The Princeton union., 1891-06-04
HON. q. J. LoMEN's ADDRESS.


reverence our heads to-day over the
silent graves OF Union soldiers. We
clasp with gratitude to-day the hands
of ''boys in blue,'' still living, but turn
ing gray. We cease from toll to-day to
commemorate heroic deeds of Union
soldiers, living and dead, to express
our wonder, our pride and our graft
tude.
It has been said that "a nations
character is the sum of it's splendid
deeds" :" America proudly celebrates
two anniversary days commemorative
of splendid deeds commemorative,
both, of the progress liberty has made.
Freedom, thou art not as poets dream
fair young girl, with light and delicate limbs;
bearded man, armed to the teeth, art thou;
One mailed hand grasps the broad shield and
one the sword. ..e.,-.. I-.a
Thy brow, glorious in beauty though it be,
Is scared with tokens of old wars, .'a.
Thy massive limbs are strong with struggling
The world was ever slow to learn.
When heroic statesmen, representa-
tives of the people, had declared the
independence Of America, and pledged
their lives, their fortunes and their
sacred honor to the declaration that
''all men are created equal'' liberty had
indeed found an asylum among men;
but our republic was not yet the land
of the free. We wonder now that a
nation so born could nurture in it's
bosom for more than fOur-score years
the institution of human slavery. We
wonder to-day that the chivalric south
once vieing with New England for the
palm in patriotic devotion to the Union,
should, for such cause, secede from
the Union. .-
We honor in song and story the
heroes of rs, who gave us this nation,
and emancipated from royal rule, from
foreign dominion, three million liberty
loving people. We honor to-day the
heroes of '61, who preserved the nation,
and emancipated from bondsmen's
chains four million slaves.
We are proud Of the heroes of the
revolution, and prouder still, if posi-
bic, of the heroes of the rebellion.
The former fought for their homes and
their fires; the latter fought for the
stsgreen graves Of their sires, for God
and their native land. 2 Neither love
Of military glory nor of conquest in
spired these wars. The inalienable
rights of man, and justice to mankind,
were the principles, that inspired
them, and led our conquering heroes to
victory. a...-''.
Hallowed, therefore, are the graves
of the soldier dead, martyrs to a noble
cause. Long shall their memory en-
dure. Generation upon generation
shall rise and bless the heroes, whose
names shall become more illustrious
with each succeeding generation. The
names of Lincoln, and Grant, and Sher-
man, of Hancock, Thomas and Logan,
of Sheridan and Garfield but stand for
the names Of heroes and statesmen, of
all degrees, whose single names would
volumes fill.
But there is one name among the
honored list that on this Memorial day
will be remembered first, because it
was the last to be inscribed on the
death-roll of our great military leaders,
Since last Memorial day William Te-
eumseh Sherman has passed away
His marches are ended. His battle o1
life is over. In the city he loved sc
well he rests in peace. A citizen 0:
the south before the war, he was still E
Unionist. II prefer" he wrote tt
Gov. Moore, ito maintain my allie
glance to the old constitution as long
as a fragment of it remains" Hi
patriotism was of no doubtful charac
ter. He loved the Union and ht
served it we'll. He loved his troop
and was beloved by them. To this tht
members of the General Sherman Post
here present, will bear witness. In hi
farewell order to his troops issued OF
this very. day 26 years ago, he said
"You have done all that men could do
AS long as the enemy was defiant, no
mountains, nor rivers, nor swamps, no
, hunger nor cold could check us. AS il
) war you have made good soldiers, SO il
) peace you will make good citizens
Each state, each county, counts witt
pride the number of their soldier citi
zens, counts their presence an honore
privilege, and recounts with enthu
siasm their valorous achievements
Y Minnesota is proud that it was re
I served to her sons, on the grandest c
s all battle-felds, to win the brightes
laurels and undying fame. The Firs
, Minnesota, on the field of Gettysburg
will go down to history with the INC
BILE six hundred" at Balaklava. Th
poet who shall successfully tell th
story, Of that fateful day in July
! and Of Colville's command upon tha
8 fold of hattle will immOrtaliza him