St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-05-31


but less fortunate than they. fell in de-
Tense of their country's life. We honor
the living by entering heartily with
them into the spirit of this day, by shar-
ing with them the memories which this
day calls up, by rejoicing with them in
the triumph which their arms achieved.
and by calling to mind that the volun-
teer soldiers of the republic, whether
living or dead, have given the highest
possible proof of patriotic devotion
since all alike have exposed themselves
to death for their country, and greater
love hath no man than this-that a man
lay down his life for his friends.
Nor do we to-day honor merely the
soldiers of the republic.
'sThey who go
Feel not the pain Of parting; it is they
Who stay behind that suffer-"
The story of the patriotism OF '61 can
never be told if no mention is made of
the women OF our country; of women
with tear-stained faces, parting from
husbands, sons, brothers, or lOvers-of
women more heroic than the matrons of
dearest ones, not by crushing their own
love, but by binding with the richful-
ness of their love the soldier more
closely to his country-of women more
patriotic than the mothers of the RevO-
luton, for no danger threatened their
own hOmes-Of women more Self-fOrget-
full than many at the cross of Jesus,
for their sacrifice was voluntary and
free. Oh, women of America. kindred
of the heroes who fought-mourners,
weeping for the faces that have not
come back, and never will come back to
tighten your homes. never can, never
shall America forget the sacrifice which
you have made that human liberty
might not perish from the earth.
1t is your thinking soldier who is
heroic-who, as he marches to death,
knows what he is doing and what he is
doing it for-knows that he is making
the greatest possible sacrifice for the
sacrifice could be made, the salvation
of his country. He marches on,
though he knows the almost inevitable
result, for duty whispers to him his
marching orders, and at the last service
rendered, glorifies deed which, if UNI
called for, would have been the ex-
IRENE Of folly. An Intelligent percep-
ton of danger to be met. of service to
be rendered, of duty to be done, and
when tits done, we'll done, and the
soldier is hero.
In every case it is duty and service
which consecrate the courage and make
the display of it heroic. The same
courage in the face of danger, exhibited
unnecessarily, for mere bravado, or for
any foolish purpose, would win APP
plauSe from no one who is wise. You
stand on the bank at Niagara falls and
watch the mighty river come down the
rapids swift, mercileSs and reS!Stless as
the river of time which sweeps every
thing into eternity and at last plunge
into the awful abyss below. Instinct
lively you step back from the fearful
cataract lest some sudden impulse of
your own, some toy of desperation, or
some careless movement of another,
should hurl you into that mist-wreathed
food and bury you forever in the faith
Omless chasm. What fate more terrible
than to be thrown upon those angry
waters with inevitable death before
you? What courage more sublime than
deliberately to seek such death? Yet
the man who jumps down the falls of
Niagara is no hero. Without duty,
without service, he dies suicide and a
fool. While the soldier who in love of
country and the discharge Of duty
the lannon's mouth, or the deadly rifle
pit, not all the ages of eternity can blot
out his glory from the memory of God
and men, for he dies that others may
live.
The two periods of fifteen years each,
between 1774 and 1889 ana between 1850
and 1865, are remarkably alike in the
condition of affairs at the beginning
and in the magnitude of results achieved
at the end. In 1774 George Ill. was
king. In 1850 slavery was king. The
first period of fifteen years extinguished
a peoples loyalty to their king aud
mother country, accustomed then to the
| idea of Independence secured independ-
ence. organized new nation on new
system of government never before sue
! cessfully established, and made George
Washington president. The other pc
Rod of fifteen years destroyed a peO-
pies devotion to slavery as protected
| by the constitution, created new dec
laration of independence, abolished
slavery and assured the continuance of
the republic on the principles of the
fathers, over which slavery should have
no control. Such result could never
have been gained by the enemies of
slavery. Its friends sieZed with mad
ness which the gods send to those whom
they would destrOy,.gave up the segis
of the constitution which securely pro-
tected their beloved institution, turned
traitors to the country, and thus gave
the republic an opportunity to do what
it had never before even hoped to do
destroy slavery.
Our government had existed for sew
enty years when the rebellion broke
out, and although when it was first Or
gained Europe looked Oh with distrust
and believed that the country would go
to pieces On the first appearance of dis
sention, our career had been peaceful
and prosperous. TWAS found that no
body knew so well what laws were
the laws. Our example, as the years
passed. had its influence upon other
countries. Humanity meant more than
it did before the people ruled. Despot-
ism was less sacred when seen to be UNI
necessary. A man was more than
formerly now that, however poor he
might be, he was. in political power at
least, equal to the best. Rights were
more sacred; duties more obligatory,
brotherhood sweeter, hope brighter, the
future more glorious. The country had
extended it's area to the Pacific. Every
where was peace and prosperity, until
the 18th of April, 1861, when the nest
of traitors in Charleston opened fire
on Fort Sumpter. The response
to that attack was the unlooked-for but
magnificent uprising of the North.
Minnesota was the first to tender regi-
ment to save the Union. and Gettysburg
can tell what kind of regiment 1t was.
Commercial New York kihdled into q
glow of patriotism with the rest of the
North. Two millions of free men, first