National Republican., 1876-10-19
A SOLDIERS LAURELS.
feonfiaxed FROM First Pase.l


the grand central truths that goyernnnents car
exist only by the authority and will Of those who
are TO be the subjects OF government. They
proclaimed this principle in the Declaration, and
they now sought 10 make It q living, tangible
reality. They builded the Government upon the
recognition OF the people as the source Of sove
reign power, upon equslity Of right, upon the re-
cognition of the right Of personal liberty of the
sanctity of the Individual Judgment, the indie.
Iendence Of conscience and free religious wor.
Ship. They swept away with q ruthless hand the
unquestioning dogmas which had so long been
pursed in ignorance and blind superstition, OF
rank, OF caste, Of infalibility and the assumption
of hereditary power, and substituted In their
stead the bread, comprehensive, Just and philo-
sophical principle eofgovernment-that of sovereignty
emanates from the hearts of those who make and
unmake thrones and kingdoms, and who create
principalities and powers and republics. II was
the old conflict between truth and error, liberty
istipg principles of true democracy. The prlnci.
pie was now asserting its sway, of which men had
a dim perception and for which an earnest long
ing, and which had struggled for the mastery,
but without permanent success, at different pc
ri0ds OF human histOry-the recognition Of the
possession Of rights by the people 1t Inspired
royal prerogatives and wrung their charter OF
rights from reluctant king. 1t fired the hearts
of the cavaliers when they charged against the
royal ranks with the Psalm book and the sword
and resOundiDg hallelujsh rising over theclangor
of arms at AIaTston Moor and Naseby. 1t was
the controlling influence with those austere men
who traversed seas to vindicate conscience, and
landing upon wild and forbidding coast, in the
pitiless storm and freezing cold, raised their
voices Of praise to the Most High and made .'the
wild woods ring with the anthem of the free"
Rodger Williams felt its moving power, when,
in the hour Of his extreme anguish, driven out
from the companionship Of his brethren ey their
ciates around Massachusetts, Bay, and striking
into the wilds of the now Rhode Island he un-
furled the banner of the cross and proclaimed the
righteous doctrine of the unfettered sovereignty
of conscience and unrestrained religious faith and
thus planted the germs Of civil and religious free
dom. Though declared In the solitude Of the
primeyal forests far away from the babitation of
civilized men, il was destined to lead onward and
upward to higher civilization and purer Chris
tianity through all the generations of men.
The meaning and logic of the resolution meant
free institutions, free government for free men.
The patriotic men OF l7S7 aimed to incorporate the
doctrines Of the Declaration of Independence into
the organic Law Of the land. 1fthey failed Of the
complete accomplishment Of their purpose II must
be borne in mind that human efforts and human
wisdom may not reach perfect results The
Of government upon q new basis, and the exist
ence Of antagonistic elements may well account
for any imperfections in the work of our fathers.
Their error was in the vain effort TO harmOniEe
the fact OF slavery with the existence OF liberty
The latter can never dwell in unison with the
former. Truth can never affiliate with error
Justice can never associate with Injustice There
can be no compromise with error without sacri-
hce Of right. Thus, In the beginning. there en-
tered into system that which, ifnot eradicated,
would destroy the life of that system. II grew
with our growth and strengthened with our
strength till it came to be the Oveashadowing
power. Finally it was enthr6ned in the National
Congress, it controlled the Executive office and
invaded the sacred precincts Of the judiciary.
But the final conflict between slavery and free
dom could be delayed no longer. They were con-
fronted in array for battle. to be decided by the
bayOnet ald the cannon. The issue Of the ages
was involved in it. The hopes OF millions through
the world were centred in it. The question was
whether liberty should perish from the earth, for
If it failed in this land its night had set in.
The nation raised itself mp to the full conscious
ness of the dread reality of war. The conflict
long threatened had come. The Storm long pend
ing, had burst upon the land. Away in the south
ern sky could be deserted the reddening hue of
The integrity. the power, and the majesty of
the Government were assaulted. The nag went
down before domestic foe, the nation wounded
in the ctadel OF its friends stricken by the hands of
those It had ourished upon its bosom. What
conflict that was to be. 1t WAS no time for reiec-
tion, no time for questioning. no time for com:
struck which was to ring out the triumph of
human freedom, or to sound the knell Of its doom.
The action of the people was instantaneous. They
gave of their flesh they gave of their substance,
they gave of their tire asures without limit. 1t was
the Spontaneous offering, it was the grand upris-
OF the right and inspired with the answering
purpose of maintaining the right.
he bold, defiant attack npon the flag and the
eXultant JOY which filled the South at its fall,
electrified the North and the loyal nation stepped
to the front. The hour of sacrifice had come; the
nation was ready to be offered, none go sublime
since the sublimity Of sacrifice was illustrated in
the offering up of Divinity itself that the race
might not perish.
