The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-06-17
A UHIrED PEOPLE.


Which Pervades Postmaster General
Villas Grand Grafton on Decoration
Day-Honor to the FOrgiving. Brave
| Conquerors and Honor to the Brave
Conquered-Tender Tributes to Grant,
Mcclellan and Hancock.
President Cleveland and his Cabinet
attended the meeting at the Academy
of Music, New York, which was held
upon Decoration Day. Postmaster
General Villas delivering an affecting,
broad-minded and brilliant grafton,
from which the following extracts are
selected:
''Mr. President. Comrades of the War; La
dies ana Gentiemen: The day has been taken
from our eager iaborS for the future to testi-
~ our reverence for the past. In decorous
parades, with music and with banners. with
solemn pomp and show. amid every circum-
stance OF honor. the people of the Nation
have repaired to hallowed graves and cele-
brated with the tender rite of flowers the
memory of the Nations saviorS. And now
that we are gathered by prayer, by song and
speech to httingly finish our share in the hon
ored ceremonial, tie spirit of the day rules
the thought and points the theme. A quarter
OF d century has sunk into the grave of time
since the dread alarm of civil war rang
through our land. A new era has begun. Il
new generation is upon the stage of Lite You
see now everywhere. IN all your Odlly waikS.
active men, whose hands are on the levers of
affairs who carry no useless memoir of the
events of those dIreful years Bv many a
fires de, amid circles of blooming children.
sit happy mothers who can tell OF the great
war but as u troublouS atfrightment of their
child hood. OF Our present population, more,
by millions, were in that period not existent
here or possess no remembrance OF its scenes,
than all. of every class and age. then within
the compass of the Union. History has fore
closed upon your great achievements, COM
dRa Nation nf m III hnx Qra
atale to be told. Swiftly, ON! how swiftly, do
the actors OF that mighty drama now fall
from the column of living men. Yet few
years more, and none shall be 10 bear person
al witness TO the children OF the great Repub-
lie of the trying hours of her dellvcrance.
ut is duty and privilege of two-fold
value to recount and emphasize the features
of the patriotism, purposes and grand results
by which our Union soldiers gained Their
title to the veneration of their cOuntrymen
and the world; first, to them, in the keeping OF
their rightful glory bright and pure; and then
to living men and to our children, by emulous
quickening and better understanding of the
love and duty due our country.
1T is not from their sold .erShip alone that
the sheen of their renOwn is so bright; their
labors, privat ons and dreadful sufeNngs.
their valOrous courage and gallant deeds in
arms for these were not distinctive in their
ennobement. These they shared with their
adversarieS, whose sold ership. approved on
many u nard-foughr and bloody field. worth
lily cOmpetes for its equal place on the page
of military fame. Beyond the soldiers quail
ties, though unsurpassed in them, the men
who wrought by arms the salvation of this
Government raise nobler claim to gratitude
and remembrance i'll the unSelfiSh chivalric
spirit of their sacrifice for the liberty and
progress of man, and i'll the vast, far-reach-
ing benefits bestowed by them on their
countrymen. Their need of praise rests on
their acceptance of conditions never before
imposed in human affairs; conditions eXigent
of more generous self-forgefting national
and personal sacrifice-for fruits to be gath
cred chiefly by other men in after times
than liberty or philanthropy Cter demanded,
or it had entered into the heart OF man to
conceive could be offered by any numerous,
wide spread people to such cause alone. In
the calm Of history, now that the clouds of
contemporaneOus turmoil have disappeared,
we may distinguish. IN clear view, the
height of the great argument TO which their
souls responded.
Il have spoken of these facts in the Ma
ton history as peculiar titles of honor to the
soldiers of the Union. But, comrades, 1t
would be false as vain-glOrious to arrogate as
theirs alone any feature of these hOnOrS. They
are the property of the Nation. Patriotism.
high purpose. and great sacrifices in the time
of war were shared by all. however varying
i'll degree. And for more than twenty years
the outcome OF results has been incumbent
wholly on the patriotism and conduct of
Americans as cit ZenS and not as soldiers. Not
those of the faithful States alone. let it be
justly remembered but of the South as well.
