Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-05-29

the other cases, and win enforce and demand at
every hazard and at whatever cost" Montgo-
to seat fb msre oy 1e tRe CONT
rent, and II DeS1eged, taken and held crowned
the cause Of rebellion with success. The loss Of
war. Would have been far greater than that Of
Paris or Versailles to France or Berlin to the
German empire And this was fully compre-
ey eash OF 1he se the
first gun, and the nation the last But the first
shook the free states to their very centre;
shiveTed party lines and erystallized anew the
the contending forces moderated the strength
of the other. The regular Amy was de-.
moralized and divided in sentiment The
people must save their government, or
it must fall Liberty hath ever found
her defenders among the yeOmanry of the land
and to the nations defence in this hour Of immi-
nent peril. from every class and condition of
life. they came to the magnificent number OF
over two and quarter millions OF men, who
served nearly two years and a-half each.
There was another and q deeper meaning to
this conflict Two civilizations found themselves
face to face In gigantic struggle for the po.-
session of continent. The civilization of the
industry, Of resources gathered by constant
hardship. and saved by the most rigid economy;
a clvlhzatlon OF schools, churches, cities. and
labor In shop and field; patient in all things and
enduring all things. The grand result of the
development Of that germ OF power, planted at
IL,
through wilderness. and hardship and storm,
upward and onward by the sturdy emigrant
from the despotisms OF the Old world Joining its
march and sharing its fortune. From this devel-
Opment came President, and cabinet leaders
worthy OF the great cause they held in charge.
LII coin. Chase, seward. and the tfreless Stanton
who came lot too late for success as CarnOt came
to Napoleon. From this came also corps OF
generals fresh from the homes and affairs OF the
people, as learned in the civil polty Of free gov
eminent as in the art of war. with no dreams
OF ambition beyond the faithful sery ice required
to maintain that COVER Dment and the dearest
rights OF man, whose names / need not men,
tlon IN your presence for they arr enshrined in
the hearts OF the American people. From this
source came the armies Of the Union, represent
ing the learning OF the professions, the Skill OF
artisans and the industry OF farmers. 1t en-
Draced all classes from the scholar, who could
read the language of the stars and trace the
considerations OF the heavens to him, whose
only learning was duty to his country. These
soldiers could make books, print newspapers
build bridges and construct canals; build nayie5
for the sea and railroads for the land. Indeed
the armies OF the Union were the embodiment
OF fertility OF resource and endurance of
hardships; they were organized for efficiency
and for victory. In this, and not I'm greater
greater valor, consisted our superiority over the
armies OF the rebellion. 1t was this that
fed and paid: better led and armed; better
clothed and cared for than any army OF any war
IN the W1 6eb history 1hs The very law Of free
had despised, became In the end the
nations defense and the rebellion'S destroyer
To the southern armies has been awarded great
praise for holding the field so long and so well
against the power OF the national government.
Far be it from me to detract In the least degree
from the difficulty Of their undertaking, and
the strength and endurance they evinced in
pTotract1ng the great struggle On the other
hand, is IL just TO ourselves to you. veterans OF
the war, to the fnartmate dead here buried.
that we should underrate the great work we
undertook. the obstacles we overcame. and the
magnitude of the success we achieved? The
problem was mighty one to solve. Eighteen
millons OF people. SchOOled only in the arts or
millions OF people in their own homes and
mountain Businesses, amid natural barriers of
great strength, In territory considerably
larger than the combined countries of Austria
France, the British Islands, Italy and Germany:
territory that must be encOmp passed both by
land and by sea- Four millions of this SOUTH
ern people were the most docle and faithful
laborers In the world, working unrequited. day
aid night, upon the broad and fertile fields OF
the south. to maintain the families at home aud
the armies in the field. In magnitude and ex-
the annals OF History. You may well be proud
as we recur to-day, after twenty years have
passed by, and our vision is clear and accurate,
to the great line of operations. which existed
and was maintained, by the armies and fleets OF
the nation in May, 1864. That time saw the
armies OF the Union prepared for the final Of
fensive operations. One million two hundred
thousand men were under arms on land AS
they faced south, the right of the Union line
rested at Santa Fe, New Mexico. Stretching
eastward, it connected with the center at Weeks
burg on the Mississippi. From Vtcksburg the
center OF the line passed through Bridgeport.
Alabama, through Chattanooga and Knoxville
Tennessee, and Cumberland Gap, to the ste
lions around CiarkSburg. in West Virginia
Where II joined the light of the Union line or
those forces operating in connection with the
armies. In front OF Washington. From West
Virginia the left OF the line extended to the vi
ciDity OF Fol CreSs Monroe. The whole conStt-
tuted line OF operations of about one thou
sand six hundred miles long. Along this line
post; each railway bridge its block. house;
every great highway its frowning fort;
and every line OF military operations IL
army. Nor was this all. Commencing near
Fortress Monroe the work OF the Union sailors
began. Away southwark, around SIOr.ny Hat
teras. down along the low SWanpy coasts of the
Caroliuas and Georgia, around the Peninsula OF
Florida to the harbOr Of Pensacola and thence
along the Gulf coast of Alabama and Mississippi.
Louisiana and Texas to the Mexican frontier at
the mouth OF the Rio Grande, stretched the tire.
less sleepless line Of the Union blockade, almost
two thousand miles long. Every harbor on this
enormous line was sealed, every inlet and creek.
every bay aud bayou was watched by day
this great fleet were two f large alm Ttsh
one In the Carolinas and one with
New Orleans, as its base on the Cur.
Taking no step backward, this mighty line
moved forward to Gel Tain victory, and when
this was achieved and the authority OF the gov
errment established. these armies Injured t.
NdT. anu stronger IOT uuty IMAM ever before.
leaving the fruits Of their victories to the states
manShip or the nation melted away into the
civil pursuits Of life, returned to their affairs
and their homes. to appear no more in army
array forever. Since then peace hath had its
victories, and the great people who solved the
problem OF war viii solve the problem OF self
government, with all its difficulties and all its
trials.
In March, 1861 stood at the east front of the
Capitol, among the vast assembage that wit
messed the first Inauguration OF Abraham Lin
coin. In Its rear and on its TANKS were parks
OF artillery shotted to the muZZle. The atInos-
phere was hot with hostility to the IN
ment OF the fathers. saw that day gang OF
slaves. men made in Gods image driven In
chains up Pennsylvania avenue, like a herd
OF brutes under the masters LASH Now
the shining towers of Howard Univel sity.
the freedmen's seat OF learning greets the white
monument to Washington as IL rises higher
and higher into the heavens. l look over the
broad land; and other and kindred institutions
appear TO bless the freedman'S way to life
liberty and the pursuit OF happiness" To the
development OF all the war secured. the way is
opening broader and broader with the onward
march OF time. How can the vanquished OF the
south long hate the generous victor that shares
with him In full the fruits OF victory? How
shall he complain Of the generous condition
upon which he is allowed to return, after four
long years OF warfare against the government
TO stand upon an equality with every citizen OF
the Republic who has been faithful in all things
to her interests? The friends OF those who fell
In the rebellion. obedient to the natural affeC,-
ton OF the human heart, build monuments