the S+!!1t OF ".sstolh al zen eih evoked
th- constitution n"def ~Hich we nave
tiYed 80 iong ~ was not i2rmed IN ,i,i a day
r. y:s,lar, e,J cf ,li. ,,,Ir9e. ,,a+r:ct
:, - -, a.i,,-.aL -, a.ao,,r,
of al IE. S,s.es-aI;t1I,rh Nv SOM ra-
I,,..s,,tIv-no, o.. IN, sv,ctIv wbat ali f.
desired .ut li,e hss. 1o,sibIe under the
circumstances
1t was accented IS giving US form Of
oryerrr,eDt lio.ler i,5.L th,. nation, lo;,bt +
live han,,,y and rr5suer. so lsnr as the .
,ao,,le sLo,,rG continue - lie Influenced
by the same sentiments which actua,es; .
,hosewI,o formed il. and which would .
not b, I5,llc :, destruction from ,Dterng! f.
causes. 50 lonr rs the p.or.la preserved /.
the r.coIl.ciirp of the uiise,;es and cal .
ar,Itfas ,,L;cb isa f., - a,lant:or E-nIer
this beneficial constitution the rresress Of (
thepatjon was UNSURPASSED in hist9rv.-
The ricb.s and liberties of It's citizens wer.. :
secured A. home and abroad. vast .erz'-'
tories were rescued from the cent u
tu,. savage and the Wild beasts asd ADDED (
to the domain of the Union and civi,iza, /
ton 1ha arts the sciences. and CONS (
n,erca cre,v arace. our Har hea:ed Uoon /
- -. IL - p,,,unLar
r. ..,,ao,I ..--r,.. ,r T,ros,,ri,,, ,,rar
,rh;,b 80, ,,I;IS<i s,vif,1r I'll on ,ka e,.Is
-, haco-a r. .,,r,,,,,,,,,- Lr.a,, dan,e,ou.
,osfs ,-ara LidJsn Viii, now AMI tb.n
caused rir,Ia. uron Tho snrr,ce and made /
an~;ous ,ta ,,or. csraT,l ,iIo,s Flatad
~, s,,coas. ,bs lin vent oI1-,be crc,y not
laalI;,,r r. ,-or,,ire e,s ,bo,- ,ocaivaJ fo..
- =. .ls, SarlasS eaos,a'i ., 80 Ta-
ss ~ ~ LII - -
6;daa,,s ,,asistror,, &c bich oa,ad - rsceiye
them The same elements Of discord /
sectional prejudice. Interests and instltu- /
tions which had rendered the formation I
of the constitution SO difficult, threatened /
more than once to destroy it. Bat for q .
long time the nation was 80 fortunate as TO /
possess a series of political leaders, who |
to the highest abilities. united the same |
spirit of conciiation which animated the |
founders OF this republic, and thus for /
many Years the threatened evils were
averted. Time, and the long continuance ,
of good fortune, oLliterateel the recollec-
ton Of the calamities Of wears preceding
the adoption of the constitution. They /
forgot that cancellation, common interests, /
and mutual charity had been tbs founda> |
,i,, o,d ,rnst ba tho sunnort of eur GOV. /
.,,,. - ~ H. 0ra,i.ps Of I;r, A.
lenctb men a,neared with abuse. sectional /
and nersonoi preiudicss and interests
outveighinc oil considerations cf general |