The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1891-06-05
THE WAR AND IT'S EFFECT.

OF say of it as Wendell Philips said
I the French Revolution, that it was
from first to ]astan unmixed blessing
nut ] firmly believe that no national
trugglc, notcxccpting the French HeYoiu-
ion and the Revolt OF the Amer
can Colonies from Great Britain, has
eft greater benefits behind it and 4cwer
wills to dcplorc. II we could but recall
the spirits OF the slain, II we could but
ill again the empty chairsat the1ircside,
we could but wipe away the widows
tears, if we could but cure the disabled
bodies and restore the broken hearts
which the war has left behind, there Is
not enc OF the great results oil the war
which anyone here, would reverse II he
could. The devastation that followed
the footsteps Of our armies was quickly
repaired; the fields, drenched with car
mage, have waved Il quarter OF Il century
with abundant harvcsts; the treasure
expended has beeu tenfold replaced; the
parlysis Of trade and commerce has been
followed by Il reaction so tremendous
thai the nation is likely to be ruined by
its material prosperity; all things have
turned out happily (thank God save III
one respect. Those scattered mounds
IN Northern and Southern cemeteries
which yesterday were strewn with flow
ers, are the only bitter thing which time
has not removed. At the graves OF our
soldiers dead, We must look for %consola-
ton forward to Il future world, Tor thai
loss there is no remedy here; and, il
tempted in the ilnpatience OF grief to
say-'If the war had to be fought out,
why did it need my husband, my father,
my brother" we must meekly look to
heaven and say, ''Thy will be done.'
While thus it became us yesterday us
citizens and friends to decorate the
graves Of our courtry's defenders and to
sweep with those that weep it no less
becomes us tonight, gathered here in a
public capacity, to %"rcjoicc with those
chat %rriuicp' N the marvellous blessings
which Providence has caused to flow to
us from the horrors OF war. | shall ASK
you therefore, to turn away tonight
from the hallowcd grave with its fading
flowers, to forget for Il time the price w.
paid, and to consider the benefits we re-
ceivcd from the Great Civil War.
| suppose chat no one here will object
to my speaking Of Il Providence back O
this Civil War who directed its fury and
brought good out OF evil. | suppose nc
one here thinks this war came by acct
dent; that the issue, with all that it IN
volved was left to chance. And yet SEE
where this admission will lead you? ]
the outcome OF this "a was provldcnt
jail. the outcome OF all war is provident
Lal, SO then are the civil policies ofstatc
p]rovidential. the dcstinics OF nations
the history Of the world. All is boun'
together in Il plan, and. under all runs
Divine purpose. Now this is the onl,
rational, the only noble Way to stud
history. ii we are to deny any real IN
DERIVING esSense in history, ire are t
see in if "the umcOn-zItcG materials
namcs>Ittcr,. and occurrences; II mu
TNtudinOus sea Of effects with out causes
M ocean OF phenomena without u SUI
porting ground, IL chaos OF atoms wit
no sort OF connection or lntcrmlngi!nS.
| do not see how Il discussion tonight (
events in our own national history ca
be made interesting or profitable, II Il
things are accidental, without plan c
, moral purpose. do not see why yo
decorated the grave OF the soldier VIII
was shot in battlc and not the grave
, the man who was killed in some othl
way at home. The death ui each WI
, an accident and neither death had an
moral significance. II | believed such
! mechanical wooden theory Of the tI
, verse, | would sit down and not trout
, you with any reflections on the past
the future. l would tell you that pa
! riotisln hcroism and glory are delusion
| would advise you all to stay at hon
ncxt~timc and keep out Of the way
gunpowdcr. But it is because l firm
believe that history is Il real organ
! whole and not a mere narrative Of Il
connected events, because | believe tn;
underlying it is u great plan wl.:ch cl
braces every nation on the globe, N
excepting the pigtny tribes in Clarke
Africa" and their taller brethren
America, and which ever provides
place for the friendless soldier who slce]
t tonight in Il nameless grave folEotte
{ because l believe that history reveals
progress and purpose, l feel that ll1s
e speak to you with some profit tonig
9 on the issues Of the a
: You will agree with me that the caus
OF the struggle did not spring upinada
They resulted from impericctions in o
j. political principles. If you will compa
t America OF today with the America
our gra%ndfathcrs, you can see a. d
cided advance in political IDEAS; and
h besides this you can see that the W;
II wasnlstrumental III bringing about the
very ideas and that nothing but W;
4 could have broken through the nation
\ prejudice and compelled tlleiradoptio
p you will then admit what l shall tt
this evening to show, that the war wa
, after all, a benefit to the nation.
Three ideas, it seems to me, wer
} by means OF the war, brought to a fin'
settlement. First the United State
never, till after the Civil war, became
nation. I suppose you will think II
rash in making such a statement. Bu
let us see. When the thirteen colonlt
united to fight the battles OF the Reyol,
ton, they united as colonies; that
they were IL confederation only for mi
tual defense, OF thirteen in%depender
states, or if you please nations. Fac
, OF these little nations contributed c
withheld soldiers and supplies to tt
:: Continental army. The Continents
Congress, as we know, had very lit
power other than advising. When til
Revolution was ended, it very soon b.