The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-06-13


lie and private contributions like water;
who organized relief associations, and
Sanitary ind Christian Commissions such
rs the world never saw before; who led
the soldiers gladly and bounteously as
they passed from point To point through
the country; who mingled blessings on
the flag with prayers for their loved ones
each morning and evening; who endured
CONSUMPTION and taxation; and who,
higher and more wonderful than every
thing else in the history Of the struggle,
amidst all their long deferred hopes Tor
military success, and amidst all their family
Affections, turned dcafCar tOall appeals "
their fears and their selC.interests, and per
sistcntly sustaining the prosecution OF the
war refused TO compromise tho result
short OF its grand ConSummRtiOn.
But this is not all. How can any one
in IL summary like this omit to allude to
the moral hcrOism Of this nation as It was
displayed in reference to the great issues
growing out Of tho war? 1t Is the histO-
rian Gibbon, If am not mistaken, who
relates an incident that occurs to me in
this connection, and that, to my mind ut
least, Is something Of an illustration oil
our national situation in reference TO that
one ovcshadowing issue ut tho outbreak
of the war. That issue that, like Achilles
wrath, was the direful spring Of woes un-
numbcredtO this country. The Roman
soldiers, in one Of their foreign campaigns,
marched into city whose tutelar divinity
was Il hideous idol. Notwithstanding
every person in that city could sec how
hideOus ii was, and notwithstanding they
knew that it was monster Of their own
creation, yet in the abjCCtncss of their
mental and moral qualification, they hAd
invested 1t with certain extraordinary
and awe.Inspiring powers and propensi-
ties. No one dared TO lay hands upon it
for fear Of some terrible calamity. They
scarcely dared TO go into. its presence.
Hence, when the Roman soldiers entered
the gates of tho city, bearing ut the head
Of their columns the victorious eagles OF
their greater and less superstitious nation,
these dcludGd people were solicitous US to
what should become Of their hidcous idol;
never daring 10 hope that this invasion was
their opportunity TO be delivered from the
terrorism which its presence had exercised
over their lives. No wonder therefore
that they were hOrTor-strickcn to sec one
of these Roman soldiers mount up beside
their idol and lay his prOtane hands upon
its sacred proportions. But they stood
aghast and shriGked with terror when
they saw him swing his battle TX, and
with one sturdy blow from his stalwart
arm crash the blade right through the
monsters skull. For amOment they stood
breathIcss and expcctant, awaiting the
terrible consequences that everybody had
always said would follow an indiguity to
their idol. But the earth did not open,
the walls of the city did not fall down,
and all nature held on its course the same
rs ever. Then 1t was, seeing that none of
their fears were realized, that first to their
surprise, next to their satisfaction, and
finally TO their great joy and congrItula'
ton, they were delivered from degrading
bondage 10 an idol. At lust they realized
that they were lreOmen. And SO it was,
nv fell0w.Citizens, in reference to that
great idol that was so hideous, and that
was the cause Of so many threats, so many
fears, so many eeremorselCss GXaCtlons, 30
so many humiliations 10 the American
people in former days. Thank Heaven we
did not hive TO wait for foreign lnva-
sion to dOlivcr us from its bondage. Twas
YOUR strong arms, soldiers Of the Grand
Army of the Republic, that swung the
battle AK that struck the delivering blow.
You freed yourselves, you freed the na-
tim vou freed mankind from that body of
death, One of the maXims Of Greece was
10 know m opportunity and improve it.
America knew hers and imprOvedit. She
stool by you and sustained the blow you
struck. And to-day the great heart Of
humanity swclls with gratitude to you and
the nation. They rejoice Mt that great
victory over OursGlveS-over all moral
timidily and mCrcenary hesitation. Men
now say tall hail" 10 "thc land Of the free
and the home of the brave who never
said it before, because they can now say 1t
sincerely and truthGully. They can now
recognize that tho stone that the builders
rejected, and tho rejection of.whicl SO
nearly cost us the fall Of tho whole editicG,
has ut last and forever become the head OF
the corner. They can now sec that the
theory and practice Of this government,
its Declaration of Independence anil its
national constitution, are no longer In con-
iliCt. -,
This then, Gcllow.Citizcns, il We would
only lit up our eyes and see it ..-
"ls the glad day so long fOrSt0ld,
The bright morn WHOSE carly twilight
Our fathers saw in days Of old" .... .
"Blcst and thrice hest the ROman
Who secs Rome's brightest day, ....,.
Who secs that long victorious pomp
Wind down the Sacred Way,
And through the believing Forum,
And round the Suppliants Grove,
Up to the everlasting gates
IOf CapitOlian JOve.
But, fellow. citizens, while we can all re-
ioicc to-day in the liberty whercwitll we
have been made free, let me ask you
whether YOU have ever cndcavoretl to
quicken and hcighten your appreciation
Of the happy results that were secured to
you by the blood Of those You honor here
Today, by thinking TO yourselves what
might have been our situation ut this time
Ind the result OF the war been different
had the rebellion been successful. Men
have tried to imagine what might have
been the consequence to the world sup
posing that Hannibal. the Carthagcnian
general, had pushed his army vigorously
against Rome after the battle Of Canine.
Also as 10 what would probably have re-
suited to mankind had William Of Orange
been unsuccessful against JaInes OF Eng
land, Or, rs to what might have been the
future Of Europe, and tho human race, il
Napoleon had beaten his allied foes at
Waterloo Or, rs to what wonld have
been the destiny Of this country supposng
the colonists had been unable to achieve
their independence. Who can tell the con
SEQUENCES to mankind Of n different result
in any OF these great issuesY Their pos
sibiliiics, like the contents OF the lost books
Of Liyy, will ever be source Of exhaust
-. a., cphpInrl Rnt iLpV