It sent forth great armies which made the
very earth almost TO rock beneath their tread.
They marched and countermarched, charged and
recharRed, victories were lost and victories were
won. Battles took place and we're repeated again
and again. the like of which, In other lands and
between atoms, would have decided the fate OF
empires The power of Austria succumbed before
he legons Of France and the soldiers Of Italy on
. 1,aE E.nNA A1T AIG AnI
and courage of the Muscovite and the
Cossack yielded to the prowess, and France to
the valor OF England on the fields Of Crimea. and
the conflict terminated. The Empire Of Austria
was again shaken, and TO its very centre by the
finished soldiery Of Prussia on the plains of
SadOwa, and the war ceased. The tri-color of
France went Gown in gloom at Sedan, and the
military power of a nation which made the first
Napoleon possible lay wreck at the feet of the
legions of Germany, and the sounds of war soon
died away.
Conflicts like these were fought in the late re-
bellion, and were duplicated, often upon the Same
day, over near half continent Northern hero
studded with batteries and scanned with rife pits
on the field of Chickasaw Bayou, while at tho
same time the same Northern heroism was con-
testing the ground; step by step, with the Con.
River. Over thirty thousand Of the enemy sur
rendered to the Army of the Tennessee under
on hs waT r ,Sa O sha
under the dsminiOn of the Union flag to the sea,
while at the same time the Army of the PotO-
mac stopped the further advance Of the invading
burg. and drove them back across the Potomac.
Thus the conflict was drawn out through years,
and through the East, the West, and the South
the canonade of battle came to be like unto fami-
liar thing. The land became land of sorrow,
the nation a nation of ulourners, for death LEFT
vacant place around almost every hearthstOne.
But 10, a light was breaking: behind the clouds
there was shining face which would ere long
illumine the whole land with the eternal sunlight
Of liberty.
Through all this time, alternating with
hopes and with fears, there was in the hearts of
the people an ever-abiding faith CT n triumphant
issue. Through the darkness and gloon OF those
engagement could shake and no disaster could
qucnch. They trustingiy looked forward for the
lifting of the clouds that they might see the bow
Of peace beyond. This mistaken faith of the peo-
pie gave us the victory and slavery went down
before the rcsstless charge of the soldiers of
liberty to be blotted out from the face of the land
The Southern Confederacy was sustained by all
that human effort, human skill. and human cour-
age could accomplish, but it was not to be.
Such was the answer back to the assaults of
It's enemies from an imperiled nation. All that
was noble and good in life, all the hopes of the
present. all the trust in the future of enlight-
ened progress and benehcent civilization, all the
treasures gathered up through eighty five years
Of independent nationality, all the sacred
memories of the Revolutionary era, al the
glories Of the past and the hope OF glories
rmph Of free institutions for the government.
Df men were concentrated in one whelming re-
'ponse, which gave life and power to the memoir
able words of a former President years before,
The Union, il must and shall be preserved"
This sentiment was the law of life to the citizen
md the soldier. No matter the haZarl, no mat
Ter the cost, no matter the years, the Union must
remain unbroken and perpetual. 1t was born OF
he sacrifices OF the Revolution lit was hallOWed
by the blood of its heroes; il shall be kept sacred
lOw and foreVer and foreusr.
The services OF the soldiers in the late war have
been too soon forgotten-the bless
ngs obtained, the instrumentalities little remen-
DeTed. This should not be. To these men is due
charge. The sacrifices endured by them at the
iemand Of their country were beyond price
when they surrendered the most sacred ties of
life for the time, and broke the peace OF happy
homes into which the shadows entered, and from
many. too many, never TO depart. How the reool-
ections or those early days Of the war come well
ng up through the shadowy alsles Of memory
from the long, long ago, to remind us of patriot
sm, OF devotion, of sacrifice tried in the furnace
of IRE. The pressing call, the hasty preparation,
The sad parting, the sudden departure. The
company is forming in the viliage-the
citizen is living in his quiet
home in the vale with his earthly treas
decides for HIS country. The company marches
along; the hour Of departure has come: his hearts
IDOLS cling TO him down tho walk I 0 the gate; the
parting word must be said: the last farewell must
he uttered; IL may be for years and IL may be for
sver. 1t is rhe hour of supreme trial. The loves,
The hopes, the Joys and the sorrows of life are
,eniered in that one heart struggle. Resting in
him. who 10 the life Of her life, 20; and yet. and
yet the fre from off heavens altar burns brightly
IN her soul when she eIcaIms, tMy country be
lore me. he moves away; then turning back