Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1885-09-18
nation shall know civil war no more


Your victories, glorious as they were
in war, have been no less renowned in
peace. Two decades of years ago this
Nation, burdened with a debt that
might well have paralyzed he ener-
gies of people; the Nations wounds
bleeding; the passions of her citizens
infiamed by four years of civil war
many of her fertile sections laid desc.
late. While in this condition the vast
armies, but yesterday contending with
stubborn bravery upon the battle field,
were disbanded. In that supreme test
ofthe strength OF Republican form of
government, there were those who pro-
phesied only evil to the Nation and that
continually. You who had borne the
heat of battle were equal 10 the emer-
gency. You took counsel of hope
and not fear. Your trials, sufferings,
?rivatlons and dangers in war had
served to endear to you the institutions
of our common country and the bless
ing of peace. You had never sunk the
citizen into the mere soldier-th war
ended, the soldier disappeared and the
citizen renamed. AS soldiers you
demonstrated to the nations of the
earth that a government whose corner
stone is the will of the people, was
strong and magnanimons in war, as
citizens you were highly resolved that
she should be grand and prosperous in
peace; that the blood of the citizen
soldiers and sailors,-your comrades
who laid their deeds of bravery and
heroism upon the altar OF patriotism,
and died that Nation might live,
should not have been shed in vain.
Never did the high-priest enter into
the most sacred precincts of the tenn
pie, with more of devotion and less of
malice than you in 1865, entered upon
your duties as private citizens. How
we'll you have discharged those duties
let the prosperity of the Nation for
the last score Of years-such as no Ma
ticn ever enjoyed before-answer.
The Nations wounds have been
bound up; her waste places have
been made to bud and blossom as the
rose; her mountain of debt has melted
away as snow in summer; the music of
prosperous industries blended with the
pseans of lasting peace is heard IN the
land; the smouldering echoes of war
have been quenched in love of coun.
try; united, prosperous and happy
people return thanks to HIM who hath
preserved US nation.
We welcome you as the saviours Of
the Union of the States, from which all
these blessings flow, and without
which theywould havebeen impossible.
We trust there is no place in this Ma
ton where you are not welcome, or
where YOU are ostrazcized socially or
politically because love OF country
led you TO give your services 10 main.
tain our flag unsullled and our country
undivided; services for which gen.
erations yet unborn shall rise up to call
you blessed.
"In grateful recognition ofyour SER
vices, sacrifices and sufferings" the
Congress OF the United States by SOL
emn enactment, declared that you
SHOULD be preferred for appointments
to civil Offices" !" and gave you the Ma
TONS recommendation for preference
to all remunerative pursuits and EN-.
ployments in civil iie-and further
that in making any reduction of force
in any of the executive departments ol
the government, the head OF such de.
partment shall retain those persons
who may be equally qualified, who
have been honorably discharged fiom
the military or naval service of the
United States, and the widows and or.
phans of deceased soldiers and sail
ors. Let those in authority give vital
ity to the promise of a grateful govern
ment when 1t pledged itself "to care
for him who shall have borne the bat
tie, and for his widow and orphans.
Let not this sta,u te be as idle mock
cry as was the statue of Liberty ir
whose shadow the patriots of France
were guillotned. or as lifeless as the
grinning mummy in the catacombs o.
Egypt. Let this statute, enacted in the
day of the Nations extremity, be liber.
ally construed and faithfully enforc ed
it, day of the Nations prosperity to
ward those who rendered tha, prosper
ity possible Let the performance of the
Nation be. equal to her promise. lie,
her NOT he &c o,a ,.Tb,,