Daily Republican., 1884-05-26

warmly loves his wife and children is
better than the purely selfish beings,
who loves only himself, and studies
only his personal gratihctiOn.
But II he has heart large enough to
take In also father and mother, brother
aud sister, be is still grade higher
than tho brute, and step nearer the
Divine. Ifhe can admit q friend TO
bis heart In addition to these ties by
blood, he has spark Of heavenly fire
within, which II cultivated will burn
ont the selfishness Of his nature. But
when be rises to that sentiment which
takes In bis country, the land Of his
birth, and studies for her good, labors
for her welfare, or fights for her flag,
he becomes . patriot.
No sentiment IL more deeply rooted
in the soul than love Of country; God
permits 1t for wise purposes, and him
self established 1t, when he separated
the Jew from all other nations, setting
. mark upon them, and forbidding
them TO become absorbed with others.
Love of country will be pure and deep
in accordance with the physical beauty
and worth Of the country, and the
righteousness and justice Of Its laws.
1t Ia not egotism for Americans to say
that we have the loveliest and richest
country In tho world. and the most
righteous laws for Its government.
America possesses its mounds and
caves whore freedom and equality OF
manhood always existed, and can pro-
duce from buried depths evidence Of
the existence of . race of stalwart, natu-
raj freemen, who peacefully followed
the hunt, and were content when ma.
ture's wants we're supplied. There is
no need 10 visit foreign countries for
beautiful scenery, for our own land Is
unsurpassed.
In enterprise and Improvements this
country leads the world. To America
the world owes the application of steam
to navigation, the invention Of the cleo
trio telegraph, the sewing machine and
the reaping machine, while in religious
and literary matters its growth has
been unparalleled, and the righteousness
OF our laws cannot be disputed, for the
people are the sovereign power. Ours
IL q government Of the people, for the
people, by the people, and every citizen
ia king in his own right.
Ours is tne land Of liberty and free
dom, no titled nobility or vassal slaves !;
no lords or subjects. The highest office
in our land is open to the newer Of
wood or the boy upon the tow path OF
the canal. Nothing but seltishness
actuated by personal gain would ever
seek to divide such country, or de-
strsy such government, but not many
years ago there came time in the
history Of our nation, when another flag
WAS raised another government formed,
and selfish men sought to perpetuate
curse upon this nation and divide this
glorious Union.
But they failed in both, and the curse
OF slavery has been wiped out, while the
old flag still floats with no star stricken
from its field OF blue. Men In one sec.
tion had said destroy liberty and free
dom, and establish slavery, but an
other, and by far the larger1part, arose
for Liberty and Union, one and in
separable, now and forever, and said in
their hearts I" If forget thee, o Coium.
bia, may my right hand forget Its cum
ming"
Volunteers hocked from every quarter
in defense of the old flag, and to pre-
serve the Union. The speaker spoke
Of the representatives of that army OF
volunteers who were present, and said
he was happy to be able to greet them
rs comrades. Ho told Of how hA en-
listed, and said be was proud that he
was allowed to have . part In that
noble struggle.
He dweit eloqueutly on the sacrifices
of the war, and depicted in glowing
terms the glorious results, and con-
TIM uing said that some would say the
war is over, peace is declared, why not
let it be forgotten? why perpetuate Its
memory by this Grand Army organiza-
ltion?
But the men who answered the call Of
their country cannot forget those days
il they would, and would not II they
could. He spoke of the objects to be
accomplished by the Grand Army,
reading from the bylaws to explain its
objects and aims, and said that as he
read those words they took him back to
field and tent, to drum and bugle, to
carbine, sabre and musket, to rides and
marches, and to the old songs sung by
the boys in blue.
They carried his mind back to friend
ly help, and mutual assistance, for the
American soldier not only drank with
bis com rade from the same canteen, but
he also shared his SORROWS and joys, and
divided with him his last hard-tack,
and it 10 for the purpose Of keeping up
that frsternal feeling that the Grand
| Army WAS formed and Is maintained.
1t perpetuates the memory Of its dead,
aud year by year strews flowers upon
their graves.
He said there were other reasons why
the war should be remembered, and
while 1t might be possible to forgive
those who sought to destroy the Union,
their deeds could not be forgotten.
He thought there were great lessons
to b. learned by these remembrances,
and den,ed the oft repeated assertion
that the war was demoralizing, or that
it had turned loose uDOn the coun-
try an army Of tramps and rognes, for
in almost every instance, if a man
eli tered the army honest and respecta
BILE he returned the same.
One great reason why the memories
of the war should be perpetuated is the
tact that it demonstrated o genuine love
for the government in the hearts Of the
people, and when the danger arose to
the Union. they said tive will fight to|
protect il"
He paid deserved and glowing trib-
ute to the noble women who 30 bravely
assisted in those dark hours, and min
iuf nrnd r., ths sick thA woIin0ad and |
the dying, and in many instances
nursed them back to life.
The war demonstrated the fact that
The American people are equal to any
emergency tllatmay come upon them, and
that tho whole population Of men and
boys were standing army that could