Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-05-30

pleasant strains and Beauty lends its witchery
| to the hour" Then was seen q people, so long
| immersed in the arts of peace as almost to have
forgotten what war meant, suddenly converted
from the head of Jove, in all the
panoply of war. Dropping in q moment the
implements of peaceful industry; converting
the pillow shear into a sword and the pruning
hook into spear and learning the art Of war
| and military tactics even as they ran; from
hill top and valley: from mountain and glen;
from the Office and the workshop; from homes
of luxury and huts of poverty; from every pur-
suit and avocation of life they came, . mighty
avalanche of men, until it seemed
AS though the very earth again
. GF, fsna u ,S with Gods creating breath.
Rose ranks of lion hearted men
10 battle to the DEATH"
Moved by one impulse. inspired by one
motive, animated by common purpose, they
came, gathering enthusiasm from the very con-
tagion of numbers, and shouting as their bat
tie cry the words of that grand addition to our
national anthem which the exigency Of the &C.
casion itself inspired,
When the land is illumined with lfberty's smile
pS%n dox 19s n fS 1 s So S9s her glory
:, Ihe nag OF our stars and the page Of our story.
By the millions unclaimed when our birthright We
We Will keep that bright blazon forever unstained.
And the star panged banner in triumph snail wave
" he the land OF the free the home brave"
And no less remarkable than this spontaneous
uprising OF the people was their whole conduct
OF the war. 1t was from first to last the peoples
war. Wealth and blood were alike poured out
In generous profusion. Besides voluntarily
taxing themselves to the enormous amount of
50 ,OOO,0 600 the Christian commission col
lected and expended 81, 900 900 and the sanitary
commission SIS, 900 more Of voluntary
contributions for the soldiers comfort,
while everywhere, both on land and
sea, were witnessed prodigies of valor
unparalleled in the annals of mankind.
IT, as has been said, lone man with God on his
side is majority Of the whole people," there
was never any good reason to doubt the final
issue OF a struggle SO inaugurated and so con-
Quoted, struggle between $4,000, 900 of
people fighting for the right, in a just cause
and for the preservation of the fairest
fabric OF government in which human hopes
were ever garnered, and 5000, 900 of men
OF the same race and lineage battling
for the preservation Of an institution and in a
cause that was abhorrent to the sense of justice
of the civilized world. Thanks be to God this
day, and to the brave men, living and dead,
who took part In the struggle for the victory of
the right.
Honored be the survivors Of the conflict and
green be forever the memory Of the fallen.
The war has long since ended. the noise of its
heliish enginery no longer vexes the air, the
waste 1t wrought has been already repaired
Peace has come again. as We fonily hope. to
stay. Nature with kindly hand has yelled the
uOrrOrs OF the Dattleueiu Win q rlcn garnlture
Of living beauty the violet covers the decay
ing skull and the grass nantes with living
green the bones Of fallen heroes Our people.
met together again in fraternal union, now bend
their efforts not to destroy. but to benefit and
bless each other, and everywhere throughout
our vast domain is now heard naught but the
music Of the busy hum of peaceful industry,
and everywhere the eye is RECALLED with the
waving richness of plenty. Far be it from me
on such an occasion to revive any of
hah
to sleep; rather let me, as did the sons of Noah,
walk backward with averted gaze and cover
with the mantle of forgetfulness my countrys
shame. exclaiming, in view Of our own guilty
completely in the foul wrong which produced
such harvest of DEATH What battles are
these, where even victory is defeat and the
conqusror bushes and couceals his scars?''
NOT WITHOUT ITS CONVERSATIONS
The conflict, while it cost us fearfully in
blood and money, has not been without its
compensations. If the soil of every southern
state was plowed by war and enriched with
human blood it was. as we may fondly hope. to
prepare it for the bringing forth of better
civilization. The graves Of patriot soldiers
that ridge the land like burrows shall hail for
all time to come the fragrance Of their self
sacrificing devotion to their country in its
great crisis hour.
1.-The wealth piled by the bondsman's 200
years Of unrequited toll in the language
OF Lincoln, may have been sunk and every
drop OF blood drawn with the lash repaid by
another drawn with the sword," but the vast
expenditure has purchased for us a redeemed
Union, an untarnished escutcheon and free
flag. 1t has given us a Union. not as it was, but
as it was intended to be; Union true to the
purposes OF its origin; Union in which the
only inconsstence that married its symmetry
has been forever removed; Union in which
truth shall be no longer gagged, nor conscience
dungeoned;" a Union in which shall be given
practical exemplifcation for all time to come
of the great truth that call men are created
equal" Union in which the glad message Of
Peace on earth and good will to men," that
has come to US from Bethlehem's heights, shall
be caught up and sent echoing down the aisles
Of coming centuries with q renewed and
mightier emphasis.
The struggle has demonstrated to the nation
that republican government is not an expert
ment merely, but an assured success 1t has
given new life to the eagle and new power to
the flag. 1t has taught US more than in our
widest imaginations we ever dreamed of-our
capabilities as nation and OF our exhaustless
resources. 1t has exemplifed the truth ex-
pressed in Robert Winthrop's magnificent
metaphor, that, Like one of those won
drous rocking stones reared by the Druids,
which the finger of a child might vibrate to its
center, but the might of an army could not
move from its place, SO our Constitution is SO
nicely poised that it seems to sway with every
breath OF passion, but is 30 firmly fixed in the
hearts and affections of our countrymen that
the widest storms of treason and fana ticism
dash over it in vain" And now, purged of
the only cause of sectional strife and purified
in the fires of q rebellion that would have
destroyed any government not resting on the
affections Of the people, We have entered upon
the second centennial period of our existence
as a nation, still free, prosperous, happy and
united people; marching in solid column as
when Of old we fought for liberty and indie
pendence; keeping step to the music of the
Union" and bearing aloft our country's BAN
ner with mo stripe erased and no star OBJ
scured."
THE PROGRESS OF THE NATION.
As we contemplate the wondrous growth and
progress Of our nation during the FIRST century
of its organized existence, and the perhaps still
more wondrous circumstances of the discovery
and settlement Of our country, we cannot but
feel that Providence, having failed q speak. of
course, humanity but, reverently) in the expert
ment of setting apart a single nation to be the
witnesses and recipients of His power and grace
had, in His own good time, brought forth an,
other people from under the hands of the task- |
masters and Pharaohs of the old world |
and again opened q way for them
through the sea in which He Overwhelmed
their enemies and brought them into another
wilderness, and again drove out the heather
before them, and gave them the land in per-