The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1869-04-10
Speech of Hon. Il. A. SlOrrS,
OF Chicago, at the dedication of the
Rock Island County Soldiers
Monument, April 9th, 1890.

Tor 10. us4'Ca'eu W ~, DAY, the fourth al
NJ on this ausPicions APdfder Of Lees army q
hiVersary Of ,ne House; impressed wit
ID" AipomAttoA ~ for the memory of thOs
in TeYereHjia' I'g, IN whose honor this mont
y's departed "FCesc.ed, gaze upon it, hail al
NJ H'H' ""' The significance Of this ccremt
-, sI Toes not come altogether nor chief
G'U the fact that we commemorate the pt
"' Jiriofic virtues Of those whose names ar
" inscribed on the base Of this moument; no
j. it for that alone that the monument il
dedicated. AZ noble AS were their lives a.
glorious as were their deaths; the great
cause for which thoy sacrificed their lives
and willingly met death is noDIeF ana more
glorious still, for great cause ehhobIeS HIN
who espOuse5 it, The commonest iarme
bow who brayed the perils OF battle and
willingly met death that this nation might
live nenetrated by the influences and spiri
of the nation for which he died, has changed
and. / might almost say, lifted him
self above all that he or we would
ever have dreamed Of the capacities
| Of his nature. For it is wonder
ful how, when once inspired with the feeling
Of genuine patriotic devotion, the ordinary
nature becomes transformed into something
a., ,t,t.lr, III. ~ I..I.r ,n1 lG.4 .. =.
h;aLa. 'o','' ,a, at..II ."ar ba'o con
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'i'g'' "'.' .'' mo o.t;, NV .''','' ',9
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ever ,'D,' '"'! '"'-". u' ], WIS i"'"'' 'ue
R'nnu '1'n uP"" ""i'H h's "a''o" was
O"''d'u' H' 7N" "'"' 'An' nh''o" WIS 'he
incarnation OF sP'It OF sy't4oVernmeh'i
thAt II was tho s"cFe1 repository OF human
equah'y ana freedom H' saw 100 mat II
mat nation died a'ter hH'int gone mus lar
10 tehIlihR the success Oh the maEhihcent
experiment OF scIi.Eo'erhHeht on TINS con
tIneht, the IDEAS themselves died out from
among the nations, ana the CLOCK OF human
Advancement was set BACK Tor centuries OF
time. 10 these ideas, thus vital to the in
terests OF humanity everywhere, and tor all
ages to come, as well A. 10 their heroic de.
tenders from Rock Island county, who died
that they might be obtained, do we dedicate
tins monument Itls to these ideas, thus
rescued from the PROCLAMATION OF rebel
hands that our nation owes all the glory Of
Its past and ell the hope Of iis future
10 these ideas DO We not only dedicate the
monument but ourselves. The capacity Of
man for selfg0vernmcut as political prin-
ciple found its first distinct emphatic.
practical cnuncIation on this continent Up
on 1t the structure OF our government il
rested. Upon faithful adherence to it de.
ponds the pcrmaueucy Of that structure. 1t
| IL this principle which crystRLzed, within
the limit of this republic, about itself all
| peoples aud all tongues. 1t has brought to
these fruitful heid5 earnest men and earnest
women from every quarter Of the
globe who, with high purpose and
strong hnnds, have, within one genera
ton OF time, carved out magnificent em-
| pre-, the glorious future OF winch no I'M
| hWnaion dare essay 70 portray. II has
brought US here from the helds OF LeXinE.
| ton and Concord, where the hrst shot Of the
farmer soldier was fired in the revolution
| n shot that Was heard all round the globe
| We are here from the shadows Of tho old
| South Church, baptized as it has been in
the waters OF religious faith, We are
hear from the old Empire state, with lts col
| io9sal commerce so extended than its sails
whl'en every sea aud its hbro5 are intcr.nc.
ct with the fate OF kingdoms, We are hear
from the home, for generations, OF the poet,
the philosopher and the scholar, From the
heIds OF Germany, with whose sons patriotic
| united Hermhny ioiIo"s closely upon the
successful achievements here OF IN.
tied republic coming hither no question
Is asked from whence we come nor how
inueh OF wealth we pri1g' me question Is:
ohat cGt you 10 I ana ho'G "'t. ca" yoH
~ ~ Inc injunction then $50 a, an"
me 0eSt you can Ana mus with THIS I'M
restricted freedom OF sell development
great nation mas beeH MADE because the
men ana women OF mat nation hAYe made
themselves great IhHt this freedom ct sell
development ana iIhploFemeht should con
tihue IL the future as II h"d obtained IN the
past, our soIdIers maintained II IN ne ne " I,
they dedi" "t"% i in,'' 9It I 70 IT, 10 'ha'
ioF "hlch 'hey ueu'oa'eu 'nelf '''GS VIC uyu'
cate inns monument ana ourselves purse, We, our
duties are mol ehGeI' our responsiveness are
not discharEed' me aeD' We owe Tue Pet.
rouc ueau IS not P"'1 mercy "neB 'A'S
imposing III, cerehoh'hI "h"I' nave passed. away
ne FeoeIlon Whlch our armies cFusheu "aS
the outgroW'h OF PoIlcai hereies directly at
war with the principles upon which our ma
ton rested. This war had ragged long be-
fore it famed out into actual battle. 1t rag |
ed for years in the forum, upon the stump, |
through the press and in legislative halls |
Meeting with no final success in either Of
these fields of warfare, the enemies of the
nation transferred it 10 the field.
The wager Of the battle il the final test
Its results admit of no revisions. From it
there is no appeal They that take the |