The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1894-06-01

vented. or by devoted and patriotic effort
they may be turned to less disastrous
conclusions. There was need of patriot
ism in '6l. There is not less need of pa
triotism in '94. Our fair land is even to-
day the theatre of contention and threat
med revolution. No day passes without
the shedding of blood In internecine war.
The people are strangely careless, lethar-
gle. indifferent. Will they never arouse
Themselves? Will they never respond to
their country's need?
The patriot today may be comforted in
the reading Of a page of our national history
not often recOunted. When the people of
this land had chosen Abraham Lincoln for
their president and his election had been
followed by the secession of certain states,
the alarm, the dismay, the pusillanimity of
the north seemed TO justify the contempt of
the south-that the greasy mechanic"
would not fight nor sacrifice his personal
ease and interest for any principle. Cong
ress fairly groveled in the dust. The fugi-
tive slave law should be repealed, the per-
sonal liberty bills of other states should be
abr0gated. No person of negro blood
should be permitted to occupy public Office;
slavery should be put even beyond the
reach of constitutional amendment. And
even in this Congress did not outrun or pro-
woke the spirit of the people, A patriot in
those days might we'll have despaired; even
felt that the hearts of the people had waXed
gross; their devotion to the principles of
their national constitution had persisted
within them. And indeed they were a very
busy and somewhat easy going people, I'M
used to war, inclined to peace, willing to
do much to be left in the quiet pursuit of
their accustomed occupations. But they
were not unpatriCtlc, and when rebellion
waxed presumptious fired upon the old flag
you know the response; many OF you were a
part of that response-the love and loyalty
of the people; the courage with which they
fought; the heroism with which they suf-
cred; the devotion with which they died
is it not this we are all here today to re-
call and commemorate? Neither need we
doubt today that slow though our people
may be in the recognition Of these invidious
influences which are threatening our nation
al existence and great as may be the need
upon this and every other fit occasion to
appeal again to their patriotic devotion, still
we cannot doubt that when the issue is at
last made clear, the patriotic spirit of the
people will resolutely assert itself, make an
end of internal strife and social inequality
and restore unlmpaired the liberty and
equality of the people.
Other nations have their heroes; other
people their patriotic martyrs. Greece, to
that hOnors roll may contribute the heroes
of Thermopole, Marathon; Rome her Bru-
tus, her Reguus and her Cincinnatus; SwitZ-
terland her Arnold and her thousand heroic
spirits which found their symbol in the half
mythical story of William Tell; Holland
may boast herself of William of Orange of
the Barneveldts and DeWitts, and the de-
tenders of Antwerp; France her Joan DArc;
Scotland her Wallace and Bruce; Ireland
her Grattan and O'Connell; England her
Hampden, Cromwell and host of others
not less loyal than they. America has also
her honor roll, not less than the greatest of
other natious: her Adams, Washington,
Lincoln, Grant, Garfield and their worthy
companions in glorious cause. But that
which distinguishes this day is that it COM
memorates the devotion and self-sacrifce.
not of the few great LEADERSHIP few hon
Ored names written in eternal glory on his
tory's unending scfoll-but that it commem-
crates the valOr, the sacrifice, the patriotism
of the common people. We deck with
flowers the grave of the unknown, of the
obscure, of those already forgotten, whose
name and glorious deed no history recounts.
We revere the memory of the common man;
do honor to the deeds of citizen s0ldiery.
1t is well that it should be So Their deeds,
their memories, their sacrifices are not
merely the adornment and establishment of
our national life; they enter into its very
substance; they are all integral parts of its
very foundation. We might better part with
our laws. We could re-enact them; with
our constitutions we could re-create them,
than to part with the noble examples,
the glorious achievements, the undying
inspiration of those who already in our
country's history have suffered and
and it NAV be, gloriously died.
More safely and securely on their
glorious remembrance and their perpetu-
al inspiration do our institutions rest
than on all laws and enactments whatso-
ever. An acute critic has marked it as
the prime source of weakness in the
French republic that it has no revered
and glorious past into which it may root
itself and from which it may draw its life.
The possession of such a past, revered,
hOnored, glorious, is not only our pride
but our strength. 1t guarantees our ma
tional stability as nothing else can do,
but it guarantees it only upon the condi-
ton that we preserve its memory and
its spirit. The noblest monu-
ment we can rear to the memories of the
dead, the highest tribute we can pay to
their achievements is. in the undying
words of Lincoln at Gettysburg, ito be
to the great task remaining
before US, that from these honored dead
we take increased devotion to that cause
for which they gave the last full measure
of devotion; that we here highly resolve
that these dead shall have not died in
vain; and this nation, under God, shall
have new birth of freedom, and that
government of the people and by the
people and for the people shall rot per-
ish from the earth"
When Gen. Sickles was brought back
wounded from Gettysburg to Washing
ton, among the first to visit his bedside
was President Lincoln. The President
listened eagerly to the generals account
Of the battle, bat to the generals ques-
ton if he had not felt great anxiety
while the issue was pending, declared
that he had not; that although there
had been great alarm in Washington
and he had even been urged to take
refuge upon the gun-boats--he had him.
self felt entirely confident of favorable
issue. Pressed as to the ground of this
confidence the great President replied:
IF you will not tell, will inform you.
Upon the eve of Gettysburg went into