Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-09-07

writ en- upon everlasting brass AID marble
und in L, oh IT curing spring time upon .'the'r
low green tens" are hung wrealhs of laurel
and myrllr. Not, however, upon all are
these high honOrs bestowed for wholly I'M
notice Ore the uncuillncd bones which lie
bleaching upon many hillside ind in macy
n ravine, and are wholly unhonored save ny
the wild flowers which nature has lovln-ly
planted amongst them. And have you
ever thought of the brave fellows whose
livts went out in the prison pen or III the
fierce onset OF battle, whose graves are un-
marked or if markc are marked unknown
the " ry thought If which adds even thill
to doth ns.Il. In n newspaper account Of
the battle Of Spoltsylvinii 1t was related
that ju.t as II portion OF the main line
was aruut to charge upon strong ooileu-
crate posi- ion the boys were seen iinning up
ON ia r breasts pieces Ut paper bearing Their
NAMES with COMPANY aud regiment Nh"t
did this mean? 1t meant they were ready 10
die If need be-, but snudd rcd Al the thought
of b ling thrown into the trench with the
bodies ui the unknown. llcle the speaker
indu l,d anl aposir phe to the unknown,
showing af cr all, they were well known,
and then said:
IN. unknown should not be forgotten.
They Will not he iorgotton nor will hey lie
unknown in that great me ting in the land OF
summer the land oi peace.
Twenty wears ago we were in the midst OF
the rebellion great armies were still con-
tending for the mastery. Getiysburgh had
hrcn fought for aud won. Port Hudson and
Vickslmrsh had fallen, but Richmond was
still covered by powerful army under II
trusted leader, and Chattanooga, the great
strategic point in the Southwest was sun held
by the army. A million and half OF
men hnl been furnished. And alter
this time twenty years ago l,lUo,oUO
we're put in the field and the great battles OF
Chattanooga and Lookou, Mountain, Chlcka-
maugn aud Nashville and Atlanta in the
west aud of the Wilderness, Spousylvana,
Cold Hurbor to Weldon railroad, Winches-
ter and Cedar Creek in the east remained to
be fought. The bloody and wasteiul work
of war was at last done. II had cost both
sections nearly million of lives and the de
structinn at property aud values OF more
than IS 000 0O0O0O
The debt incurred by the Government in
hat struggle for scit-prcservaion reached
he enormous sum of s2,173 23G, 900. When
the cost was counted many were appalled,
and some overwhelmed at the results OF TINS
victory. Especially formidable to the weak
and irresolute did the public Indebtedness APP
pear, uni the schemes that followed Tor re-
quotation put to the test alike the honesty
and couag of the victors. But all attacks
upo n the public credit were repulstd ana thc
public faith kept inviOlatc. And now IN less
than twenty years so vast are our resources
a hac m cement
finances that only Sl,sS4, III, 727 OF this
great sum remains unpaid.
We have paid SSSS, 600, OO0 principal
and 81 sos 600 900 in interest. and Il lllt'e
over 81, 900, On q, 000 to the disabled soldiers
and sailors, the widows and orphans. Mean
while the country has been making strides IN
material prosperity such rs never before =
having aivai ced from 81 900, 900 in 1860, to
over 81, 900, 900 in 1880, and in an assessed
valuation OF properly from ltlle more t'lah
SIC coo, 900, 600, to almost ST., 900, QUO OOo-
an increase hitherto Unprecedented IN our
history. The gain IN population was greater
in the last twenty years than In the tnlIlV
years previous. In the 30 years ending lo6O'
it was IL, 5j7, S0l-in the 20 years ending
1880 it was Is 7l2, AGE. nearly 200, 600 more
for the 20 years than for the 80, aud the 20
years includes The whole period OF the war.
Further comparative statistics could tie en-
ployei 10 show superior advancement III
these las. 20 years in every department OF IN
dustry aud wealth and |, airing, and even IN
moral and religious instruction. War can
not be rcckontd as a moral force, nor yet as
an unmiXed evil.
Here the speaker alluded to the eif'ct
up'h cN,i!Ha''oH' US cla'.iicu ny " 'a'"
WIS anu ,hi"Ncrs' vi sica' "a's MN. ''"N.
'he MhoIe soci'i puolc anu caii LUZ Si'a'
sacl'u'.s ah, NJ aciicsc'i,en'', IL
ever 'hls might ne, inc war ulu u'uo'icss
rtV'a III ID macy at me ,inle inc p''ss'oh' IN
hooef 'hinSs ana l,iteu some lIoi' ~, uu,, ,
'r'hish nc 10 tnc ic'ci VI nciovs' u, 'a',
!" arms I"uhu inc country III 'he mus VI
me eherVat'hs creamy inHichces VI "ns
peace ana whvth latriolism ana 'aior were
eA'ihc' qualtles III me A,ho'icin c.,'iao,,i
no one reniIy Knew we 10 kuo" ,nt. 'ic
oouth looked upon 'he men OF .he Nortn ns
nerve css, cownrdly iianlrg se'' uh"oIthl
oi 'h'it cohi'i'hcc anu t"t'.ieu o"ly l" 'n.n
contempt. bnt When ,he SHOCK W ot n,
came ot NOSE PROUD oOu,Ierhe'S iouiiu 'na.,
nc heros 'ha' scch',ess WEE yn'Io s"se
h"s'' io'th "n,u p'uiscn' INV i'''I
u ne men Oh ,he Norm loc'hen "o''ny U.
lhcIr steel AM NJ" we near w n''io '"
shp'IlpF southern COURAGE we AZ ha'.
conquered the respect OF tne eneIny am,
t'iS III ns'l u no sl'lai hi'''er' loi VIM" w."
respect there Con be no real peace III 'he
state the nrlshoorhood or the fanny pu,
from respect may spring fellowship anu
liluhdship ana every klhdled cohIluetce.
But the hour IS TOO snort IN when 10 trace
al me results OF 'hls great passage AZ arms.
Nor IS there time TO inquire whether this
golden era OF prosperity winch we now ENJOY
may De credited more to tie renovatlng' en-
erslAlng elects OF the war as such, or more
to the vlgoroi that principle in our fine repre-
sentative system whereby the Government Is
KEPT In the hands OF the people themselves,
or whether IL DE que To mat great chanse IN
U mum .ons,''u ' anu o.i pTi.y 9 t mn
man. How this NAV be il is impossible to
"a lint Tho ,ya r,,,,y Iol thn r..tulli,n