The Portland daily press., 1868-11-07
The Two Fold Victory.

Mr.. George William Curtis, in his recent
oratiCn at the unveiling OF the Sedgewck
statue, stated the moral value of the re-
s.ts of victory over Rebellion in the follow
ing eloquent terms: ..
What was the vctory9 1t was two-fold.
First it was The revelation OF an oyerpower-
ing national instinct as the foundation of the
Union. 1t dissipated old theories. 1t inter-
preted the Constitution. Plan. a homose-
neous people under one Government along
the coast OF a virgin continent; let
them gradually overspread IL to the farther
sea, speaking the same language, virtually OF
the same religious faith, intermarrying and
cherishing common heroic traditions. Sup
pose them sweeping from end to end OF their
vast domains without passports; the physical
perils OF their increasing extent constantly
modified by science; steam and the telegraph
making Maine and Oregon neighbors-their
trade enormous, their prosperity G miracle,
their commonwealth OF unsurpassed power
and importance In the world, and YOU NAV
theorize Of divided sovereignty as you will
but you have supposed an imperial nation
which may indeed be a power OF evil as we
as OF good, but which,, until it is fatally de
mOraiized, can no more recede to its original
elements and local sources, than this abound
ing river, pouring broad and resistless to the
sea can turn backward to the petty forest
springs and rills from whence it flows.
"No, no" murmurs the exultant river.
when you can take the blue out of the sky
when you can steal heat from fire. when you
can strip splendor from the morning, then
and not before may you reclaim your sepa-
rate drops in me-" "Yes, yes, my river, an
swered the Union, "You speak for me, I am
no more child, but man no longer con-
iederacy, but a nation. The States are the
members; am the body. am no more New
York, Virginia, Massachusetts, Carolina, /
am the United States Of America, one and
indivisible." Amen, roar Vicksburg. GettvS-
burg AM Port RUyal. Amen thunders tbe
Kearsarge as she sinks the Alabama. Amen
slrgs Sherman as he marches TO the sea-
amen, says Sedgwick, as he sinks dead at
Spottsyl'anla. But the victory was more than
that. A great nation may be great curse 10
humanity. Aninperial flag may be black Nag
OF injustice. Ii is not great power, 1t IS the
great use Of power that is admirable. Inc
true triumph of the war is not that the Union
shall be an undlVdea Po"s1 " justice anu
eonalitv. OF the two forces that from the first
havo stynGqled Tor its control, the evil prinei-
nis f;ndinn that by all the laws OF heaven and
r. bnman welfare, it was failing, sought IN
min what it could MT rule. Bafled in its
bloody effort, let us now take care with
malice toward none, with charity for all. that
Ii be batfled forever. But this can be done
only By ceaselNss activity. Eternal vigilance
is the price OF liberty, because its foe is as
crafty as it is cruel.
Beaten in one form it will try another. The
magician who was tiger yesterday will be
OK to-day. Sedgwick died to preserve the In
tegiity of the Union. We live that we may
preserve its justice. From the three hundred
Thousand who see not this peaceful autumn
sun, from field and liver, from mount and sea
from the blow IN the streets of Baltimore,
ircm the torture and despair OF Anderson
vile, from Fort Wagner and Fort Pillow, from
all your heroic fields, men OF the Sixth Corps,