The National tribune., 1881-01-01
lse3-lseI.


death OF certain king Of that country, on one occa
sion the Magi chose for their new sovereign man
living in the vicinity of their chief city noted for
AIS wisdom, bis probity and his honor, though often
his raiment in tatters and his food of the
est quality Elevated to the throne 1t is stated the
new king ever afterward caused to be borne in his
view the clothing he bad worn during the days of
his poverty and obscurity, and not unfrequcnty he
partook of the wretched fare he was oft accustomed
b before he assumed the sceptre. These tattered
garments, this rough food he knew would ever serve
10 remind him of his former condition and tend to
subdue his pride and tyrannical impulses Here is
an appropriate lesson for us to learn. 1t would be
well for the United States to remember what was
as condition in lS62-63-64 IL then acos en- rags
With rebellion on its hands, which at one time
appeared on the eve OF success; every nation in
kurope, save only Russia, regarding it as in the
shroes of dissolution; without credit--its promises
10 pay worth less than forty cents the dollar Civ
ing utterance to its woes in days of fasting and
prayer to Heaven for reservation; It's National
Capital at times on the eve Of falling into the hands
OF rebel foes its President Abraham Lincoln calls
spon the citizen soldiers of the country TO save it
In the hour Of its direst extremity Did they heed
his calf Those who lived in those days well re-
member with what alacrity they came till more
than 2, 100000 stood in the field and with an oath
30 the God of battles declared this free Republic
should not perish They took off the rags IN ,ohtch
Re Nation had been clothed they habited her in
purple and in fine linen; they gave her again an
bonored name; they preserved her integrity of en-
pire; they restored her credit; they established
her prosperity as abundant as the waves of the
sea" Let the men who--shame upon them-now
Ty out ace are doing too much for the soldiers .
look for instance to scene on Broad street Phila
aelpha where thousands of these heroes going to
and returning from the battlefield were fed and
nursed by the purest, loveliest and noblest daugh
ters of the city of Pennsylvania Who then said
We are doing too much for the soldierssn Let
them turn to those memorable days in July 1868
when the greatest battle of the was fought on
the field of Gettysburg. Think of the toilsome
marches of the thousands of veterans without food
or water, and under parching SUM- TO meet the
hordes of Lee on Pennsylvania soil Think of that
protracted three days struggle, amid carnage groans
smoke and fire; of Philadelphia and New York pil-
iaged perhaps in ashes !; nationality lost and
the Union destroyed But the God of Battles. the
Guardian Angel of Amerca-Liberty-wa with
eur heroes, and they triumphed Their praises were
en- every lip no reward seemed adequate to their
deserts. Who then dared speak the yord, ave are
doing too much for our soldiersfn Oh, for the re-
kindling of the flame that then burned so brightly
If we We're poor when the just demands of these
veterans were presented to US, we might put in the
abating plea of our poverty but we are not. FL
nancally this Nation is the richest in the world It
can borrow money at q lower rate of interest than
any other country. To whom is it indebted for all
thisl 10 its soldiers. We repeat it, (and the cry
shoad ring and re-echo over the entire land TO its
so1dsers. Ingratitude is not merely moral delin
quency; it's base crime and neither nation
Nor an individual can be guilty of it without leav
hg an ndelibe stain on it's or his reputation