The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1890-06-07

WITHIN nSdTluS VI lIllS oPOIi ucuIColOu
this place almost tWenty-seVen years
ago. 1t is obedience to the impulse
that brought him here that the
American people have assembled to-
day to consider the mystery of human
destiny-death and, yet, Whyshould
we assemble to scatter flowers above
the dust Of the dead If they are gone
from us forever. We are under the
sentence of q tribunal from which
there is no appeal, no executive
cIemency. 1t is appointed to all men
to die. Have we assembled here to
honor these heroes because they are
dead d? They have entered the demOc-
racy of the dead e; are at peace in the
republic of the grave; for them the
Injustice of life has been expiated.
How sleep the brave that sink to rest,
By all their country's wishes blest9
When spring. with dewy fingers cold,
Returns to deck their hallowed mould,
She there shall deck a sweeter sod
Than fancy's feet nave ever trou.
1t is thus that we have assembled
twenty-five years after to again pay
the tribute of homage, respect and
reverence to the dead that sleep here.
1t is just twenty-five years since the
last shot was fred, twenty-five years
since the hosts were marshalled for
the last review. They assembled
within the shadow of the dome of the
capitol they had saved. The splendor
of the vernal sun illuminated the
scene and shimmered on the flag as it
glimmered in its glory above them
the size of the refrigerated republic.
1t was host without number welcome
with tumultuous acclaim-the host
of Grant, Sherman, Logan and Han
cock-and above them flashed and
cleaned the redeemed glory of the
flag. 1t was their flag Had it not
been for their sacrifices and that oil
their sleeping comrades, this flag
would have been a dishonored rag
The centennial of our republic would
not have been celebrated and the
United States would have disappear
ed and in its place there would have
come petty natiOnalities. discordant
and belligerent. Had not more than
two million n3en Offer ed their lives,
strength and services tor it's protec-
tion we should have been celebrating
the tWenty-ninth anniversary of the
Confederacy. The Constitution of
the United States would have been
like the laws of the Medes and Per-
SLAMS, and all the glories of our re-
public would have disappeared.
Bunker Hill. Yorktown, the achieve
ment of our fathers, all that is inspir.
ing in our history would be sentences
in the school books to-day like the
legands of ALT that is dead. Had not
these men died liberty would be our
eDithet. Our past would have been
catastrophe. Our present would
have standing armies in every state
and CUSTOM houses on all the borders.
Other wars were fought for con-
quest. ambition. revenge. dynasties
and thrones, but no such passions
animated our soldiers. They went
for ideas. They endured hardships
and death to save our homes and our
country from destruction, that the
states might be perpetual. Ideas are
immoral. They cannot be annihilated
l have sometimes thought what
would have been our emotions had
the rebellion been successful. Sup.
pose the dome of the Capitol stopped
to It's base. suppose Robert Toombs
fulfilled his ins0lent menace to count
his slaves within the shadow of Bun
ker Hill Monument. suppose the
Stars and Stripes had gone down in
defeat before the stars and bars, what
would have been our emotions |
confess for myself to have never ceas-
ed to implore that all men might be
free to hope that some time by
some desperate battle the Union
might have been restored. 1 should
have kept in some secret repository
some emblem of the Stars and Stripes,
which l would have taught my chill
dren to love and cherish.
We are told. "God alone knows
which side was right" To make
the Constitution of the United States
the supreme law of free men millions
enlisted and thousands gave up their
lives, wives were widowed, children
orphaned ; and yet, one.half of the
rising generation Is being taught that
"God alone knows which was right"
Carnage ragged on hundreds of
battle-flelds. Now, the sun rises on
no master and acts on no slave. The
shame of the republic is washed out.
Liberty is the law of the land, and