Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-05-31

with a conviction of the righteousness of
their cause. And when, broken and dis
heartened, worn out and decimated they
were forced to acknowledge defeat. we
were more than glad to accord to them the
honors Of war And here on this holy
ground, in spirit shoeless and hatless, we
greet them as brothers and fellow citizens.
] said We had superior means of war
fare. [ desire TO be understood here.
fear that someone may think that pecuni-
airy facilities is meant. A short while ago
| heard an eloquent gentleman pay a high
tribute to those who furnished the money
to carry ON the war 1t seems to have
been a very prevalent belief, that we owe
our sUcceas in part TO noble band of
disinterested patriots, who at the criti-
cal moment came 10 the rescue
and literally poured out the glitter
| ing dollars which put down the rebellion
of poverty stricken country. and at great
| risk OF their private fortunes, magnani-
mously opened their strong boxes and with
a liberality unknown before or since pour
ed into the public treasury the giittering
dollars that put down the rebellion.
Ii such were the fact L would say all
honor to obr noble bankers. But believe
me. | do not credit the story. In my
opinion it is fiction l have heard some
where and at some time a winsome story
! of an accommodation entered into between
the secretary of the treasury and some
wealthy gentlemen on Wall street by which
| the administration at Washington was en-
dowed with the ready cash to go on with
military preparations without embarrass-
ment, in virtue OF which the people of our
! beloved country are under an eternal, ever
| lasting and never to be fully compensated
debt of gratitude and other kind OF debt
! TO certain parties and their assigns But
what are the cold facts, When the
! first gun was fired the coin of the
country disappeared from sight like mists
| before the morning sun. The banks Sus-
pended specie payment. The government
| at Washington resorred TO a forced loan
! from the people and mortgaged the labor,
| patriotism and industry OF pOsterity to Sc
cure it. With its promises duly engraved
| the government paid the soldiers and pur
chased armed supplies, which though not
| receivable by the government for duties on
| imports, nor legal tender in payment OF
! the bonded debt, Were received gladly by
| the boys at the front, and also by the peo-
pie in payment for mules and horses and
| hay and grain and beef and pork and ali
manner OF farm and manufactured pro-
! ducts.
The demands of the war made an abnor-
NAL market for all productions of indus
| try, and production was enormously stlp-
ulated. The government WAS great and
never fully-supplied customer. In
virtue Of which certain individuals
predisposed to thrift, took upon them
! selves the patriotic task OF furnishing the
different departments of the government,
more especially the department OF war,
with the necessary supplies, and they be-
came known as government contractors.
There were contractors and sub-contrac-
tors, and they made large profits, and their
profits they invested in the bonds of Uncle
sam. After the cruel war was over and
the country was again bathed III peace and
| there was no longer an enormous con-
sumner and customer as the government
had been, and when the laboring and pro-
ducing classes were wont TO seek for pur-
chasers in sorrow and depression, so solic-
itous were these thrifty and noble minded
holders of our bonds for the credit and
good name OF our government, they de-
manded that the principle and interest be
paid in gold, which was wrung from the
people by enormous and burdensOme taxa
ton and paid i'll honest ducats to these
wise men OF the east.
But it has never been deemed necessary
for our national credit that the loss which
the soldiers in the field suffered from being
paid in deprecated currency should be
made up to them in honest money and
this is the way our great Tin ancial bene-
factors saved the country. But l believe
so far from being country savers they were
leeches and blood suckers. They robbed
honest labor and honest service of their
just reward, and they and their successors
are today hanging like mill stone upon
the neck OF the country, threatening Its
submergence in a maelstrom of selfishnesS
and greed, and Fastening national and
social tragedy the like OF which the world
has never seen. l believe the country was
saved by the bodies and souls of loyal and
devoted men and women throughout the
whole union. | give this crum of comfort
to our brothers lately in rebellion, that
you were conquered, not by the power of
sordid gold, nor by the conspicuous aid of
Shylocks, but by the Drawn and brain
OF a gallant and valorous citizen soldiery,
gathered from all the states and terrific
ries OF the American union.
On this bright day, hallowed by sacred
associations and dedicated to fond memo
ries, we demand Of you that respect and
confidence which is ever due to fidelity and
courage. and in reciprCcating we assure
you of our cordial friendship. We sim
cerely invite you to common feast of
good fellowship.
Away with themes of war; away with
war itself;
Hence from my shuddering sight, to never
more return,
That show of blackened, mutilated corpses;
That hell unpent and raid of blood,
Fit for wild tigers or lopped-tongued
wolves, not reasoning men:
And in its stead, speed industry's CAM
paigns,
With thy undaunted armies engineering,
Thy penants labor, loosening to the breeze,
Thy bugles sounding loud and clear"
And now. as we srrew flowers on the
last resting place of Fed. and Confed, of
Yank and Johnnie Reb alike, let US renew
our obligations and mutually pledge our
sacred honor. and our lives if need be, to
the maintenance and defense of one coun-
try and one flag. In the interim between
bloody encounters we exchange our coffee
for your tobacco across the picket line,
and now in the glorious sunlight of peace
we hail you friend, brother, comrade.
Mr. Campbell was followed by Mr.. Ru-
dolph Turk, an attorney, late of Vir-
ginia, who served in the confederate army
the last two years of the war, entering
when fifteen years old. He spoke as fol- |
lows: |
Ladies and Gentlemen.
At the solicitation of friends who were
Union soldiers have consented to address |
You this evening.
From our youth up, aye, from our moth |
er's knee, we have been taught to tread
lightly upon the ashes of the dead. Twas |
of our earliest lessons, and 1t cllngs to US !
with that melancholy sweetness which
early childhood's lessons are want TO leave
upon the human mind.
We are met here to do reverence to those /
who in life We're the JOY of many hearts;
in death, revered and mourned, and whose
grave are the shrine at which today the
tears of the graudest nation on this great
round world are poured IN full lihation.
My friends, there is splendid lesson here,
one which was learned by the men who
wore the blue and the gray never TO. be
forgotten. a lesson 10 those who are TO
shape the destiny of our country, lesson
TO the world
This day brings before US again in mag