The Irish standard., 1893-06-10

pie lnCO hopeless Sl8F0Ty. W0 prefer ~
honor such as the Minnesota farmer who
stepped from his furrow at the bugle
blast, said good bye to his little wife,
abandoned his helpless children to the
care of their helpless mother, shouldered
his good old gun, turned his face reso-
lutely southwark never to return, until
he saw the last slave, his masters whip
beneath his foot, standing straight in
the sun, a free man. The farmer who
forsook his fields, the mason who de-
serted his mortar for q musket, the car
;penter who sold his saw for saber, the
lawyer and the laborer who voluntarily
enlisted to fight beneath the stars and
stripes for honae and freedom, were he
.roes every one heroes deserving OF the
highest tribute Of honor intthe power Of
the nation to bestow heroes whose rest
ing places are worthy Of being sanctiied
by the tears Of grateful people and
made beautiful by the choicest gifts OF
spring.
70 the veteran the war oan never be-
come matter OF history. It is the great
fact Of his fife; the center around which
ell the other facts revolve. He can never
forget the war. He can never forget
how the old flag tottered and we'll nigh
lost it's place il the air. He can never
forget that he met and defeated the
most gallant and dauntless soldiery that
ever courted the fortunes Of war.
THIS Union troops were victorious, it is
true, but the North did IL conquer the
South, freedom conquetSd slavery. We
bore no i'll will against tsxs southern sol
der but we hated the institution he de-
Tended. We crushed that institution,
and wept because it was necessary to
hurniliate brave men in Going go. This
is the secret of the most sublime specta-
Gle ever Witnessed. Two great armies
that for four years had grappled with
furious rage and naust awful bitterness
that had struck and Euffeted, torn and
lacerated each other like demons incar-
nate, two mighty hostile forces like a
mist by the morning sun vanished and
dispersed at the sound Of the sweet W. I'd
peace
The sun rose one morning upon land
stained all over with human blood, every
hill bristling with cannon, every stone
wall battlement, every ditch grave;
il went down that night upon a united,
peaceful people, and it's last rays glis.
tened upon 4 tear tina; rolled down the
cheek Of bronzed veteran in blue as he
stopped to lay flower upon. the mound
where slept the conquered gray. The
nations of the old world were amazed.
They could not understand how such
mighty armies between whom there had
been such bitterness, could be disbanded
side by side without danger or disturb.
ance; they could not understand how q
nation of warriors to day would be to-
morrow land of toilers; they could not
understand the strength Of tho true
American. The victors OF the old world
confiscated the land Of the vanquished.
The conquering armies o. Europe always
trampled upon the pride OF the conquered.
Vlcksburg was a great prize; Sher-
mans march to the sea was one Of the
grandest achievements Of military genius.
The story of Sheridan in the Shenan-
doah thrills us like tale Of ancient chiv-
airy; the. triumph at Gettysburg winch
turned the tide OF war, and Shilo, and
Antietam and Cold Harbor, all deserve
mention on this day. But the greatest
victory Of the war is not in this list.
Twas won after Lee surrendered. At
Appomatox Northern strength was put
to the most crucial test. When at last
Lee surrendered Internationally and
the South lay PROSTATE before the Union
soldiers, when the boys in gray, de-
feated but undaunted, ley down their
arms and submitted their fortunes and
their lives to the magnanimity Of the
North; when they lead their gallant
charges whom they loved like brothers
and offered them as spoils Of war to that
stern commander, Grant, what does he
say to them? Keep your horses, boys,
you wilt need them for the spring plow-
ing. What . ring Of mobility We hear
in those lonely words. What wonder
Esfs