The National tribune., 1882-09-28
ANTIETAM.
LAYING the Cornerstone Of Soldiers Monument
Grafton by Gen. ii. A. Barnum.

stone of the Grand Soldier monument on lts
burial plat in Lutheran cemetery. Inc DAY
was exceedingly pleasant, and no less than
fifteen Posts were largely represented both at
the Headquarters in Germania Assembly Rooms
and on the cemetery. There the exercises were
under the charge of Commander ChaS. kensey,
who acquitted himself nobly in attending to all
the details, ably assisted by his Adjutant, Her
man W. Thum. After the Commander had
formed the various Posts i'll a hollow square, he
laid the cornerstone amid the rolling OF drums
and playing of the bands, when General H. A.
Barnum delivered the following Grafton, which
is exclusively printed in full i'll these columns;
COMRADES: More than one hundred years
ago was laid the cornerstone OF the Temple Oh
Liberty in Amcrica-Of American HDerty-the
proud result of which is the noblcst and most
powerful Nation in the world. The builders
of 1776 were workmen of the highest class, but
they had to use the material which they haG
at hand and the noble structure they created
had serious defects.
Liberty and slavery begot an "lrrepresslpie
conflict in our God-favored land. The Tree
North became a giant. The fiery South, own
| ing the bodies of 100000 human beings, be-
! came lustful of power. Conflict was inevitable.
| 1t came and on American soil was wrought tne
| problem of free government Tor the WhoIe
! world for all time.
! To-day, and on this hallowed ground, You
! Law the cornerstone of soldiers monument.
| The day is fifty chosen. Just twenty years ago
| to-day on Antietams bloody field was WIFI a
! chapter in the solution of that mighty PROB
| lem-Writ with our sabres and punctuated Win
our bayonetS. 'Tiswell that you build TINS grace
full column of enduring granite; tor feathery
| footed time is carrying us, with ceaseless speeo,
! away from the momentOuS days OF the blVouac
| md l,o hottl 4
since been born. The babes of twenty years
AGO have become men and women, and TO hali
of our people the roar of the rebellion, ltS SUI
pendous battles and campaigns, the colossal
sacrifices of life and treasure are known rs
| simple history. The white dove OF peace now
folds its wings over the land that then hghted
up with the flaming signal OF war; ana 10 all
| the transformation seems hardly real.
To US indeed, it is real. The memories OF
orr campaigns are so vivid and so vigorous !;
they are such a constant presence with us--the
| space between then and n0W seems SO narrow; ;
we so easily recall our inspirations and our
acts so clearly we summon TO our view lhe
| faces and the forms of the brave, dear ones
who marched at our sides, but who, through
gIory'S gate, have entered the eternal, that the
| sweepo years is TO US almost lncomprehensiple.
To save a nation is greater achievement
| than to found nation. To cure the dlsente-
! grating forces is more difficult than 10 enelSlHe
!
The regeneration of the Republic shall occupy
even a nobler place in history than its estab,
Ishment. 1t is a laudable pride therefore, and
not an overweening vanity which lmpels us 10
commemorate the deeds and incidents OF our
countrys salvation, " a part of which we were
and all of which we saw" The Revolution OF
our hers gave US the charter OF our llbertles,
but ou~ conquest of the rebellion enlarged and
secured it.
To-day, in the light of history, the entire CIV
ilized world acknowledges that the elimination
of the great American conflict was necessity
The attack upon Sumter, 1T is true, was
shock We had watched with ardent hope the
efforts made by patriotic men TO stay The
stroke of the bell which should announce the
summoning of the legiOns and the commence
mept of civil war; Abraham Lincoln, in an
inaugural breathing the genius OF good will
himself the incarnation OF charlty-Dade the
South to pause in its mad career and trust the
| Government he would tclnperauely auIhlhlsuei'
1t was all in vain.
1t was well that it was in vain. We have
saved our children the struggle they would
have had to encounter. We have given them
an heritage of peace instead OF an enormous
and expensive litigation to be tried by jury
of soldiers with a panel of perhaps a hundred
millions instead of one of forty millions.
, The sooner vital issues are settled by any
people the better for that people.
Was the theory of the Union right or the
doctrine Of secession coherent? This was oul
discussion with sabre and with bayonet, witt
voice of canon and with musketry, an angry
and destructive debate happily terminated WheI
the foe laid down his arms and the starry llslt
floated once more over every foot OF th'
Nations broad domain. To determine 1t, cos
us thousands of millions of treasure and th'
lives of myriads of our bravest and best. But
, thank God. it is determined! Thank God, th'
, question of the Union is forever settled.
When the war came, it was indeed rud'
awakening The nations looked on with batet
2 breath when a great people, bursting asunde
| the chains Of a false conservatism, rose as on
man to vindicate the purity OF the Tag Whlcl
had been assalcd the honor which had beel
wounded in the temple of its own building
/. when from workshops and from plow, iron
= study and from toll with Drawn of muscle ant
1 weight of purpose from fields of ILLINOIS, iron
woods of Maine from all our free domain, tn
loyal Mortimer gathered around the fag an'
bade its fratrcidal foe to beware of the punish
1nent it must receive for the OutragcS 1t ha'
> committed.
o What mighty issues hung upon the conflict
- | A conflict which at first " our very hopes bc
= lied our fears, our fears our hopes belled,. a
u defeat chased victory, and victory thr0ttle
n defeat upon the fields WhcreOn we fought.
y conflict which gradually grew more encourag
It ing for the Army Of the Union, as the ster
. resolution Of the North, enduring much, deS
! palrlng never. Dy lOEcc Oh llic SlS'tuld9U Pun
It pose, the brilliant but inconstant tervor {
I. the South-the bending once more OF tn
} Cavalier before the Covenantcr-and the ban
+ ners riddled by the bullets Of 1851 proud
foated in 1865 from the sclf-same battIelnent
l from which by the rebels hands 1t had bee
Is wrcstcd.
II Thank God for the history we have made
,r Thank God for the Union Army which, torme
: from the citizens Of the land, from men
:. whom the pruning hook was more famllIa
IL than the spear, who solely by the lnsplratlo
" of patriotism rushed to the defense OF an a'
d sailed country stood with fOrtitude the defeat
10 of 1861 and 1862, lost not their courage at Bu
. Run or before Richmond, rolled back tho reb'
- - waves at Antctam and Gettysburg, entere
u with glad huzzas into Donclson and Nlcki
O. burgh, climbed the bristlng heights of Loof
,e out and Mission Ridge, threaded the devior
10 | passes from Chattanooga to Atlanta, cruShe
the rebel cohorts at Nashville, marched wit
y dancing banners from the mountains to I'll
te sea, visited the punishmcnts of war on I'll
IN Carolimas and ordained an enduring peace ;
lr Raleigh and at AppomattoX.
The fearful conflict is now only memor,
Wars dread alarms more c0nVulse u
Nation Calm-eyed peace holds gentle sWa
with all our people; III mansion and cotta1
dwell sweet rcpOse, ana the golden Sfallllei'
of the North bow III friendly competition
productive wealth to Southern fields OF MIN
- snow where er5t cOntcnding armies crlmsont
Ia the ground with kindred blood. The soldl
ne once more drives his team a-field, the unifor