Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-06-01

have been the first in the family of nations
goes out under an old shawl and bonnet.
But the soldiers were not the only ones
God bless, say those women who patiently
remained at home and suffered the agoniei
of parting and of waiting, where they could
not act: God bless them for their comforts
sent to the soldier in the field, for theil
care for the wounded and dying, for thei'
tears for the dead. 'They also serve who
only stand and wait"-and the patient low
ing waiting of the women, in both the North
and the South, for the sound of the foot
step which should never return, for the
glance of the eye which forever closed on
Southern landscape, forms the most
touching and sublime picture of that whole
epoch in our history.
Besides, too, the soldier in the field there
were those who in the halls of Congress, in
Cabinet. in Legislatures, formulated those
wise provisions which truly furnished the
sinews of war for the North. Wise laws
and wise experiments which opposed and
overthrow all the theories of political econ
omy, but which created the means to the
end. Foremost among those who unfalter-
ingly sustained Mr.. Lincoln were those sent
from our own congressional district and
from your own city. Throughout those
trying years these men of illustrious mem
ory stood by every act in Congress that
aided in sustaining the soldier in the field
and putting down this gigantic conspiracy.
In the work that was done in Congress they
were leaders, and for that work and for the
timely aid lent Lincoln by your own neigh
bOrs and Names whole delegation. and by
Names governors, throughout the whole
of that great conflict, we may to-
night well be proud, and in honoring the
memory of the soldier also honor that of
the statesman.
All these are memories, but it is we'll to
revive them, and to show the coming gen.
Grafton how good and how grand thing is
patriotism. 1t is good for us to annually
gather here and bedeck the soldiers grave
with the flowers of springtime, that the boy
growing into manhood may realize that the
memory of those who went forth in the
hour of their country's peril; who left
home and freside for the troubled paths of
duty and honor, is not, cannot be, forgotten
by the loyal people of America. That,
should ever again this country be in dan
ger, he, too, has path of duty and honor
to tread; that he il to follow it resolutely,
even if it lead to the grave.
There is, too, another lesson to be learned,
and that is, that the result of this colossal
conflict forever settled the question of the
relative value of national and state gov
eminent. 1t is no longer question whether
or not there be state rights. There are in
deed state rights, but none existing over
which the right Of the nation as a whole is
not paramount and superior. So, too, it
is forever decided that the will of the ma
jority is the law, and that any man fairly
elected to Office in fair election is to be
given that office and maintained in it,
whether or not it be satisfactory to a mi
nority faction or party. 1t is your duty and
mine to keep inviolate the sanctity of the
than the sword or musket.
On other occasions have called the at
tention of the veterans to one particular
work which is especially theirs. 1t is to
teach the great rising generation, not only
the story of the battles, but what it all
meant, that it was for a just and holy cause;
that the principles for which they fought
were right then and right forever; and that
80 long as man is to be commended for
fighting for principles of right, justice and
liberty; so long as man is to be praised for
oppression SO long as man is to
be commended for intense patriotism, so
long is the memory of the Union soldier to
be revered, loved and honored.
Another work he has. that is to tell the
younger generation that the beautiful flag
Of the Republic means something. That it
is symbolic of the union of the states, that
it stands for the word patriotism. Teach
them that every time they see that flag wav-
ing in the air, whether bathed in the sun
shine of prosperity or Swallowed by the
clouds of diversity, it stands for freedom
and love of country. Teach them that they
csnnot love it too much; that it cannot fly
from too many points; and that with the
Christian cross they have the two perfect
symbols. Teach them what has been per-
formed under its folds within your memory.
How, after the war, we virtually extin-
guished the public debt of three billion dol
lars, transformed the Western wilderness
into garden, spanned the entire continent
with line after line of railroad, built the
feetest and best navy in the world.
the sum total of national
wealth fourfold, erected factory
in the midst of the farm and gave the
farmer a vast home market, emaucipated
not only the colored slave, but the indus
trial slave from the degrading competition
with, and condition of the foreign pauper
laborer, gave such an impetus to industry
and energy that today every American
knows that under the blue dome of heaven
exists no other country like his own. Let
all these things be taught that the American
youth may know that to be an American is
better than to be king.
The rebellion taught us many things. 1t
was the fiery furnace which tried and test
ed the pure gold of Republican institutions,
and burned away the dross. Much of the
spread-eagle conceit which was one of our
characteristics in the ante bellum days was
burned and purged away; and we learned
our own strength as we'll as our weaknesses,
and by discarding the latter, learned to
respect ourselves and cause others
to respect us. 1t was the awaken
ing of a young giant. The people
of this nation learned by the trial
through which they passed of the
opportunities, the resources and the men
which this country contains, and by the
Joining of the three have given us an era of
prosperity in which the accretion of ma
terial wealth surpasses not only our entire
growth previous to the Rebellion but places
our gain in wealth and progress far beyond
that of any nation or epoch in history.
The American soldiers unframed as thew