, 1886-06-03

Ia quick response attentive faces
frown-anl fife, and drum, and dream
of glory. complete the sad catastro-
ply OF wars inception.
Oh, fatal day. Oh, fair, foolish
South. Not yet-Hot Yet! Take
back your mad resolves. Trust still
to argument, instead Of arms!
But alas! No. The turning point
is past. These men are made of DIFF
ferent stuff. Their blood is hot. but
is descended from the brave. They
have appealedf 70 the sword and ex-I
pect the sword to Judge them.
blen, and women too have caught
the mania of secession; even their
children breathe its inspiration
Every industry is paralyzed, and
danger turks where safety used to
sit.
The sulPhurous clouds OF war
begin to lower and threaten Peace
mounts and flies away
Liberty looks on and trembles for
her security, while despots OF the old
world chuckle. and point with con
tempt the finger of scorn at q tOtter-
ing Republic.
All, comrades, you were boys then
mothers pride and country's hope
Time had not yet left its silver
marks upon your heads, OF otiffened
your strong young limbs.
The mounting blood and undis-
ciplined ambition of budding man
hood was yours.
From field. and shop, and office,
you read secession's challenge; you
heard its preparation, you saw it on
the march
At last the great, cool, commercial
North begins to wake; to take sides,
and to act.
There stands our untried Lincoln,
looking with troubled face down over
disputing and distracted people
father against son, brother against
brother. millions against millions!
Scott, Chase, Seward and Curtin are
at his side. He hesitates. A conflict
between love and dpty is raging in
bis breast.
Treason sees him. She Kisses in
contempt, and coils to strike.
1t is enough. Indecision vanishes.
The peoples president yields. Duty
must ward that blow and duty with
love must bind the power that aims it.
In an instant the firm, bold hand of
Simon Cameron, Secretary of War, is
in motion, and every stroke Of his pen
pulsates throughout the world. The
call for troops is written-Loyalty
musters and purpose follows falter
ing.
Everywhere, men snap the ties of
party. Politics is hurled aside and
patriotism steps to the front. Social
bonds are breaking on every hand
and hate supplants the place of
friendship. Families are torn and
scattered. Friends become enemies
and enemies friends. The rich make
companions of the poor. City, town,
and rural lane echoes with the beat
of drum. Flags wave, bands play
and people shout, ''Hurrah for the
| Union"
From every State, regiment follows
regiment on road and rail and
steamer until the power of the nation
is at the front, arrayed in line of
battle.
The blue confront the gray.
The brave, face the brave and the
issue is uncertain.
And now, from North and South
the electric wire OF prayer that con-
meets the earth with heaven, is
crowded with the dispatches of faith
asking for the boon of victory.
Anxiety is in every home. Minutes
seem hours and hours seem days.
x X
Soon, the click of wires tell the
awful tale of battle. Our flag is still
there, but the Grape of mourning en-
circles the land.
Time passes. Armies reorganize on
other fields and victory alternates-
now to tho blue, now to the gray.
One, two, three years OF dreadful
carnage and weary waiting have al
ready passed, and what chapter of
change and teTrors each presents!
Every house is now hospital for
sick or wounded. Every cemetery
contains sacred relic from the field
of glory and every home points to its
vacant chair. Mothers lament the
death of dear boys. Widows weep
for husbands, and children cry for
fathers.
The Governments resources are
strained to their utmost tension; and
in addition, it is harassed with that
cowardly parasite-the Copperhead,
who abuses The Liberty that suffers
| him to live, and insults the flag that
gives him shelter. Unionists hate
him, and Rebels despise him.
Minor instructions spring up at
home. The British lion shows his
teeth and growls. and doubt and
gloom is depicted on the faces of the
strongest But Lincoln and Stanton
and Seward are still at the head, and
full of determination to hang on and
pound and pound until the last yes
tige OF life is pounded out of Rebel
lion. At the critical moment the
country finds Grant, a Sherman and
a Sheridan! To them the engines of
war are entrusted; and before another
year the grandest campaign is plan
ned and executed that any age of the
world has ever witnessed.
Sherman marches from Atlanta to
the sea- Sheridan sweeps through
the Shenandoah, Grant lights it out
on that line" to Richmond, and the
most gigantic Rebellion that ever
disgraced the earth is crushed, and
crushed foreUer!
To Summarize the matter In 1861,
the Government played with war In
1862 it realized war, and in 1868 it
was in the very midnight of war In
1864 it disciplined war, and in 1865 it
conquered war.
Yes, comrades, twenty-one eventful
years have passed since your loaded
guns and those of these sleeping COM
rades, brought back the angel of
peace at Appomattox.
Since then, tho boys in Blue and
the boys in Gray have scattered all
over Gods creation-some of them
a1,o ,ya4 hnPal horn Sinna fhnn fha