Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-05-30

While yonder Capitol shall stand. the
statue OF freedom, which ftly crowns It's rls
ing dome, shall tell that when our civil strife
in all the land.
Nor is there any need that we recount the
| fell. II our fathers erred, as err they did, In
| their oppression OF the weak and iowIy; II
they they erred, as r,e err they did, In compro-
ease, or power, this land has suffered long and
sorely. Justice weighed the nations crime.
Justice sa heaPed and ny yet may heap the ssae
of n an or people ever yet escaped, none ever
| can escape full penalty. Still, 1t is no part
| past. LET the dead bury their dead" Our
| duty Is in today, and with the living.
Nor yet among these graves would we re
anger. With equal love for what was good
| In their common humanity. with equal for
| givertss for what was evil, Nature folds
| alike the ashes of loyalist and rebel in her
| resurrection robes of the spring time flowers
| To judge the living was and still remains our
| GUY. To enforce that judgment, even in the
| last ape cal OF battle and against our broth.
| ers 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 wrsthful memory in any
heart this day through all 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
ly require that they who were beaten should
yield manly submission TO the decision of
that final tribunal OF the sword to which
they appealed. These are plain words
plainly spoken among our dead. Peace,
complete peace, peace that 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 us 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 fought
them to save our Union. We freed their
slaves as opportunity was given, ard were
devoutly glad that thus the way was opened
to put from them and us alike the sin and
shame and hurt of slavery. And vet while
we rememb Der this, let us as directly say that
we would keep with resolute will and I'M
yielding hand all the results of Justice of
liberty, OF equal and fair play for labor aud
manhood, that have been bought at such
terrible cost to North and South alike.
Does any seek this day for any cause, to
revive the old prejudice of class and caste
and race? He is no friend of the Union. Does
any seek this day, for self or partisan sue
cess, TO Eet white against black or black
against white? He is no friend of the Union
Inc man who this day draws the color line
In politics Is either traitor, knave, or sim
pletoD. His place is among the shadows and
bats OF the past, and not in the sunlight of
The present. Does any seek to deny to loyal
corners in any part OF the South full citizen
ship, complete protection, and hearty well
come because such corners wore the federal
blue In other days? He is no friend Of the
Union. Does any seek to taunt loyal sub
jects OF the law and keepers OF the peace be-
cause such wore the gray in days Of battle?
He is DO friend of the Union.
The land is one and should be at rest We
owe too much and earn and save too little
10 waste In past strife hours that are needed
Tor present labor and present duty. Ii should
not De hard for us to dwell together in full
accord. On many fields the ashes of our
common dead are mingled. On many fields
the living proved and learned TO respect each
be asked, all that need be yielded by any.
each and all should be swift 10 offer-simpIy
obedience TO the law, in spirit as In letter,
w1i9 Of fhe honest by every c
Where so-called conservatism has tri-
umpbed at the south there have been too
often practical intolerance, practical denial
OF personal liberty, practical denial of popu-
lar education, and persistent effort TO revive
old systems under new forms. Where So
called radlcalism has succeeded there have
been too often official corruption aud much
yenality. One turns In sadness from such
partisanship on either side and asks for a
patriotism Of conscience, courage and com.
mon sense, that will neither coerce the bal
lot OF the citizen nor steal the revenue OF the
state; that will deal with white and black
alike in the great but rare wisdom OF simple
Justice; that Will seek TO perform each pub
Tic trust with brave fidelity and Intelligent
honesty.
Not alone upon others, but equally upon
ourselves, this hour lays its Injunction. Let
no man feel, as he turns from this memorial
meeting and goes back to his daily living
that he can safely or justly neglect the per
cal duty. Let no man feel that he can alb.
sent himself from caucus and convention,
and then, when bad men have foisted their
vidual responsibility upon that party and
blindly follow its leaders and support its
Candidates. Let no man feel that he can stay
away from the polls and be guiltless if bad
men wriggle their way into places of power
and trust.
II there be truth in the charge, so freely
made, that partisan morality is low In both
the great organizations OF our day, then the
fault Is yours and mine. Ours is the shame
for ours has been and is the power to cure
such wrong. II lingering paralysis still
deadens our industries and checks our re-
vivtDg trade and commerce, then with u.s.
the people, rests large share OF blame, for we
nave not insisted that in national affairs
the same laws OF common honesty should
prevail that rule in our daily dealings be
tween man and man.
If our methods Of the public civil service
still continue to be helps to partisan control
rather than means for the prompt, economi-
cal and effcient performance o. public duty,
1t is simply and mainly because we, the
people, have either deliberately preferred
that this should be SO, or have indolentIy
neglected practical efforts towards establish
ness principles and usages the factory and
the counting room. Whenever we, the peo-
pie, pledge our candidates for Congress and
the Senate to neither ask nor recommend
appointments, and whenever we, the people,
ourselves CT ase TO torment our representa-
tives and senators to secure positions for US,
tempts to control official patronage. But so
long as we, the people, insist upon being re
warded by political place for our political
service, fear that we shall not change the
system which we ourselves practically in
sist upon perpetuating. Trees usually grow
from the roots up; and not from the top
downward.
Any failure to have good government
under our system is as much our fault as
that OF our rulers. Nay, 1t is mainly our
fault. For with us lies the final power.
When we deliberately resolve, they must
either execute or purpose, or give place to
such as will.
This is the lesson would press home this
day upon each brain and conscience-the
person al performance by each citizen OF his
Individual duty TO the state.
We stand In the centennial time OF the
republic. The good deeds, the brave deeds of
many true men have made this year possi-
BILE. Broad and full harvest fields lie before
us. Are we wise enough, faithful enough,
unselfish enough to cross the river and enter
the promised land?
To us, to all, these dead speak as living
men may not Let US heed their teaching
Let us here and now, as al affairs OF sacrifice,
dedicate ourselves anew TO the duties OF our
citizenship. Thus shall we turn back to our
daily living, better, more hopeful, more res
Olute because we have been her In scatfar