Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1890-06-04
courage to maintain that government against
all the world If necessary. ~. :.

oeElRulnE OF lool. Vnere WAS S1rOng under-
| current of loyalty to the Union abroad among
the people. which required all the ability OF
| their craftiest politicians to beat down. The
cry OF Northern tyranny went up in every
southern hamlet, the people were harangued
by scheming demagogues for days ana weeks
| on their imaginary wrongs and expressions,
and still the issue seemed doubtful. But
! finally in the name Of states rights the people
were swung INTO the current of secession and
resistlessly carried forward into the whirlpool
Of war. They were brave and intrepid peo
pie and through all the great conflict of arms
which followed, fought with tenacity and
heroism worthy better cause. No union
soldier who encountered these people on the
field of battle needs to be told Of their valor
and courage.
1t may be said that at this period (the be.
ginning of 1867 there was no aggressive war
| feeling OF general character in the free
states. The thought Of conflict which would
array Americans against Americans in
| struggle for supremacy to be Obtained
through blood and sacrifice Of human lives
was appalling. Thoughtful people, however
| brave, shrank from such contingency. Every
concession likely to pacify our southern
| brethren and remove all cause of hostility,
! real or imagined. was offered. The govern
| ment under President Buchanan went clear
! to the line of humihation-the verge of dis
honor-in this direction, but all to no pur-
pose. Mistaking the conciliatory sentiments
| uttered by northern people in their efforts to
avoid conflict Of arms for cowardice, there
were those in the South who boasted that one
southern soldier would be the equal of FIVE
! northern soldiers on the field Of battle. In
this spirit Fort Sumter in the harbor of
Charleston, S. c., garrisoned by United States
! troops, was fred upon BY an organized force Of
| secessionists April -. 1861. Thus the war was
| inaugurated-a war which in point of num-
bers engaged, in the sacrifice of human lives,
| in hard fought battles, in the great extent of
territory subdued and the numbers overcome,
and in the grand results attained for the last
ing benefit Of humanity, has no parallel in his
tory.
1t was a foolish mistake in the South to
presume that the northern people were not
fully as courageous as they were. They had
| mistaken forbearance for cowardice, which
| is no part Of the American character. So far
as the test of war is concerned. Americans,
| whether native or foreign born, whether Of
northern or southern states, have proved
! themselves brave and courageous in al the
| battles of all the wars in which our country
| has been engaged, from Bunker Hill to Appo-
mattox. In this connection it is fitting to
| specially acknowledge the patriotic devotion
to the flag of foreign born soldiers. Having
| cast their allegiance with the United States
! they did not hesitate to join the army for the
| preservation and perpetuity of the Union,
! thus becoming in patriotic sense the truest
| of American citizens. Between their services
| to the country and those of the native born,
there can be no discrimination. Minnesota,
| with it's large percentage of foreign born citi-
| zens. may very appropriately acknowledge
the patriotic devotion Of its foreign born
soldiers in the united efforts of all to put
down the rebellion. But for their help tho
possibilities of success would have been i'm
| measurably decreased if not altogether oblit.
Grated. This fact alone should crush out all
spirit of knownethinRism in this country, if
| any exists, and silence forever the complain
| ings of that class of people who think our
| foreign born citizens are getting more than
! they are entitled to in the way of public
| favors.
There was another factor which largely
contributed to the success of the Federal
! arms which I do not think has been suitably
acknowledged by either the government or the
people. allude to the colored soldiers.
According to the statistics of the adjutant
generals office at Washington. the total en-
rollment of colored soldiers IN the Union
army during the war was l76,975 Of this
number 24,O& were from Louisiana. g, ,7O3
! from Kentucky. 20,l33 from Tennessee, and
| IT, ,s69 from Mississippi. The balance we're
| scattered among thi, . five states and terri
tories. Minnesota standing accredited with
| l04. The losses these troops sustained from
sickness, wounds, killed in battle and other
casualties was 88.17S. Considering that the
war had been in progress two or three years
before negro enlistments were permitted,
| this is q very strong showing as to numbers.
In point of valor there is no question of the
efficacy of the colored troops. In many re-
spects they possessed superior qualifications
Beng of the south they were thoroughly cli-
matized. and their habit of life had been such
as to specially fit them for rugged out door
| work. OF good physical development. fond of
display, and with no end of courage, they be-
came from the first, under capable leaders,
the very best of soldiers. To them the war
had meaning even more significant than
that which inspired the white soldier. Just
beyond final victory they could see freedom,
and thus for them was added the inspiration
OF hope. Their skins were black, their man
ners perhaps awkward and uncouth. but their
hearts we're brave, and they never dinched in
| their duty as soldiers. In all the hardshlps of
the war they participated, as we'll as in its
| victories. The quality of their service as SOL
! diers was not regulated by the color of their
| skin. They justly share in all the prestige
| and glory of their white comrades in arms.
On the battle field the matter of complexion
| was not debated. Prejudlees could not live
| amid the clash of arms Of fellow soldiers for q
common cause. Black and white, shoulder to
| shoulder, guns in hand, the soldiers of the
union struggled forward fighting, bleeding,
dying, that their country should not perish
! from the earth. Whatever prejuaices exist
today between classes and races, ,thereis none
existing between the white and colored sur
! ylvers of the Grand Army of the Republic
| which put down the rebellion.
| 1t seems very strange to US now looking
| back to the beginning of the war to find the
| prejudice against the negroes SO strong, all
| through the northern states, as to utterly
DENY them place in the rank and file of the