The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1888-09-26
ADDRESS OF JUDGE WHITE
At the Unwilling of the Soldiers
Monument at Somerset,
CanrAp-her IT


unwilling Of The soldiers monument. Sept.
18th, taken down for the HEsAID by It's
special reporter. We would commend it to
the careful p~srnsal OF all our readers
Somewhere it is said, ladies. gentleman
and comrades, thai the rain falls upon the
just as well as the unjust. SO beneath the
lowering clouds thai are over Us to-day we
are all, in this respect, upon an equality. l
tell You frankly. however. my friends who
have come here to-day for so honorable a
purpose, that if l was the Grea; Commander
/ would have il otherwise 50 far as the rain
is concerned at least. Allow me, however.
to congratulate you upon your enterprise
and patriotism in turning ont upon this oe-
c~asion, notwithstanding the unpromising
character Of the weather.
may remark, my friends, that It has never
been my privilege TO make the our of En-
rope. but the graphic powers Of the travelling
correspondent, with the accompaniment Of
illustration has 50 familiarized Us with Eu-
ropean towns and cities, that when I came
this morning FOR the arst time in my life 10
this attractive mountain borough, l at once
realized that | was not in a European towu
but in an American one. The tourist Of
Europe who has visited their towns and
cities must be impressed with the fact that
the main reliance for the government Of the
people there Is the military power, for they
are all laid out with a view OF eentering at a
moment the military force. When you visit
a European iown you viii observe there is
a common center, and every highway and
avenue approaches to that center. The pur-
pose is readily discovered. IN case OF resist
anoe, or an outbreak ofthe popular wiz, the
central authorities, supported hy the accom-
panimeuts Of war, can at one suppress any
opposition. Not so With American towns
they are laid out with reference TO the con-
y~enience Of the people and the beauty Of the
landscape. Our reliance for the government
Of the people is not upon the military power
alone. For ages their towns, Taught by ex-
p~erienoe, have been laid ont with the view Of
instantly using the military power 10 sccare
peace aud order in their communities. Dig
up their soil and you viii come upon mill
tary works, and the deeper you dig the more
diversified Is their character. While this is
true my friends in Europe, and the contrast
is striking and telling between American
communities AID theirs, yet the achieve
ments of American soldiers are not to be dis
regarded. No bloody page stains his career
with battles fought for conquest alone. No
mere individual ambition has led him to
civil war.
History ever repeats itself. The ancient
Egyptians had among their deiuesone which
was called the God Osiris. One of their sa-
cred books represented him as judging the
soul after death had separated it from the
body, The soul is represented as wandering
about the earth for a while doing good, and
finally returned in modified form to the
body in which il was formerly contained.
That soul that could defend itself before him
by saying | have never been idle, I have
never betrayed z trust, I have given food 10
the hungry, I have given drink 20 the thirsty.
/ have given clothes to the naked, and better
than all 1 have been true to my country,
was taken into high favor bat the soul that
could make no such defense returned to life
in the shape Of groveling pig or some other
u~nclean quadruped. History then. I say.
forever repeats itself, and organized society
subsequently has utilized this valuable lea-
I ture Of humanity and forever aemires patri-
otic services and heroic sacrifices, and the
government of the people will DO well to be
instructed by the wise philosophy that comes
from the peculiarities Of our nature. Among
the businesses of the TyTol the name OF An
drew Hofer is dearer than all else, while
among the crags and islands Of scotland the
sword Of Wallace forever CLEANS in the uu-
light and the name Of Bruce is an ever pres
ent reality. Westminster Abbey for en-
turies has contained the remains of;he loyal
dead who have commended themselves to
the admiration Of the world by their achieve
ments in science, in philosophy. in politics
and in oratory. And il comes TO rs, also,
my friends. as an instructive lesson from the
I Grecian people, when the republic there was
in full prosperity. that they assembled oeea-
sionally 10 do honor 10 those who had made
patriotic sacrifices for their country. After
the battle Of Marathon the people from all
parts Of the republic assembled upon the
field made glorious by the heroic sacrifices Of
the soldiers who had saved the learning and
refinement Of Athens from the hands Of the
Persian spoiler, and those that died upon
that field were buried upon the spot that
their courage and gallantry bad made forever
famous, aud in beautiful story Is il told that
ten pillars were erected upon the monu-
mental temples in which were gathered the
arms Of the dead and upon these monuments
were inscribed. tor the venerat'On of the peo-
! Tie the names Of those who died 70 save their
country and its learning and refinement
from the destroying hand Of the spoiler, and
it comes to US, my friends, in this late day.
with the sanction OF we'll authenticated tu-
dition, tina il was par; of the education Of
the Grecian children after tie battle Of Tier
mopylsc to daily read the names Of the inn
mortal $40 who died defending that noun
tain pass, and we a citizens Of the great re-
public do well to heed the philosophy and
instruction that comes to us through these
long ages.
In a popular government ike this, where
every man has a right To practice his voca.
ton, las a righ; 10 indulge bis ambition and
where there viii be necessary jostlings and
r~iyalries arise. it Is wise to have some com
mon platform where on al can stand and ad-
mire their country and system Of govern
ment. My friends, such occasions as this
are useful and instructive. They must not
be sneered at because these assemblages are
the result Of The teachings of the Republican
system Of government.
The question Is onen asked what made
this war, what made IL, this serious inferno
I cine strife2 I will not take the time now 10
speak OF the details OF history, its passion
and prejudices. Do you know what made
the war? / think I do not know myself, IL
was 50 eauseless it was TIE insult Of 50
much misappreheusiou. / recall listening TO
a statement from an honored citizen of your
town. Judge Black, whose conversation was
always entertaining to me n matter how
much we might differ in our political opin-
ions. After the close Of the Buchanan ad-
ministra;ion and the Inauguration of Mr..
Lincoln, he started back 10 Washington, go
ing through Harper's Ferry. At the time
Virginia had organized some troops. but had
not formally attached itself TO the Montgom-
cry government. The tnin was stopped at
Harper's Ferry BIZ some Of these troops and
the Judge being recognized as a public man,