Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1880-06-17

porn, across the sea, Win T. glory III his i
bosom, which transfigures you and me;
as he died to make men holy, let US die
10 make men free, while God is march
ing on" With such an Inspiration fail
ure was impossible.
2. Another result Of the conflict in
which our heroes fell, has been to in
crease our confidence in the worth and
stability ai our government. Before tho
war, our government was an experiment.
II had stood some tests, but ii had never
gone through a civil War. It had grown
large, but no heavy blow had come
upon the cable which bound it. Mon
arcl.s said "whcn that blow comes the
werld viii see that 1t is ro)e of
sand" But the world saw otherwise. tt
cost thousands of lives, and doubtless
many more feel that their lives were
shortened in the effort. But 1t was worth
Wha; it cost to let the world see that Re
publican Government could not only stand
such shock; but in doing SO could pre-
sent such q spectacle as the world had
never seen; an army, like the sands of the
sea in multitude; sDringing up all un-
taught and unanned; teaching and arm
ing themselves rs if by magic; fighting
such battles as the world had not seen
surpassed ; aud then melting away again
so Silently and completely that the ma.
ton almost wondered if 1t had not been
dreaming and whether there had been
any war; All this the eyes of the world
! looked on 10 see and watched with eagre
interest, and when the glorious victory
| was achieved, and the Republic was
saved, we had increased confidence in
the stability OF our government. Repub.
licanlsm everywhere took courage, and
the word of our mar!yred president re-
ceived new proof "the government of the
people and by the people and for the peo
Die Shall never perish from the earth"
3, Another result gained by the sacri-
fee of which we are speaking, has been
20 teach the world a new lesson OF de-
votion to truth and principle. Indeed,
to my mind, II is the grandest thing
connected with the history OF the war,
that there were men willing to suf
fer and even to die for the truth. Our
soldiers were not conscripts They did
not march, like the soldiers IF Napoleon,
or Caesar or Alexander, to fight for con-
quest. They were free, intelligent men,
voluntarily enlisted to fight Tor their
country or their principles. 1t is true
that there were hirclings in the army
there are hirellngs everywhere; men
) who will sell their services or their souls
for gain or pleasure. But there were
those, yea thousands of the youth ant
vigor and nobility Of cur land, who went
, to tho strife from a pure, stern sense Of
duty, willing to be offered, if need be, ,
sacrifice lor the cause OF truth and coun
try.
And it is not alone the great general:
that are entitled to our homage. Great
| a. in t1,x
command. In fact the intelligence and
} valor and devotion OF the private soldiers
alone made possible the brilliant deeds
was sovereign. He was an integral par,
He called no man lord or master: liz
felt that the blow he struck was Tor him
, self. He knew what he was fighting for
as we'll as any general could tell him. HI
felt a greatness and responsibility OF
American citizenship. Aud he felt no
, price exorbitant which should purchase
the perpetuity of the Republic, in thu
power and splendor of her mission
Such men were III the ranks, and gave
character and glory to the union Amy
: Men enlisted in the early stages of tn
5 war as privates, who were fit to be minis
tiers of state, or shine as lights in halls o
? learning; and others approved them
) selves, after promotion, equal to tn,
f marshals of Napoleon the great.
s Ard say we have reason to glory il
: the devotion of such men, who hav
7 taught us the nobility Of duty
j. The age is not degenerate; heroes still
1 walk the earth, OF nobler names an.
l worthier deeds than Perseus, or Hercules
7 rTI,o,, l,avn o)lyt. 1 hxy c,p eiio tkuv hNv
S made our times the heroic age of mo ODER
j. history. And we are proud Of a countr
RI that can SUMMON SUCH defenders, and shO7
n such loyalty and devotion, and, we sa
s again, that the lesson they have given u
Y is worth to US and the world all that
has cost.
r We do not forget that there is cause 70
/. tears to mingle with our strains of rel &c
e ing. I know there were dear ones, the
e pride and hope Of many hearts, who's
: faces, from the day they went forth t.
e battle, have been seen no more. / know
! there are those all over the land, o.
2 whose hearts there rests a shadow O
: grief that will never be lifted, till til
: light of the eternal day dawns upo
| item. / have known mother labor pa
I tiently twelve long months 10 win back t.
z consciousness the poor idiotic wrecl
which Andersonvllle gave her for he
Y we'll beloved son. And thinking O.
l these things; standing on soil thick
! sown with graves it is impossible bu
: that sad thoughts should fill our minds
, But our consolation is that the lives thu
r given were not wasted. No, they wer
not wasted They accomplished NOR
f, by their death than they could hav
? done by their life. Human life has a.
l ways been the price of human liberty
' and that, after all, is what life is good to-
e It is not our hig hest duty 10 live as lol
+ as we can; a higher duty may sometime
call upon US to spend life freely. H
| has lived long enough, who has lived t
3 die Tor the promotion of a holy cause
? He has lived too long who has boarded
l his life when duty called for it.
J We lose then the thought of mournlne
3 and we rejoice in memory OF our .falle1
: heroes. We congratulate them VIII
gave their blood to save so good coun
2 try, and to teach the world so glorious
lesson.
} About fifty soldiers went to the wa
from Austin; many more than that from
. the county. Their names are preserved
, roll of honor, in the military records o
the state. I.could give their names t
t you, but as most of them are unknown
, to nearly all Of you, I will not take tn
time to do SO. OF those who went from
Austin about.twelve were killed or dled
in the service. Among these were Israe
Baker, once member of this church
who died in. May 3 at Vicksburg, Miss.
\ Geo. S. Hutchinson who died Of wounds
Sept, '62 At Tuka, Miss; Hartland s
Ames vino died Oct. '64 at MILAN Prison
Georgia.; Benz Bartholomew who dice
March '63 Fl. Ridgely, Mimi; Jas. H
Carver who died Nov. '63 at Jefferson
City, Mo. Stephen N. Chandler who died
Oct. "a MILAN Prison, Ca: Carlton A
Gecr who died March '65 at Annapolis.
Md. Edison NJ. Rice who died May rs
at Jefferson Barracks, Mo. Other!
might be mentioned who have died since
their discharge VINO doubtless felt that
their lives were shortened in the service
Only one, l think, of those who died while
in the service 10 buried in our cemetery
They nearly all sleep in southern soil.
!, feel that is hardly creditable to Vi
city that the names Of our fallen soldiers
are not more carefully preserved, that the