Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-05-30
Ihe 6rGe pr1ss.
THE NATIONS TRIUMPH,
An Eloquent Exposition of the Results
of the War,

of the War.
From an Grafton by the Hon. John D. Long Of
Massachusetts
Why do we recall all this? Because
the sacrifice is lost in the contamination
death is swallowed up in victory. Be-
cause it was not nipped bud, but the
full flower; not life cut off, but life
rounded and complete. Because the high
ideals, the lofty purposes, the forward
looking ambition to he of service in the
world were all fulfilled, not defeated, in
these young men. If in our pride of con-
quest, if i'll these organizations and fes-
tivals, our purpose were simply to count
our excess of victories, to glory in supe-
riority of endurance, strength and num-
bers, to echo the gladiator's roar OF tri-
'lmph, to rake from the dying embers
flashes of the singing fires of hate, it
were worse than time wasted. 1t was no
fight of men with men. That is but bru-
tality. 1t was the eternal war of right
with wrong, which 10 divine and wreathes
an eternal crown of glory around the
brow of the conqueror. Our foes were
not worth beating, if the purpose were
simply to beat them. But it was the
chastisement of love that overthrow, not
them, but the false gods they worshiped,
the false principles they obeyed, and that
gave to them and secured to us Union
for the first time founded on universal
freedom and equality. And so it is that
as sometimes brave man perils and loses
his life that he may save that CT a little
child or even of a foe, 80 our heroes died
that all their countrymen North and
South might live the only life worth liv-
ing-the life of the freeman. 1t would
be easy to say that the late war demon
strated that we are nation of soldiers as
well as of citizens, and to paint the lau-
rcls which in case of another we could
win again on sea and land But prefer
to say that the result is united country,
a solid South, such as it soon will be, only
because at last and forever solidly identi-
fed with the education, the business
giowth, the glowing enterprise OF the
North its common people taught in
common schools, its vast fields open to
the stimulating immior"t'"' g ~
Its great rivers turning the wheels of
peaceful and prosperous industries-a
united country that counts as nothing its
ability to fight the world, but az every
thing it's ability to lead the world in the
arts Of peace, secure in the consciousness
ether than III the exhibition CT power
and cemented not by blood but by ideas.
This is our triumph-not that we over
threw brave though ignorant, provin-
cial, misguided foe, stunted by the bar
barism of slavery, but that we have for
ever established in fact the principle that
all men are born free and equal have
destroyed the doctrine of caste have
proved the stability and permanence of
government of the people have CONSOLE
dated our Heterogeneous population and
made them all of one birth and kin, so
that the names of our fallen dead no long
Ct, like those on the Lexington column,
are all patronymics of pure New. England
stock, but, ne you may now read them on
the later shafts throughout the common
wealth, represents every nationality, each
blending in the one common destiny of
the American republic. We have con-
firmed the policy of honesty in financial
administration, of keeping good the ma
tons promise, and of giving Its people
al honest dollar. We have struck the
shackles from the feet of the slave and
from the soul of his master. We have
let loose the energies that are turning
this great domain into hive of industry
and prosperity 'girt it with bands of iron
rails and disembowled its mines of gold
and silver and more precious ores Best
of all we have emancipated the prodigal
states themselves from the swineherd's
thraldom and put rings on their hands
and shoes on their feet. allowing them to
justly share, but never more to domineer.
1t was Gen. Greene of our neighbor
Rhode Island, who a hundred years ago
led South Carolina to victory in the war
for independence. 1t was Gen. Lincoln
of our own Massachusetts who received
the sword of CORVALLIS at Yorktown in
the same good cause. Since then South
Carolina and Virginia, false to that cause,
have struck their flags to the men of
Rhode Island and Massachusetts, who
held them to their better duty. They
will not repeat that mistake.
1t has been said that it would be better
to blot ont this day and with it every re-
collection of the past it commentaries. !
believe it is better to keep the day and tc
forget nothing of the past, if so on both
sides we make the past lesson for the
future, and out of its very nettle of hor-
ror and danger pluck the flower of safety
The mere man you fought is naught, ant
it is indeed better to forgive and forge
him. But the victory you won over hin
was the victory Of principles and is eter
nal. Proud may you be indeed to keel
it known that you share and transmit it
glory that, having as soldiers saved tn
republic, as citizens you perpetuate 1t
that you recall youth not lost, but mad
immortal. Proud, too, the commonwealth
OF such sons secure in their hands alik
IN peace or war her motto still tn
quetude of peace with liberty, but els
the sword.