Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-05-28
MEMORIAL ADDRESS.
Delivered Before the q. A. r. Last
Night BY the Rev j. A. Mulcahy.

Night BY the Rev j. A. Mulcahy.
large audience filled the church of the
Immaculate Conception last night to listen
to the address of the Rev j. A. Mulcahy tc
the members of Wadhams post G.. A. r.,
Wadhams W. r. c., No /, and Abraham
Lincoln camp, s. of V. After vespers Rev
j. A. Mulcahy assembled the pulpit and
delivered his address, which was listened
to with the closest attention. He said in
part: =
"The men who at duty's call leave home
and kindred for the privattons and dangers
of war have ever held ar honored place ir
the hearts of their countrymen. Greater
proof than this of true manhood and exalted
heroism no man can ever give, that he leave
home and kindred and lay down his life as a
sacrifice upon the altar of his country. But
all this the nation demanded when. "a years
ago, the storm of civil war swept over the
land. No words then can fully express the
the call, no munif1cence OF the nation can
ever wholly discharge the debt of gratitude
We owe them. He must indeed be dead to
the commonest instincts of our nature who
does not feel his heart throb with deepest
en- etton as, standing on soil made sacred by
the blood Of heroes, he sees the grassy
mounds beneath which the brave defenders
of his country's Fl 4g lie sleeping. A peoples
tears bedew these hallowed spots, a nation
stands sentinel over these graves. Yet ar
not the same or greater honors due those
who have survived the carnage?
sit is not the mere dying that constitutes
the merit or honor of the soldier. There are
indeed some to whom the cause for which
they are rendering up their lives is so dear
and sacred that they would fain enrich the
sacrifice of their life blood with the deepest
devotion of their souls. Some when giving
utterance to their feelings at the solemn
moment of death speak words which long re-
main for mankind fountain of noblest in
SEPARATION. But for the greater number the
bullet or the sword does the fatal work quick
ly and death is but final incident on the
field. The merit and the honor lie in going
where the bullets whiz thick. where to
survive is more accidental than to die. A
soldier lays down his life as often as he steps
forward to fill the place OF his falling COM
rade and is thereby entitled to any honor
which the most grateful nation could accord
its living or its dead. It is but too true that
as the years roll by we cease to realize
wildly the terrors and evils which wal
brings in its train. We are apt to underrate
If not to forget the sacrifices which the SOL
diers n ade. There is always great deal of
courage a1oat when no danger is near
and many, never having been put to the test
imagine themselves heroes when in reality
they are but very ordinary clay. These
always fail to realize what the soldier has
done and rarely give him the honor to which
he is entitled.
"When the states failed to make up by
voluntary enlistment the number Of men
needed by the government and recourse was
had to the much feared draft, what conster-
nation appeared everywhere. Undoubtedly
in many IL heart the love Of country over
came the love of life, but still fear. appalling
fear, was manifest. Mothers, wives sisters
rushed frantically to the drafting places
where men stood pale with fear OF what might
come. By some every. device was practiced
10 escape the enlistment. Young men SOme-
times found prematurely gray hairs or bald
scalp Veritable blessing. Others hitherto
of sound constitution discovered that dread
malades were lurking in their systems al
though at times the only symptom of disease
they could present to the examining physic-
ian was wad of greenbacks. Others skip
ped over the border in o Canada to view the
battle from afar. Others offered large sums
for substitutes. 1 do not recall these events
with view of casting shadow upon the
brilliancy OF those days but to
show you how great was the sacrifice which
enlistment dema nded, how heroic was the
courage it implied and consequently how
worthy of all honor are they who grasped
their country e flag and bore il over food
and feel until the peace, the unity, the lib
erty and the prosperity of which it is the
emblem, reigned once more to bless our land.
Tho profession OF arms or the life of the
soldier Is not more deserving of honor than
any other legitima profession. 1t Is not the
tatigueS borne nor the dangers faced that
ennoble men but the motives by which thew
are inspired. Soldiers had before this faced
dangers and laid down their lives to
advance the schemes of some ambitious ty-
rant and for this they deserved neither honor
nor love. But it was not SO with the grand
army which you represent tonight. They
were animated by noble purpose thew
vain love OF conquest nor the thirst for gain
which led the union soldiers to invade the
thir lands of the south. Neither was it
hatred for their fellow man that prompted
their action during these sad years. They
would cheertuily have embraced the brothers
whom they resisted even unto death
because Of the principles which they sought
to establish; principles which the union
soldiers believed destructive of the nations
lite and opposed to the will of God.
Il have, however, no reproach to make to
the confederate soldier. He was chivalrous.
fearless, seIf-sacriicing; he was a worthy
foe. would also concede to him motives as
exalted as those which inspired the union
soldier. But his principles were false In
fact and, consciously or otherwise, he was
wrong. Based on such principles no nation
could long enjoy the blessings of sta
bllity Of; peace. On the question of
people were as replete with error
as were their principles pertaining to gov
The vast moneyed interests which
hinged upon this institution and the COM
its abolition imi lied. produced a state Of
mind which seemed incapable of treating
with requisite fairness the burning question
But truth and the b3tter sentiment OF the
outcome OF the rebellion Was triumph of
principles, not OF persons. Had the
south conquered and established
precedent OF rebellion whenever there
appeared a hope Of success government
by the people would have been failure
The stars and stripes would have been de-
throned from the proud emineuce which
they had occupied. The whole world would
have felt the shock. That nation is destined
TO longest life and greatest glory which gives
average
But 1t is only IN the air and soil of freedom
that the flowers of true manhood bloom Had
all nature a voice its first utterance would be
liberty"
Touching on the lessons taught by the war
the speaker said: "Prior to the conflict MANY
IN the north, IN their thOughtessness and mar
rowness of view considered the men OF the
south as ignorant and effeminate. On the other
hand, many of the Southeruers looked upon
the people of the north as an aggregation OF
tit indeed to drive sharp
bargain or patent an invention to make
wooden hams. But the war brought them
lace to face. They met on the heaving ocean
and on the bloody field and they changed
views as quickly as they exchanged blows"
Interesting descriptions of historic battle
speaker closed as follows: Omitted with the
principles and the generous i'm.
pulses which were underlying their
whole course, these events were steadily
the minds on both sides and dis
posing them to welcome peace when the day
received through these thousand channels
are still disposing both north and south to
oersevere in this holy peace aud unity and to
appreciate it as the inestimable blessing
Which yOlr valor won on the hard fought
lei Is of that wal"
The audience was the largest that has
attended any of the posts annual meetings
Ind the members express themselves as |