NanquiShed as well as victOrS had to bend
passions knee to duty; and to accept, not less
than to beStOw, forgiveness and magnanimity,
requires the generous mind. The trial of tenn
per, wisdom and character has been unex-
ampled but the issue has been triumphant.
and the great purposes of the war have been
secured by magnanmity on the one hand and
honor on the other, blended in restored COM
mon national love and pride. The paramount
remaining duty is fraternity and mutual hu-
man love The best and bravest OF the SOL
ders of the Union, and the best and bratest
of the soldiers of the South. long since joined
their friendly hands, hOnoring each others
valOr, proud of their common nationality.
hanIShing remembrance of errpr, uniting
their spirit and pr de to the traditions of the
Nation, and pledging themselves to its future
power and glory. They who have justified
their manhood by the ordeal of battle are brave
enough 10 trust and worthy to be trusted. In
brigadeS and divisions they have marched off
the field in this worlds strife, and passed
across the dark valley to the mysterious
land of death. In that unknown world, If
our hopes and faith for the life bevond have
value, the nobility of their manhood here is
assurance of their condition there, and in
joyous happy union they possess the realms
of bliss Shall their children left behind pur-
sue their earthly quarrel or accept the richer
legacy of their reconciliation? The past can
not be altered; the future, under God, is in
our hands. The hope of that future is in
union of fellowship, cemented by interest. by
patriotism and by pride. ReproacheS for
deeds beyond redemption, for conditions
gone forever; Sighs for hopes once enter
tanned, but long turned to ashes, may be
worse than fOlly-they may become crime
Whoever gives his voice or his example to
light or fan flame of sectional discord among
this fraternal people aims at the Nations
peace and life. He has spoken treason though
not dared to ACT it, who from the one side
filings vain taunts and SCOTS the lingering de-
mons of the past, or on the other sentimental.
ly prateS of the resurrection of the mOlder-
ing mummy, the lost cause" Let him who
can. pitch his prophetic vision through the
coming years over the prosperity, the gran
deur of this land teemng with multiplied
millions of freemen, rich in resources, en-
lightened by well-diffused knowledge. and
plates the safely-moving tram of human hap
piness, weigh the iniquity that would cast an
obstruction on its track. Rash with enthusi-
aSm and inexperieEce. we sent out our earli-
Quired only feveriSh desire. They soon re-
turned in panic, and the land Quvered with
tremor of humiliation and fear.
Mcclellan took the mob, and an army came
into being never surpassed in all the ages of
war. That splendid corps was his, the Army of
the Potomac. From the beginning to the end
ii coped in constant struggle with the best
trained and best led enemy. In checkered
fortune, it bore the direst shocks and blows of
war, but none could break its spirit or its
form. Relentless in its iron purpose. at last
it gained the triumph of the age and took the
sword of Lee. Never more magnificent than
when he led it, through all its renowned
career it renamed McClellan's army and
loved him as its father to the end And
though cruel fate denied HIM but to look upon
the glittering capital promised TO its proves,
the glory of his army that won ii will forever
irradiate his name.
"And Hancock 5 name was also called by that
dread constable who summons to the grave.
The superb Hancock! The beau ideal of
manhood's splendor! Fancys figure of the
fighting General! Bred in all the learning of
the martial art. practiced in its exercises, in
stature, port and speech, the soldier and the
gentleman in lustrous perfection. His
brilliant star shines in the galaxy of TIE
heroes of the battlefield, whom, from both
sides. history has chosen for the armament
of military fame. In that great combat on
which, more than any single one beside. the
Nations safety hung, the supreme moment
of decision was committed to his conduct
His command sustained the desperate assault
which Pickett led stalking the battle on the IS
sue; with bloody penalty, drove MIN DacE
and won the momentOus day. AND there.
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