Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1869-06-24

luc ClOuuS VI MlSolOu NLoSS, SiOSS-
ed the Alleghenies, the Cumberland,
the Blue Ridge, changed base with
Mcclellan at the Peninsula, marched
to the Sea with Sherman, swept the
Shenandoah with Sheridan, rejoiced
with Grant at Appomatox - men
who fell in the field, died in the hos
pital, wasted in prison, who left
home round checked with the solid
treasures of health, and came back
to die. Uncover these noble forms,
and you can see the sad havoc of
civil-slaughter. You can measure
the iron obligations of patriotism.
You can estimate the heavy cost of
their high devotion to the Union.
Standing by their ashes, softened,
humanized by the glorious stcry of
their heroism, ! fling aside hatred;
I smother malevolence; I blot out
the exasperating recollection of
cruel wrongs to our common coun-
try; I welcome the returning loyal
ty of our misguided enemies, hop
ing the flag, institutions, natin ality
Of this great Republic, that cost such
dear treasures Of youth, manhood,
and courage, may forever be devot-
ed to peace and sacred to the hand
of domestic violence.
In their lives there was nothing
cowardly; in their soldiership there
was nothing dastardly; in their
death nothing ignominious.
When the flames of civil war lit
up the continent, and wrapped this
proud empire Of democracy in their
fiery embrace, they scorned the ad-
monitlons of safety, buckled on the
armor of battle, and moved man
fully to the front of operation. I'm
trained, undisciplined, reputed un-
warlike, the facility of their trans
formation into soldiers excited the
admiration of Europe, and the re-
soluteness of their valor, as demon,
strated in the hour of trial won fol
them golden applause, wherever
heroism is respected.
! Uncompromising in the discharge
of the great primal obligation O.
citizenship, when hope was tht
brightest, when the buoyancy O
youth decked the future with mag
niticent attractions, they laid thei
lives on the altar OF their country
that it might live. They fell tina
the national cause might be success
full. They died that the natiol
might be great, commanding, tri
umphant, unconquerable. You en-
joy the ripe fruit Of their sacrifices
You behold the wonderful culmina
ton Of their deeds. For the grand
eur, magnitude, power, enormou
vitality Of the United States O
America is absolutely built upol
their ashes. That you have Uniol
as solid and durable as the cont
nent it covers-that the stars o
your flag enforce respect in what
ever quarter of the globe they gilt
ter-that you have an opulent com
merce, filling all the profitable path
! Of the ocean; that your interposi
ton in the affairs Of the worl6
whether by way of persuasion o
menace, is of immense weight; tia
you can fling the Alabama treat
proudly back in the face Of Englan
l and authoritatively demand repairs
, ton, not only for private injuries
=. but for injuries to the Nations
Sovereignty; that you can max
Spain quail by glance at Cuba
, that you have been able to span tn
continent by vast frame work {
railroads, claiming together the tw
oceans and devouring the commerc
east and west; that you enjoy th
blessings Of a ripe civilization an
constitutional freedom; of civ
rights, guarded by just laws, of
prosperous domestic TRANQUILITY, {
fire-sides uninvaded by violence
= you owe essentially to your dea
, soldiery. You may be prodigal {
: flowers; you may be unselfish {
tears: you may be loud of eulogy
you may be grateful of remen
9 brance; you may build up NOM
ments on every battlefield; yo
/ may explore tangled thickets fe
s unknown graves, to do honor t
j. unknown heroes; but you owe q
g obligation of reverence to your ga
+ liant dead and debt of gratitude
|, their living comrades you can new
y cancel.
d We have just wreathed the sod I
e our Soldiers who sleep among the
: ancestors. But there are othe
n who returned not. Their ashes si.
nalize undecorated spots. Unco
: fined, unmonumented, unaaged, the