The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1886-06-04

have been baptised In the red font of ma.
tlonal war, and you will be rccreant to
the vows of your baptism If you do moi
stay any arm raised against the republic,
Let no act OF yours confer power upon
any man, no matter whether he halls the
crescent or the cross, no matter what
party colcrs flaunt above hun, unless he
loves his country as a moth er loves hel
child.
II you see any man on any rostrum in
this whole country. standing under the
red flag OF revolution, with the stars and
stripes under his feet, counseling those
around him to assail the citidel of our
liberty, aud substit ute anarchy and chaos
for the restraint of the law. ''shoot him
on the spot" and il your country will not
tigers Whelps we.haye nursed within our
walls.
Age and increasing infirmities, intensi
fed by the hardships of the war, are
crowding you through the gate OF
Of tile city OF the dead. and when
IL shall enclose the last actor of the war
may your country still be as joyous and
happy as the bird in the willow that will
rustic above you.
| Feilow-citiZens, you saw the conflict
ended, and you saw two shattered armies,
proud Of each others gallantry. return TO
their homes. when the last disloyal flag
fell from the palsied hand of the South.
ern confederacy.
| You have seen great people chastened
by the mutual calamities of war, again
proud of their common ancient glory,
still radiant with hopes that all the
treachery OF the world were unable 10
d feat.
You saw our mother England build and
arm confederate pirnteers to drive our
commerce from the seas. You saw
France hold Macmillan on the throne of
the Montezumas OILY to pounce on the
Union when 1t should be gaspiny for
breath. You saw them both hold UP the
bloody arm Of rebellion, whilst it smote
the hearts quivering in every northern
home Yes, and in the whirl of q Just
retribution you have since seen the armies
of Russia, encamped around the Column
Vendome, in the city of Paris, and to day
you see Robert Emmett risen from the
dead, standing on the highest summit Of
| Ireland, suspending the sword of Damo-
cles over England on her Bonded knees
These nations that tried to Get the clock
of human liberty back thousand years
may demand the pity Of mankind, but
America has none to give.
In the hour of our anguish and peril
the Briton sneered as our tlmid flag
dropped at the rising mast off Englands
shore. And the Turk, lolling on his
silken divan. scOffed as it came down the
golden horn; but to-day when America
turns her prows towards any shore all is
silent as Is the forest when the Sultan OF
Atlas roars.
You have seen rejuvinated country,
wrangllng, leap forward with q higher
bound towards the accomplishment of the
highest destiny that all the ages have
proposed to man. Remember that your
country is the only home of that liberty
and manhood that had the fortltude to
break the bonds Of degenerate legiti-
macy and assert the peoples right to
rule, and to preserve that country in all
its symmetry is the sacred trust imposed
on you in the testament of our gallant
dead.
Roll back on your rusty hinges, We por-
tails of the soldiers tomb. Come forth,
We sleeping dead, and baptize the living
with the holy ardor that closed the casket
of your lives.
They will not come. They do not hear
my voice, and there Is no angel by to roll
away the stone that seals the tomb; but
from the realm of silence where they lie
they breathe earthward divine lnspira-
ton to exalt to manly duty those who
have country to love.
Then through the gloom of funereal
sadness that enshrouds the day, there
comes a CLEAN of exultant pride, as we
behold the problem of our national life
solved forever, and see down the vista of
ages the long procession of coming gen.
erations, and hear it singing the anthems
of happiness and peace as it comes to in
herit q land where no contradiction of
equal law can mock at public justice.
At the conclusion of the Judges adj.
dress, some fifty little girls and young
ladies who had been selected by Mr.. J..
P. McClelland, chairman of the floral
committee, to present the wreaths to
him, did so in the following language:
Comrade of Post 10, Grand Army of
the Republic: In your name offer this
tribute to the memory of -, a
soldier of the Great War;"
And as this was done each floral tri-
butte was placed upon the crosses (three
in number) made to receive them,