Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-05-30


WILLIAM Z. SIMONDS.
ing century, not quick to give response. But
ask the people. They, with a shout to shake
the heavens will answer ave. for their hearts are
leal and true. and they are worthy of those men
who shut their eyes forever on the golden sun
hight that ii might continue to beat with warm
caress on the folds Of yonder flag. maintaining
Its every stripe intact and its every star I'M
dimmed.
In the marble halls which rise upon your
sight, where the myriad interests of sixty mil
lions of people meet and clash in constant con-
test there may be moments when the memory
OF these dead heroes Is the mere shuttlecock OF
party strife and selfish iambition, but not the
twenty-eight years behind Us. nor the twenty
eight centuries in front of can dull the loving
remembrance of the nation
The war between the states is over and past.
thanks be TO God Thanks. also, to two million
OF American freemen who were Gods avengers.
Thanks, also, to an unnumbered host OF loyal
American men and loyal American women who
carried Gods purpose in their hearts and saw
to its fulfillment with all their might. But its
magnificent lessons will last forever. The
blessings it wrought out will go down to the
latest generation. And through all the grow
ing ages the image Of the Union soldier will
glow with Frightening radiance and still diviner
light.
The DAYS Of the survivors are passing a
tale that is told OF the 10000 OF men who
took up arms tor national unity one-half now
slumber in their long sleep and for the other
half the shadows, but too long already, are still
fast frightening toward the silence which no
earthly sound will ever disturb and toward the
darkness on which no earthly sunrise will ever
break. And We know with fatal accuracy how
fast the comrades are marching into the
shadows. Out of the light and into the dark
ness some 10000 year. Forty thousand
walked with US year ago who, on this auni-
versary, are with the silent million And to-
day there are 40. 900 more of our own whole num-
Der bending under the weight Of years and in
frmities, teased by the ceaseless fretting OF
the moth that never tires, with eyes so failing
and limbs stiffening that they but grope
along the little Of travel yet left to them. who,
when next we meet again. will have cast all
their burdens into that eternal oblivion which
flows around like wayeless, shoreless,
soundless sea.
THE MEN THEY FOUGHT.
There are those Of our countrymen upon
whom thewar burdens hang less lightly than upon
the Union soldier. They are the men against
whom played the game of death on battle
ship and battlefield They bear our every bur-
den and more besides. During the four years OF
strife the wheels of our industries turned with
their usual merry music, while theirs halted
and, for the most part. were still and mute.
We travelled afar 70 meet our foes. while with
them the wrack Of war took its desolating
track directly across their farms and hearth
stones. When the drums had ceased TO beat
and the bugles had ceased to blow, we
dropped back into the great ocean of northern
labor with no ripple to mark our coming save
that OF welcome; when the southern soldier
went home from Appomattox, he found his
ancient bond servants transformed into
the new ard strange relations Of freed
men. Our development since 1865 has been
along the old lines projected when the
nations day was new, while they, to their
great and endless profit have had
their energies wrenched into channels unwel-
come to their former tastes. A grateful nation
has lavished its pensions upon US in a shower of
gold: no coin of all the millions drops into the
southern soldiers palm. But above and be-
yond all other things is this-the Union soldier
hears that in his soul which BY day and By
night sings like joyous bird. a song OF the
freedom of 1900. 600 of slaves, song of praise
to the God of our fathers, who builded the
nation and a song Of victory for that emblem
of hope and promise to all the peoples OF the
world, our heaven-born banner. the ''stars and
stripes" Meantime. the confederate soldier
carries ever in his soul the sting of defeat, with
the dead hope of lost cause, and before his
inner sight the vision Of his banner trailing in
the dust.
No Union soldier has bitter word for his
ancient foes For their misfortunes he has only
sympathy, and for their bravery only admiration
Webster, speaking Of Sumpter and Marion In
yonder Senate. glOried in them as Americans
all, whose fame is no more to be hemmed in
by state lines than their courage and patriotism
were capable Of being circumscribed within the
same narrow limits" And having regard only
to their valor and their manliness we. too,
glory in these later southrons as Americans
all. and, SO far as in us lies, forgivirg them
their trespasses trust that ours NAV be
forgiven. we stand with them, side by side, in
these tender ministrations over the dead.
"These in the robinss of glory.
Those in the gloom of defeat.
All with the battle-blo God gory.
: In the dusk of eternity meets
Cnder the sod and the dew.
Under the laure the blue.
Under the willow the gray"
'No shall the vsr-cry sever.
OF the winding rivers be red;
when they laurel the graves Of our dead.
Under the sod and the dew
Waiting the Judgment day,
Love and tears for the blue.
Tears and love for the gray"
I.ife's ftful fever ended, we all come at last
10 some final resting place in the kindly bosom
of Mother Earth. And what couch so grandly
at for him VINO dies for his country's sake as
in these historic shades of Arlington? The city
Mt our feet, not vet builded to completion, is
already the home of grandeur and of beauty.
In the not distant future its attractions must
surpass all urban graces which have gone be-
fore. Its streets are as straight as the arrows
flight their width ample as the path OF the
breeze, their surface smooth as to give back
NO sound of wheels, and their borders are CAV
with lawns and trees. The city Is gemmed by
nature with parks and by art with statues and
fonntains. The architecture of it's homes ex-
hibits the choicest taste of the various civilized
nations of the earth. Its public buildings are
40 grand and massive that they never fail to
STIR the blood of the American who walks
among them Indeed. if there be an American
whose heart does not rise within him as his
ewes rest upon the great dome Of the Capitol
swelling toward heaven in the golden sunlight.
that man is no kin of mine.
HISTORIC WASHINGTON.
But grand as are all these externals they