The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1865-11-09

lamentaton and moarning throughout ali /
parts, Disastrous ss il has been-great as |
have been the affections which the people |
nave been called upen to endure, it has mo-
been without results which may innure to our |
future benefit. Grest problems have been |
solved which a sagacious people will be slow |
| to forget. That the governments possess the
power necessary for its own protection wheth |
er assailed by a foreign power from without
or by the armed combinations OF Its citizens
banded together for its disruption; has bsen
so satisfactorily demonstrated. as to silence |
all doubts of the most skeptioal. Had t6os.
doubts been previously removed our citizens
would have been slow in hazzarding war for
| their resolution; and foreign powers would
have been slow In aiding and abetting cause
which they must have known would culmin-
ate in disaster TO all connected with it. 1t
is further demonstrated that any attempt to
check the ordinary aud onward progress oil
the government even in time of war by strik
ing down its executive head by the eowardly
hand of the assassin, is futile.
The government exists in the people and
not in an individual consequently no sensi-
bic check to its progress is experienced even
though the executive head is removed, so long
as the people are true to the prin cIples upon
| which the government is founded.
Another, and an equally important position
| is demonstrated, that the nation possesses 10
| it's citizen soldiers power not only capable
Of securing respect aud obedience to the laws
by the people at home; but also the respect
and recognition Of our rights by all the ma.
tions of the earth. The citizen soldier has so
! amply demonstrated his right to a place in
the history of the world, that it would be as
difficult 10 find one to challenge that right, as
| it would be to fnd foe presumptuous
| 10 challenge his courage or his patriotism
| The prestige of the name of the citizen SOL
der will give US security at home ana peace
abroad. Hereafter If our peaceful relations
are disturbed We must be the agressors for,
with our acknowledged powers to resist or
assail there will be none to modest or make
US afraid. While monarchial governments
are compelled to force upon the industry of
their respective nations heavy taxes for the
equipment and support of large standing ar
es,-here, in time of peace, there can be
no just or reasonable cause for submitting
! the people to such burdens for the reason
that the people themselves-ths citizen-con-
stitutes the nations strength and may be re-
lied upon whenever its integrity or its honor
| is assaulted.
! To our brave and patriotic soldiers who, in
| the past four years, have so signally honored
! themselves and their country, we owe n debt
of gratitude which time will be too short for
us to lquiiate. They have made of them
selves heroes and patriots. Their noble
deeds will live while history shall last,-cOn
shutting legacy for posterity more precious
than the wealth Of the mines of the Califor-
! Mas. Yet while the nation is dong honor
. to, and pouring out its grateful oystIOns upon
/ the heads of our returning soldiers. we should
not be unmindful that there are those who
will not return until the last great summons
shall awake the dead from their graves
{ Men and youths who, flushed with hope, went
/ forth with high snticipations of the future
. they gave their ives to their cOnntry-they
died that the nation might live. While we
honor the returned patriot-shall we bestoN
no thought paw no tribute, do naught to per
petuate the names of those whose are
/ deaf to our voices. whose voices can no long
mingle with ours? While we are proud -
chronicle the fame of the living, shall we do
nothing to save the memory of the heroic
dead from forgetfuluess? That they will be
cherished and deeply cherished IN many a
bleeding heart | am aware but when that
dies, does all die TIE record of grateful at
lection engraven upon the living tablet is the
most precious but it is mortal. If we would
make that record immortal it must be trans
cribei upon the enduring marble. To do
this am assured there Is no want of willing
ness; but a want Of coOcentrstedness of pur-
pose.
When mutual desire exists among all to
honor difference Of opinion should not drive
them asuuier. If there are those whose
patriotism in the past has not come up 20
your particular standard /; but who are, now
willing to make atonement by doing honor TO
the names Of the departed soldiers,-in the
name Of all that il sacred and noble, let
them.
Where! where if atonement be required,
can 1t better be made than upon the altar of
our cherished, martyred heroes
1t has been suggested that our noble SOL
diers should be the ones to save the names OF
their fellow comrades from forgetiulness. BIZ
causing them to be engraved upon the monu-
mental stone. Sir, those men have returned
to you covered all over with glory. Would
you now have them cover you with shame
and ignomlny by erecting monument which
shall transmit to posterty a record of your
sel6shness and ingIatitude? Let me implore
you, if not by the affection you owe TO our
dead sons, by the respect you owe to your
selves, to forbid it.
To you, fellow farmers, the restoration of
peace must be most grateful, Your education,
your habits, your daily pursuits bringing YOU in
close contrast with nature in all its freshness ;
all things which surround you, animate and in
animate are the mute messengers of the Most
! High preaching peace to man. With you there
should be,-there is, no natural inclination to
| resist the teachings Of those mute voices, or the
unperverted teachings of those monitors within
| your own breasts Interest and duty, well as
\ the teachings of that pure religion revealed by
| God to man induce you 20 cultivate the arts OF
peace. When peace gives way to grim visaged
war, carving devastation and ruin throughout
the land it is your class that chiefly ST ffers Ii
is you and yours that fill up the ranks of the
| armies that are marshalled for deadly combat il
is the fields of the husbandman that are devasta-
Ted and LAID in ruin by the belligerent. hosts-it