Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1879-09-11

his soul, through that long struggle,
some inspiring, grand ideal of his coun-
try's destiny. The lIIXurieS had enfeebled,
and the properties of traffic has be-
guiled us into false patriotism. built up
too much on pride in material greatness
on commerce, art, railroads, luXurleS,
SplendOr, wealth, an ariStOcratic SnOb-
berry and costly grandeurS. In the aw-
full ordeal of that bloody baptism, the
spirit of our whole people was kin
died and lifted up, and thus it was
our patriotism became SO all-pervading
and SO OmnipOtent. A great purpose
like this exalts a man or a nation, and
ennobles every one who takes part in it.
EVERY REAL SOLDIER
knows that when a man stands ready to
give up his life, he is not apt to be mean
and stingy about anything else. How
f'Often have you seen this illustrated by
some brave, generous cOmrade, who
sleeps now in dreamless glory, and as
you remember him you long, know,
'sFor q touch of the vanished hand,
And sound OF the voice that is still.
And thus in these happy reunions new
friendships are formed, old ones are re-
vived and cemented, loyal sentiments
are fOstered, generous purposes aroused,
high aims awakened and patriotism itself
exalted. pity the American-unwOrthy
of the name-who can look upon this
impressive grandeur as an idle pageant.
1t is not here the bitterness of the
past is revived. The brave are always
generous. The soldier asks no revenges.
But for their cause and their country,
~ Iofo - h.
Union justly demand, and will always
demand, the full and absolute recOgni
tion of the impregnable truth that they
were right, and their enemies were
wrong. Our nation can live only on
this foundation. 1t can stand secure
only on this rock. No nation in all his
tory has ever attempted to live an hour
on any other basis. We will agree that
the battered shields shall be hung up
side by side as trophies of a common val
or, but we will never, never agree that
the unmatched defense of our cOuntry's
| life shall ever be written down as other
than as everlasting right. Right in pa
| triOtism and right in eternal justice.
This, thousand fold more than success,
| is the crown and diadem of our glory.
No, our heroes did not die in vain, nor
in unholy sacrifice. Patriotism is better
than treason. Justice is higher than
victory.
80 riddled banners. o rusted guns
Your grandeur mantles in endless shining;
Because wherever our empire runs
Manhood and liberty runs intertwining."
THE NOBLE WOMEN
in this brilliant presence could not for
| f,,iI T ,1yoTI6 fn oraoia1Ixr
nize the patriotic and unfaltering devO-
ton of the noble women of our country.
] The success, the munifieence and the
splendor of the Reunion itself is largely
by the aid of the ladies of Jefferson
county. And so in behalf and in their
name, tender again to every soldier,
and to every stranger their cordial and
heartfelt welcome. A great author has
we'll said, There is no nation that can
punish-there are no institutions that
can be destrOyed-if the patriotism of
man be as true and sincere as the silent
loyalty of wOman's mercy and affection" +"
How abundantly this was atteSted du-
ring our great conflict. How grandly
was wOman's silent loyalty" exalted in
to self-forgetting herOism. Every SOL
dier here to-day who has soul big
enough to make some woman love him,
and a true soldier always has, for ''the
bravest are the tenderest," remembers
to-day with sacred joy, how the holy and
heroic love of wife, or mother, or sister,
or daughter, or adOred one, followed
him and cheered him in every hardship
and every peril, how it steeled his arm,
and kept hope alive in his heart, when
all around him was the blackness of
darkness and the gloom Of death. And
when victory was won and the soldier
weary, or perhaps sick, MANNED or bro
ken in health, again reaches the dear old
home whose image has staid perpetually
in his heart, what reward like the proud,
sweet welcome of exalted lOvel
| 1t was LincOln-he alone besides
| Washington, titled by the nations love
who said, "If all that has been said
! by poets and orators since the creation
in praise of woman, was applied to the
women of America, it would not do
them Justice for their conduct during
the war" This was his pfeciOus, CRATE
full tribute to the women of our country
for the heroic patriotism and inspiring
devotion, which made victory sure
which made defeat impossible.
And now to be worthy of so grand a
past, and present so prOpitiOus, it be-
comes us all to live in the full blessing
of our great citizenship. Our victory
was so great because it means the tri-
umph of justice, of liberty, of equal
laws, of the majesty of our institutions.
mot in man was our issue. From Him
Who is Sovereign of soul and OF limb
Came our ordeal of battle, that He
Might be God, and that man might be free"
A new truth is given to History. The
central, progressive element passes from
conscience into institutions and laws
with irrepressible force. And so we
have for the first time in the history Of
man, great Republic withOue slave,
without king, without serf, without
a noble, without rank-withOut caste.
Not gold, nor cotton. nor land, but Ld-
Dor is King, and Manhood is Sceptered
reGlity-a crowned royalty, ruling in the
only divine right" 1t is the peoples
work. They founded and they preserv-
ed, and the thrOned ruler is the peoples
power. Towards this, through the ages,
our race has been struggling. Its histO-
ry-the history of the worlds the an
nails of liberty and its conflicts. The as
piratiOn for freedom has ever been the
worlds invincible progressive impulse.
Under our scarlet fields great Marathon's Sc
cret ran;
The speech OF freedom is one, and one 10 the
soul of man."
Our fathers established, you, soldiers
of the Uuion, rescued and restored, and
it is for all
TO PRESERVE THIS GREAT HERITAGE.
The English historian tells us, of CrOnl-
wells soldiers that even their enemies
admitted that they won special distinc-
tion in every department of honest in
dustry No one charged with theft, no
one asked aims, and if some citizens
earned distinction or achieved signal
success it was said ut once: "He is one
of Cromwell's old soldiers" And so it
may be with the soldiers of the Union