The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1883-09-06
Basil Duke on tho War.

III Ills speech NJ Tic reunion OI the
SURVIVORS of John H. Morean's rebel
command at Lexington, KY, on Tues.
day, Gen Basil w. Duke said: ''In the
flush of early manhood. when mans ma.
ture is most impressible-when the
warm and generous blood of youth
yields most readily to the allurements
of pleasure, but is also quicker to re-
spond to heroic and unselfish impulse
they were hidden to choose between q
life of comparative ease and of safety
and one of privation and peril, between
home and exile, but also. as they deemed
between duty and failure to perform
it. An oyermastering destiny pronounced
a sudden and imperative demand, which
rang over this continent like the trum-
pet call OF an archangel. 1t was espec-
tally. addressed to the younger men of
America. Political differences, social
problems, sectional complications and
resentments, to produce which they had
done nothing, for the existence of which
they were in no wise responsible, in
dn:ed intense bitterness, progressed
until compromise or Cancellation became
impossible, and at length eliminated in
war. A madness, perhaps, but a mad
ness as sublime az it was cruel, seized
upon the whole population Of this coun-
who wished for peace, it turned
wise. lhe confiagration burst out and
wrapped the whole land in one wide
leap. Both SECTIONS were converted q
once into hostile camps Let any INTEL
ligent man look back over that period of
intense and uncomfortable excitement,
and yet most earnest, and absorbing
convictions, and tell us, II he can, bow
war might have been averted. have
heard complacent suggestions from clos
ct cages to that effect. but with the roar
Of the mighty conflict yet resoundine in
my memory they have seemed as paltry
and as powerless As the scrawls and
spells and imbecile incantations with
which the vulgar pretenders to witch
craft essayed to control the elements and
exercise spirits more powerful than
semoled some immense physical con-
vulsion; one Of those vast and resistless
movements with which nature, in her
inscrutable and memorable order,
changes the face of the earth and de-
etroys or terrifes it's inhabitants. 1t
was scarcely more susceptible ofgovern-
ance by human and moral agencies.
What, then, confronted with this tre-
mendons tact, were the youth and
manhood Of this country to do? ! speak
of North and South alike-of the whole
land, and both aroused and embittered
populations. do not assert that it was
every mans or any mans duty to enlist
in the army which his action sent forth,
and rather than reproach l wodld con-
graduate those who could avoid the con-
f1ict. But do assert that it was natural
and not culpable for many to hold tito
be duty, and in that belief it became
duty with them. And does the man
those who, honestly seeing the path
they ought to follow lead that way, did
enter the ranks and give their breasts
to the battle2 Youtl,-with whom SEN
timent is always stronger than reflec.
tiOn-the youth of both sections gen.
orally felt that it was
mot theirs to reason Why,
Theirs but to DO or de-
and that they we're obliged with their
best efforts and their blood 10 serve the
cause OF their own people, whether the
people were right or wrong. remem-
Der hearing the Hon. John T. Morgan,
of Alabama, in the senate of the United
States epitomize in one or two remarks
BILE sentences the best vindicati0n of
the south and the true meaning and rea-
son of the struggle. He said, subetan-
TALLY, that the success of the rebellion
of the American colonies against Great
Britain in l776 rendered the succ ess of
the rebellion in 1861 impossible. But
that the issues left untried the questions
remaining unsettled, the problems still
to be solved at the date of the adop-
tion of tho fodorol con0fitrfinn and
largely inhibited solution and adjust
ment by that constitution and within
the union. made the conflict of 1851 in
evitable We often hear it said that men
of both sides believed that they were
right The plea might be regarded -
sufficient. But am sometimes inclined
to believe that, paradoxical as it may
sound both sides were right, and that
history will 80 declare"