The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1876-06-09
SPEECH wORTH READING
Address or Gen. VVOOdGords OF
II. ". At ArlI.gG0n heIghGs
DecOPARIN n Day. 'TO.

SPEECH VSOkTH READING.
Address or Gen. VV0odEerd. OF
II. ". AZ ArlIagGon heIghGs
Decorate - Day, re.
These heroic dead, in whose
memory we meet, have justly earn
ed The largest praise that living
man may give. But our best hom-
age must be with deeds and not
alone with words and flowers. We
shall pay them fitting honor only
as we ourselves take up and carry
forward the work, which living
they did so well, which dying they
bequathed to their survivors. We
can Justify the sacrifice, which they
so freely offered, only as we our
selves render faithful and unselfish
service TO the state for which they
died. If we weakly fail to use
their great gift well, then for ne
and ours have they sadly died In
vain.
We need not here and now re-
peat the story OF their achievements.
What they 30 grandly did Is not
buried with their dust. It can neY-
err be forgotten, so long as liberty
right and for the right Is hOnored
among men. ..-
While yonder Potomac flows, its
minstrel waves shall sing, In verso
more grand than human lips may
breathe, the epic Of that army, so
many of whose dead sleep here. 81
While yonder capital shall stand,
the statute of freedom, which fifty
crowns its rising dome, shall tell
that when our civil strife had en-.
ded, there was no slave before the
law in all the land.
Nor Is there any need that we
recount the causes of the war in
which our comFades7 fell. If our
fathers erred, a. err they did, In
their oppression of tho weak and
Iowly IL they erred, - err they
did, in compromises Of the right
| for sake of gain, or ease, or power,
this land has suffered long and sore
IIy. Justice weighed the nations
crime. Justice heaped and may
vet heap the scale with tears and
blood aud agony, for no sin of man
or people ever yet escaped, none
ever can escape full penalty. Still
/
mourn above q buried past. "Let
the dead bury their dead" Our du-
ty is in to-day and with the living.
Nor yet among these graves
would we recall even one memory
OF bitterness and anger. With
equal love for what was good In
their common humanity, with
equal forgiveness for what was evil.
Nature folds alike the ashes of 10y
aiist and rebel an the resurrection
robes of her spring-time. flowers
To Judge the living was and still re
mains our duty. TO enforce that
Judgment, even in the last appeal
of battle and against our brothers
was our hard necessity. But at the
grave our feet must pause, for the
sentence of the dead is with God
alone. There speaks NO voice Of
anger from these cold, ashes. So
let there be no wrathful memory
In any heart this day through ali
our borders.
Courage and honor alike require
that we, who by Gods providence
were victors in the strife; should
be freely and absolutely generous
in peace. Courage and honor equal.
lly REQUIRE that they who were beat.
en- should yield manly submission
to the decision of that final tribu-
nal of the sword to which they ap'
pealed. These are plain words
plainly spoken among our dead
Peace, complete peace, peace thai
shall endure, peace from the bone
that shall leave no scar upon the
skin, can come in no other way
Let US heartily remember, let ui
fully own that those whom we
fought were and are our brothers
still--brothers not alone in name
but in blood and in love. We
f0ught them to save our Union
We freed their slaves as oppOrtnni.
ty was given, and were devOutly
glad that thus the way Was opened
to put from them and Us alike thI
ain AID shame and hurt Of slavery
And yet while we remember this
let US as directly say that we would
keep with resolute will and unyield
J ing hand all the results of justice
of liberty, of equal aud fair pla!
, for labor and manhood, that havt
been bought at such terrible cost t.
; north and south alike.
Does any seek this day for an,
cause, to revive the old prejudice o
class and caste and raCe2 He is nj
friend of the Union. Does any seel
this day, for self or partisan sue
cess, to set white against black o
black against white? He is n
> friend of the Union. The man VIII
. this day draws the color line In pol
itics is either traitor, knave or sim
pleton. His place is among tn
: shadows and bats of the past AM
not in the sunlight of the presen
: Does my seek to deny TO loyal com
!. ers in any part of the South fu
: citizenship, complete protectio
!. and hearty welcome because sue
corners wore tho Federal blue i
other DAYS? He is no friend Of th
q Union. Does any seek to tauT
Q loyal subjects of the law and keeI
a ers of the peace, because such wor
|. the gray in days of battle2 He
}. no friend of the Union.
q The land is one and should be {
4 rest. We owe too much and ear
Is and save too little, to waste in pa
l. strlfe hours that are needed #
present labor and present duty.
(. should not be hard for us to dive
i together in full accord. On man
l. fields the ashes of our commC
n dead are mingled. On many fielC
l. the living proved and learned
% respect each the manhood of Il
Il other, All that should be aske
,r all that need be yielded by an
~ each and all sould be swift to of
Z simply obedience to the law,
O. spirit as in letter, with the hone
or performance by every citizen
q his personal duty to the state.
e. Where so-called conservatism b
triumphed at the South there hA'
been too often practical intoleranC
rs practical denial Of personal libers
be practical denial OF popular educ
oil ton, and persistent effort to revi
r old systems under new form
" Where sO.called rAdicalism has ~
N ceeded there have been too Oft
nd official corruption ana much VEN
be ity. One turns in sadness fro
be such partisanship on either 81
90 and asks fer . patriotism of CO
n science, courage and common-sen
as that will neither coerse the ball
Al i0f fha cikfzAn NOR steal the Pavr