The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-04-08

II will be fifteen years next week since tn
cannon OF treason assaulting TT. Sumter an
nounccd to this nation the presence Of rebel
jous children at her gates, and the grip o
The shameless parric!de at her throat.
II was eleven years last Sabbath since
Richmond. the confederate capital, was cvac
uated by Gen. Lee aud given 10 the flames.
twill be eleven years next Sabbath since
The surrender at Appomattox Court House
Ihe signal for the stacking of arms.
1t will be fourteen years next Thursday and
Friday since Corinth and Shiloh; fifteen
years next week Saturday since Abraham
Lincolns first call for troops, and eleven
years on the sane date, since Abraham Lin.
coin died.
How wildly do these shadowy pictures
emerge from the past on an occasion IKE
4hsi The presence OF veteran men broken IN
health by camp and field, SCARED and manned
IN battle, who stood al the front through all
hose stormy years because death was there,
forces up the memories we fam would bury ;
memories of shameless treason and of bar.
barre war against the government OF law;
var OF unheard of atrocities; memories
which thousands OF our misguided fellow
tOuntrymen in the South seem determined as
ever to keep alive Their shame we wish We
could be permitted to forget or only renem-
Der as tho madness of an hour-the delirium
Of drunken men who have now become sober
after nights debauch. Heaven speed the
DAY when we shall be suffered to forget it.
But this delivered country must never, can
never forge; y0U, and those who by your
side fought and fell. The stroke was
100 great the peril too appalling, the sacr.
Bces too severe. the triumph TOO glorious for
patriotism to ever allow your names or deeds
10 die. thank you for the privilege you
give me tonight TO salute you as representa-
lives OF the Army OF the Cnion-rcpreseata-
nves Of all the living and all the dead.
The war was for the promotion Of tie In
ION, which means first an undivided terrific.
rg And this alone was a noble purpose,
lust glance at the field. The area of this
Republic exceeds 100000 square miles. 1t
j. would make 800 states as large as Vermont
and 60 as large as Illinois, and is ten times
az large IA Great Britain and France com
5ined. With a Eavigable river and ocean
Shoie.llnc OF 10000 miles; with climate
shading from tropical suns to the regions of
eternal snow; with soil adapted TO all vege-
iation, from The orange to the Lapland pine;
With every variety of surface, mountain and
valley undulation, and prairie, all irrigant
gth rill and brook, and river, resonant with
music Of cascade and mountain torrent the
6ieating Of flock and lowing of herd; preg-
IhuN WITH COdlt ollt ltdu, LluC anu COPICl, VIC
precious silver and gold, ana the more pre-.
cious iron, 1t battles the shrewdest ken to
aescry those boundaries OF greatness and
growth on which Is written, as on all things
Unite Thus far shalt thou come and no far
her"
But our contest was for the supremacy Of
Jaw aud the maintenance OF free progressive
Institutions. Ii was resistance to facious
spirit which chaied at the sturdy progress Of
Intelligence, and the doctrine of the equality
If all mcn. There is benefit, there is glory
~ the exhilerdtion and discipline of noble
strife. They who deprccate controversy tor
The right who cry peace when there is no
honorable ground for peace, who sound a
party and mediate terms of surrender or com
promise with sin, are inhabiters OF the wrong
world. They think of harmony as thing OF
gOrds-as II 1t could be decreed in statute
OF established by bargain Harmony in
his world is impossible so long rs good and
evil are striving for the mastery-they must
Sght till one or the other goes down. There
y harmony in Heaven, a unity of love- and
harmony Of certain kind IN IIell-a unity
u hate; bu, between the two there is war and
he field is the world. |
War OF man against man, Of Kingdom
agains, kingdom Is fearful; but nation d.
vIdcd against itself, "a house divided agains
house, il wrestling with ruin. A conflict
begun by caprice, or ambition, or jealousy is
essentially wicked. such WAS not our war
We refused To be divided and fought against
{. We sought not the destruction of our enc
mics for the glory of conquest or for the spoils
Il victory, but 70. the maintenance of the
government. Designing men plotting against
ne nation were seeking Ia destroy it, They
refused to abide the popular wil-refused to
argue, and nothing was left us but to yield or
20 night To ytoh was to PROSTATE the nation
Al the feet OF horde of ruthless despots to
Aurse an asp upon our viials: TO defilc the
graves OF our fathers to turn back Ike tide of
Civilization at its proudest food 1t was to
enthronc sin, to invite and secure and deserve
he contempt of mankind. The idea was I'M.
possible; the country never entertained ii,
but turned az once aud rcsou,ely to the vic.
lenl issue forced upon 1.-THE dread arbitra.
ment OF the sword.
War says John Stuart Mill, "is an ugly
hing but not the ucliest Of things; the de.
caycd and degraded state OF moral and palri.
otto feeling which thinks nothing worth
var is worse. When people are used as
mere human instruments FOR firing cannon
Or Ihrusting bayOnCts, in the service and for
he selfish purposes Of a master such war de.
GRADES "a people. 4 war 20 give victory 10
heir own ideas Of right and good; war To
protect other human beings against tyranny
and injustice, aud which is their own war, car
ned oa for an honest purpose by their free
choice, Is often the means of their rcgencra.
ion. \ man who has nothing which he is
willing 90 fight for, nothing which he cares
more about than his own personal safety, Is
miserable creature who has no chance o;
being free, unless made and kept SO 10y the
exerIons Of better men than himself rs
long AZ justice and injustice have not terni
natcd thar ever renewing tight for ascendency
n the affairs Of mankind, human beings
must DC willing, when need is, 10 do battle
for the one against the oihcr.n Such was
our war Unwillingly for The sirifes sake
but promptly and eagerly for the country
sake, We organized armed resistance 10 irai
!urs IN arms.
But We did not make the war At all. In
iced on our side il was only a movement e
quell an Instruction. IL was legal process
10 bring culpriis TO justice. Every command
or WIS a sheriff, and every army poss,
..sl9ff0fus 90 arrssf and hiring 10 NUM- SHIN. nj