Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-05-30
grace. dignity and authority Of the lords Of

ments penetrating and rewarding the industry
of our people, with moral and intellectual sur
school houses and colleges daily multiplying
throughout the land, bringing education and
religious instruction to the homes Of all the
people, they may not only challenge the adj
miration Of the civilized world, but conquer
in civilizations name every foe that may
chance to cross their pathway. These great
systems exhibited the individual mantle in
dividual federal soldier-in q higher degree Of
development and society in a happier citiliza-
ton than could possibly be the outgrowth Of
any government not based upon the solid
ground Of universal freedom. Thus standing,
thus equipped, thus marshaled in massive
army, like Constantine the Great. our soldiers
In the field looked upward and saw the sign Of
delverance under freedoms banner, and in
that sign they com Aered.
And the lesson Of the war is the great sacri-
nee, the marvellous sacrifice that men will make
for principle. This lesson of patriotism, this
lesson OF endurance, this lesson of devotion to
the unseen. this lesson Of love for the right
| can never be forgotten, can never be lost on Q
cultured, loyal race of men and women like
these that make up this and similar audiences
today. Generations yet unborn will be i'm
pressed in the same manner. Adown the ages
the multitudes will read and be persuaded that
nothing short OF principle--great principle
could induce men to make the sacrifices these
dead and living soldiers made for their country
and their flag.
THE CITIZEN SOLDIERS.
''Still another lesson of the war, and one that
this flower day particularly emphasizes, is the
deep. unfaltering love that the masses cherish
for the citizen-soldier. Remember, my friends.
that the soldiers graves you cover with flowers
today were not professional soldiers-were not
men educated for war. They we're citizen-sol-
diers, and we should remember also that these
citizen-soldiers, this vast army of volunteer
citizens suppressed the most gigantic rebel
lion that the world has any record Of. The
English rebellion Of the seventeenth century,
which began in 1912 by an effort of parliament
to seize the military power of the country. was
one OF the great rebellions Of history. In this
memorable conflict parliament obtained the
ascendancy. Charles l went to the block in l649
and a republic succeeded monarchy under the
protectorate of Cromwell.
THE French revolution Of the eighteenth
century, which was violent reaction against
that absolutism which had come in the course
of time to supplant the old feudal institutions
OF the country, was also one of the noted re-
bellions in history, but the American rebellion,
IN cost and carnage. surpassed them both, and
these citizens-soldiers put it down. 1t took
four OF the best years of their lives to do the
work, but during that time they settled two
great questions for all the ages The first Of
these great problems was, That human
slavery was not of God. nor was it in sympathy
with the spirit and genius Of our institutions,
and 1t, In consequence of these facts, had to 60
down. 1t was burned to death amid the blaz
ing rafters of the southern confederacy. The
second problem settled was that this is Q ma
ton and not a confederacy-that the states are
not sovereign. but, on the contrary, the ma
tional government alone is supreme. Now
that these two great questions have been dis
posed of it is universally conceded that they
were properly settled-that the cause Of the
Union was right, forever right. and the cause
OF the confederacy was wrong, forever wrong.
"These soldiers were actuated by higher and
purer motives than any other soldiers that ever
assembled, and they exhibited o spectacle Of
unyielding fortitude and self-denying mag
nanimity unequSled in the annals Of mankind.
Others for spoils or honors may have fought
as desperately. Others when far from their
homes or their country have endured and per-
severed for selfpresevation, but where in all
history is there an example Of a soldery that
continued In the service as did these men, ex-
cept it was from an inward principle and a
sense OF duty? They. were imbued with loftier
and more expanded spirit Of patriotism and
philanthropy and achieved more for the hap
piness of their country than any other army
that ever existed, and where in all the ages is
there an act of moral sublimity equal to their
last act of self-devotion2 1t has been aptly
said by another that we will never need a
standing army in the United States as long as
we can even remotely remember the civil con-
fiict from 1861 to 1866
"These are some Of the achievements Of the
war for the Union, and this is part of the
record Of what the citizen-soldiers Of America
did for their country in the hour of its greatest
peril. Is it anything but reasonable therefore
that we should honor them today?
HIGHER IDEAL OF FREEDOM.
"Stin another lesson Of the war is the new
dispensation it brought to our country and our
people. Slavery and state sovereignty were
buried in the same grave. In their stead
higher ideal Of freedom in the republic grew
up, and greater confidence in the perpetuity of
our national life was established. In ante
bellum times all questions of foreign and do.
mestic poiity, all economic questions, the re-
lations of labor to capital, and the relations of
the states to the nation, lwere all influenced and
controlled by constant dread Of dissolution
of the Union. Witness today the gigantic
strides Of the great republic under the
new order OF things in these post-bellum times
Our population has actually doubled since the
war. Railways nave more than quadrupled.
The national wealth has grown from Sl2,0OO,-
DOC, 600 in 1860 to over $50, 600 600 600 in $780,
Why. my friends, more wealth has been Gre
ated in the United States during the last twenty
five years than has been added to the accumula-
tions Of the world since the western continent
was discovered. The past can offer no parallel
to the present, because it knew no similar con-
ditions. The conflict in the past has been
largely one OF personal right. As Judge Tour
gee expresses it, the citizen has been evolved
from the serf, and the freeman from the slave
To this end all OF the forces of civilization have
been shaped. The present is not q question of
personal right, but Of just opportunity. We
have simply come upon a new era. The max
inns OF the past are no longer safe landmarks.
The social bases Of the past are too narrow for
the demands Of the present. The domain of
personal duty has been greatly enlarged.
The relations Of the individual have
been extended. The area Of mutual OBJ
legations has been amazingly increased.
The citizen has become responsible for direc-
ton as well as allegiance. The individual is
now the pivot Of progress and personal indie
pendence is the test of social forces Under
this new regime there is confidence. safety.
security everywhere. No phantoms over.
shadow our land. No specters, either of slav-
cry or secession, haunt Us, nor does any abyss
yawn for our destruction. Truly we live under
a new dispensation. Our people have taken q
new departure. They have stepped out on
higher plane Of living and their ideas of
national life are as thoroughly new az thew
were the day they threw of the British yoke Of
tyranny and became citizens Of free and lnde-
pendent states. There is sunshine in almost
every American home. There is prosperity in
every business. There is thrift in every call
ing. The hum Of our industries never ceases.
Ours are the most contented people on Gods
green footstool and are envied by all the other
nations Of the world. There 10 no approaching
ship that does not bring to our shores q cargo
Of human freight to Join their interests and
their destinies with ours, and to share our
blessings and our tolls
THE STRENGTH OF TIE UNION
HBut the most innortapt la..op ~ Al. -