Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1889-06-06

heroes, and in so doing teach the rising genera
tion that the Nation holds in grateful remem-
bFanee their sacrifices that the nation aclnow-
lodges its great debt to these martyrs and their
surviving comrades; that patriotism is not a
dead sentiment, and that IL occasion demands,
America expects them to emulate those immortal
heroes and defend its liberties with their prop.
erty, their sacred honor and theirlives
What memorial day is for, why we decorate
their graves, and for what the heroes gave up
their lives, is a story that cannot be too often
told for in telling this story we teach patriotism
for where lie there such an object lesson in
patriotism as the sacrifices and achievements
OF the soldiers OF the Union.
Remember, they offered their lives upon their
country's altar for no pecuniary bride, for no
individual betterment; but for the preservation
OF the liberties their forefathers had bequeathed
them; for the preservation OF one Union, one
Nation, in any part of which any American has
right TO live and express his honest thought
and grander yet, for the right TO support their
wives and families by honest labor
We must remember that all OF the original
colonies were first peopled by brave men and
women who dared the terr1ls OF the OceaE, and
the horrors OF the savage wilderness. for the sake
OF civil and religious liberty. Yet in large
part of the colonies q system of slavery grew up
and inflicted it's selfish consequences upon that
people. When the struggle came for indepen.
dence all OF the colonies showed equal bravery,
endurance and pers stence In lighting for their
own liberties. When independence was
achieved we find one people, of one language,
kindred in blood. living under one law North and
South. Yet, mark how they drifted apart. And
whyi Because the two sections were trying TO
make two antsgonstic syst ems two foundation
ideas, that were at deadly enmity one with the
other, narmonize-and they could not do it.
What we're the antagonistc ideas Why at the
North the foundation idea of our whole social
system was that labor was ennobling; was the
birthrght OF ALL that there was nothing more
dignided and ennobling than to honestly support
ones wife and little ones by honest labor. Al
the south the foundation idea was that labor was
degrading, debasing, mental. That labor was
for the slave and not for the free man.
Men. the defendants OF those brave men and
women who brayed the wilde rness for liberty Of
conscience; men who could adopt as a battle
cry the soul strrSng truth that "all men are
created free and equal and all "haye certain
inalienable rights among which is life, liberty and
the pursuit of happiness could by the debasing
effects OF this cancerous system, through the
degrading influence OF century and half Of
selfish ease, so stultify their own conscience
that they could hold their fellow men IN slavery.
No! Such antagonistic systems could not long
livein peace and the great wonder to me lie that
open war did not come sooner.
We now see, in the light OF events. that war
between two such rival systems was inevitable
sooner or later.
Ihave said mark how they drifted apart What
other difference do we see! At the North uniyer
sal education; free schools, free speech, free
press and absolute equality. At the North the
people ruled in fact as well as theory.
While at the South education was for the
ruling class alone. Few free schools and lao
such thing as free speech, free press or equality,
and the people ruled only in theory, the actual
government being in the bands Of the oligarchy.
What some one may say, no free speech or
press AZ the south! j answer no. The neces
stiles OF their peculiar institution would not
permit 1t. A tacit censorship OF the press had
grown up and Judge Lynch had effectually
closed the mouths OF all honest criticism OF
their cherished institution. And in any com
munity when press is silent and speech Is dumb,
on any subject the liberties OF that community
are endangered.
Remember, that truth is fast colors 1t need
fear no press and no tongue. 1t need dread no
agitation II will keep its color in the brightest
light. And any community that holds opinions
or has institutions that will not bear discus
sion; any community that permits Judge Lynch
in the name of so called public opinion to over
rde-against any class-its written laws with
unwritteu ones, that their pride or sense Of
right will not let them spread upon their statute
books, is nuralng viper that shall certainly
sting.
have said that the two sections started out
under one law. and except laws touching their
peculiar institution there was not much
variance in written laws North or South. Yet
what OF the unwritten law? The Institution of
slavery fostered an aristocracy-an oligarchy
This oligarchy ruled the South, its courts, its
press its people This olgarchy were the con.
SENATORS OF this unwritten law. The delibera-
ton OF their tribunals were shorter; the iudg-
ments were swifter; their penalties were surer
and more terrible. so that they held the CON
sciences OF their states in a vice Of terror, so
that they did with their commonwealth as
they would, and when the time came they took
them out Of the Union.
See what penalty the South paid for permit
ting their written laws to become dead letters
at the behest OF Judge Lynch, and so called pub
lie opinion, surrendering their perOgatives to
the oligarchy. State after state-when the
crisis came voted by large majorities against
secession, yet the very convention they elected
by such votes. was inundated by the oigar-
chy into passing secession ordinances. and when
the war was on, the whole male population OF
those states were forced into the confederate
army by CONSUMPTION and other means, and they
were thus forced to fight the battles OF a cause
that was not their own.
Why did the South secede: To form slave
holding empire. She went out OF the Union
because she wanted more slave territory, and
had satisfied herself that the election Of Lincoln
meant she could get no more slave territory
within it.
How did she intend TO acquire more territory!
By the sword. She was bent sooner or later
upon career OF conquest She hoped to be a
New Rome-wth her naughty daring aristo-
Gratis for officers, her poor whites for rank and
fle and her negroes to feed her armies. she
fOndly hoped to dominate the whole western
hemisphere.
Going out as states, of course she took none of
our territories with her, but she meant to win
them and others by the sword. You old men
can remember how her orators tainted us Of the
North with being crayens. All we cared about
they said, was the almighty dollar; that we
would not fight that one southern hero could
whip six craven Yankees, and much more OF the
same sort OF stuff. Mud stills OF society and
greasy mechanics, one chivalrous senator called
US in the U. S. Senate. They-the ogarchy-
affected to despise us and believe they did. In
their desire to eniame the southern heart they
fired upon Fort Sumpter. Then for the rst
time they saw signs that made them think they
might have underestimate us. Who Of you
older ones does not remember the shock OF the
guns at Fsrt Sumpters Who OF you does not
remember the war meetings all over the broad
North Who Of you can forget the speeches OF
our orators them Let them 90 in peace when
they have dishonored the American flag: Never
Let them go in peace and take American soil
consecrated by the blood of the Revolutions
airy fathers to eternal freedom and ,et them
prostitute it to everlasting slavery? Never
Let them 60 in peace and take the mouth Of the
Mississippi into foreign country Never!
Let them go in peace and build up an empire
with the bitterest liberty hating aristocracy on
the earths face at our door Never. Let them
go in peace now that we might have perpetual
war ever afterf Never Let them go in peace
and establish the right OF secession-for youmust
remember that the first secession renders any
other secession possible and we might have az
many foreign countries in these United States