The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-05-26

war, in making its appeal to our patriots, rang
its trumpetnOtes in the ears of no glOry-loving,
martial people. Peaceful occupations, home
quiet, the routine of commerce. of the trades of
the farm, these were the chosen ways of North
ern habits None cared less than our citizens of
the North to seek the bubble reputation at
the cannon's mouth. In the vast majority of
instances it was a hardship TO relinquish the
daily avocations. The instant response. that
uprising of a great people" as an eloquent
Frenclnnan termed it, was the attitude Of self
sur1ender-'-for the sake of my country, here /
consecrate myself"
The speaker then discussed the interests in
cidents and issue of the struggle and closed
with this appeal
Your soldiers of Indiana dearly bought your
ransomed heritage They lay wounded and
dying, as we have seen, on more than three
hundred battle fields Nearly two score thou
sand of them never came back to the homes
from which they went out. They stood between
you and yours and the desolaton of your homes.
They stood between your government and its
dishenoF They gave themselves, as Abraham
Lincoln, SO simply and sWblimely said, that the
government of the people, by the people, and
for the people, might not perish from the earth.
You promised, those Of you who cheered them
forth, to keep their memory green. You prom
lsed gaHands of flowers, should they fall. for
their graves. Year by year you have fitly kept
that promise But for your own sales as well
as theirs; for your children's sake and for
their childrens you need to lift high the
story Of their deeds. 1t is fit that You should
intrust it to the most enduring materials you
can find. There are monuments that have stood
thousands Of years. This great heroic period of
your land in which you have lived, and in which
your citizen soldiers fought not only the battle
for native land but for humanity, deserves rec
ord far more than that period when Egypt. in its
seifshness, had to tell of conquered and OPP
pressed races upon its tablets of granite its
soaring obelis1s, and its gloomy pyramids.
Though You cannot reanimate the dust OF
your heroes, you may inspire in other hearts
grateful State is willing and proud to do for
those who virtually said, 1T is sweet and hon
oraole to die for our country" You can indi-
cate that beyond a money value for
services of this kind, exists a sentiment
of appreciation which puts upon them
the stamp of supremest worth You can prove
that republics are not ungrateful but that, hav-
ing given more lavishly than was ever given III
patriotic War before they can lend an added grace
to their gifts by bidding the sculptors art en-
body their grateful sentiment. ! ask net simply
that Indiana shall not fall behind her sister
States. plead that she may not fall below
the measure of her own heroism in the estimate
she makes of what it deserves. ! plead that
she may not withhold from the present and sue
cessive generations the appeal which she may
make in enduring stone TO the noblest record i'll
her history plead that she may raise aloft the
interpreting symbols OF self-devoti5n and self
sacrifice to inspire these qualities evermore in
her sons and daughters plead in behalf Of God
cause, which recognizes every worthy form of
self surrender as kindred to the spirit of Christ
and promotive of His kingdom OF love, that men
who died for you may have memorial worthy
to signalize that last, pathetic crowningproof Of
hero's conservation of himself to the rights of
HUMANITY