The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1879-06-12
WHOLE NO. 2255.

/ for peace -disheartened Sometimes BY Do
I litiCal complications in the Northern States.
/ thwarted in its plans and 'bahisd in is
I achievements by the machiuations Of poli-
ticians, still, with faith that never vavsr-
{ ed, and a courage that never qua1ed, that
grand army pushed forward and pressed on.
the foe, until, after four loug years Of
arduOus campaigns, their hearts were glad
dened with complete and overwhelming
victory.
1t is sometimes said that, after all our
expenditure Of life and treasure. nothing
was settled by the war; that these noble
men who gave their lives so unselfshIy
have died in vain. But in nv thought
two things were settled by the war, beyond
all controversy and for all time: First,
that this association of States is not a
mere confederation Of independent sove-
reignties, to be dissolved or maintained
at viii, but that tits a NATION, armed
with the power, charged with the duty,
and lmbued with the purpose to conserve
its own life; that it is a Union Of States
bound together by ties that nav not
that shall not be broken The second thing
settled by the war is that, since two op-
posing civilizations eould not permanent
ly exist in this Republic, the survival Of
the httest Is decreed, and hence that the
civilization Of freedom, based upon the
rights Of a common manhood, Is to be the
civilization Of America for ali time 70
come. Aye, the great battle Of a hundred
years, sweeping over the 6rst century Of
the American Republic, closing By the dire
arbitrament of arms, In which a million Of
patriots suffered or bled a battle which,
without this closing, crOwning sacrifice on
our part, would have all been lost; thisgrand
struggle, upon which the civilized world
has looked with interest and wonder. bears
for us to-day these two great fruits:
The triumph Of American Nationality and
the triumph Of Free Civilization. Con
crosses or Senates, Administrations OF
Courts, may try to defeat the fullness or the
permanence of these triumphs. But their
efforts will be temporary and vain. Back of
Congresses and Senates and Courts and Ad-
ministrations Is a power greater than they
all. 1t is 'ithe power behind the throne
1t Is the power that makes Administer
tiOns and Congresses, and unmakes them
with breath. 1t is the power of public
sentiment. II IS the viii of the people,
which, when enlightened by education, in
spired by truth and justice, and expressed
at an unfettered ballOt-bOx, becomes in
deed the very voice Of God. And this
power has Willed the perpetual unity Of
the Republic, and the full and enduring
enfrauchisement Of American manhood.
These truths Of history, this logic Of
passing events, these lessons Of the hour,
I feel we should teach to our children,
along with the sacred memories which We
cherish and brighten here to-day. Ave,
We should ourselves recall the great strug-
gle, its necessity, its purpose, its spirit
and its fruits, that We may the more fully
appreciate the spirit and the worth Of this
most costly sacrifice. Thus our offerings
shall bear q richer fragrance and 8. beauty
more significant, and We shall bow at these
green hillocks with a deeper reverence, Our.
sorrow chastened into sweetness and our
gratitude melted into love. And then, g0-
ing hence, we shall bear with Us something
more OF the spirit Of unselfsh nobleness
which inspired their lives, something high
er OF courage, something deeper Of fsith, to
fit US for our life-wOrk yet unfinished.
rejoice, my friends, that the ceremonies
Of this day-sacred within themselves-rise
so far above party and creed that all our
people may participate in the beautiful,
the thoughtful and heartfelt tribute which
we pay to our fallen heroes. To-day, at
least, we are not partisans, but brothers
all This land il our common home; this
freedom Is cur common heritage, and the
fame and memory Of our patriot mar
tyrs is our common pride and glory. I am
sure that no one appreciates more deeply
a soldiers suffering and sacrifice than one
who himself has been a soldier, and j know
that the living comrades here to-day came
with teeming memories and full hearts, to
offer their deepest homage and their
Warmest love. But this day belongs equal
" to those citizens who we're not in the
army, but who gave their voice and inhJ-
ence and means to sustain the army and
the common cause Of the country. 1t be-
longs 90 the noble women Of the land,
whose hands and hearts and prayers were
with US in the fight, and who suffered for
the country IN blighted hopes and bleed
ing hearts, as no words Of history can tell.
1t belongs to al who to-day enjoy the
blessings of the Government which these
heroic lives we're given to defend.
Let US Join, then, in this tribute Of hOm-
age to patriotism. not in sadness alone, but
with feelings Of grateful pfide-with Joy
that the nation lives, that freedom did not
perish in this land, and with grateful rec
ognition of the heroic sacrifices which
saved Republican institutions and Popu-
lar liberty.
And now, as we gather here to honor
the sleeping dust Of our heroes, as We scat
ter the beautiful flowers over the green
mounds, that they may brighten with
their beauty and sweeten with their per-
tune the silent homes Of our heroic dead,
we seem in the very spiritual presence Of
their chivalrous souls. And yet they are
not here. Only their memory and their
dust remain. They are camping to-day on
the green hills Of Beulah, waiting for the
left of the column to arrive And
we are marching On-maTching on, cheered
by the shouts Of enfFanchised freemen and
the songs Of emaneipated millions We
are marching on, and viii surely soon
reach camp. It seems only a little way
now. We can almost see the tented hills.
And to-day, in our eagerness to greet The
boys. We press To the very bank OF the
river which separates their country from
ours, and shout out over the waters, 'HaiI
Comrades Hail~