Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1894-07-20
CAPT. FLEEGER's ADDRESS.

we are permitted 10 puOIsn the Ioiio"lnl
extracts from his address on July 4th, &C
cepting the monument for the people. W.
are Obliged to omit much Of the va,usblt
historical part because of its length, but ]
ia said that steps are being taken TO pub
lish, in pamphlet form, the full proceed
ings:
| Mr.. Chairman, ladies, Gentlemen, Com
rades aud FelIotc Citizens
On this, the 4th day of July-a day ded
icated to liberty 11S years ago by the
| Fathers of the Republic-we have assem-
bled to receive from the hands OF the Mon
umental Association this beautiful monu'
ment to the memory of our heroic dead. IL
was eminently fitting and appropriate,
that this, the natal day of American Llner-
ty, should be selected by the Association
| for this important and patriotic event
Thus blending our celebration of the ami.
versary of the signing of the Declaration OF
American Independence, with the dedlca-
lion of this monument to the memory oil
the sons of Butler county, who IN the
great civil war from 1861 to 1860 gave up
their lives that that nation which was con-
ceiyed in liberty "should not perish from
the earth" :,
while we to-day recognize that all Of
that vast armv-marshalled in defence OF
the Union-whose left flank rested upon
tha coast of the Atlantic, while its right
sv ept the base of the Sierras, are entitled
to our graceful recognition, our nlgnest
honor, our warmest gratitude, ana our
lasting remembrance for their services ana
sacrifices in behalf of our beloved lano'
vet we to-day especially remember tne
soldiers of Butler county VINO gave up
their lives that our nation might nVeG.e
to-day bring our laurel wreath 10 tnelr
graves-to- day We dedicate that monument
to their memory. Citizens OF Butter coun.
ty, that is your tribute to the memory oi
those who were of your flesh and blood
who went out from your midst, and whose
vacant chairs are in the households and al
the firesides of Butler county homes.
Our county was settled about 100 years
ago by o hardy, energetic and courageous
people; with strong arm and brave hearts
these first settlers came to this, tnen un
broken Wilderness, to secure Tor them
selves homes and to better their CONDITION:
For wears the woodman's Ak rang snarp and
clear over our hills, and along our valleys,
as these hardy pioneers battled with the
forests, and cleared the pathway Tor CIVIL
ization. They transmitted the sterling
qualities of their integrity, energy and pa
triotism to their descendants. Hence the
tpeople of our county were hardy, brave
honest. industrious, patriotic and law aoid-
ing people. A people well htted, wnen
the hour of trial and danger would come,
il such hour should come, TO meet II win
true fortituie and courage. In 1861 that
hour came. then the veil which the proph-
etic Webster prayed might not be drawn IN
his day, was drawn aside; then the cload
whose muttering thunders had often been
heard away off in the distance, burst In all
its fury over us, growing deeper, darker,
blacker, denser until it covered our whole
sky and its zigzag ightnings flashed across
every doorstep, and its rumbling thunders
reyerberated in every home within our
county. The time had come when more
than taxes was asked, when richer treas
ure than money was demanded on the part
of our government from our people. a
rebellion, gigantic in its proportions, headed
and led on by maddened, determined
men had arisen, threatening the overthrow
of the fair fabric of our government, rear
ed by the tolls and sacrifices oi
the patriots of the reyolu-
tion. The IL states engaged in this rebel
lion had thrown off the authority OF our
government-torn down, insulted no
trampled upon our Typographical govern
mont of their own, adopted standard oi
their own, seized and taken forcible posses
sion of the forts, arsenals. custom houses
and other property of the government
within the boundaries of these states
raised, equipped and marshalled their
armies-set at defiance the authority and
laws of our government and with threaten
ing boldness pushed their armed legions,
and displayed their traitor flags within the
very sight of our Capitol. They threw
down the guage of battle. Our govern
ment took it up, it could do nothing else,
the dignity, the honor, yea the very HE,
the very existence of our government de-
manded that that unjust and causeless re-
beliion should be put down and the author
ity of our government restored to every
foot of our territory, and our flag, the SYM
boil Of our union, again placed on every
fort, arsenal and custom house of the land
will not stop here TO discuss the causes
that lead to that rebellion, suffice il to say,
once for all. that it was q wicked, cruel,
unjust and causeless one. Notwithstand-
idg all that Rev. Cave may say. Not
witEstanding all that General kosser
may say. Notwithstanding all that gush-
ing sentimentalists who weep bitter tears
over the grave of the "Lost Cause" may
sav-In that contest the North was right.
eternally right-the South was wrong,
eternally wrong. 1t was the struggle of
the nation for characterization meant
death-the God of nature never intended that
our domain should be divided in that way.
Our hills, our mountain ranges and our
rivers all run the wrong way. All the re-
sources of large part of our country, all
the abilities and energies of an able and
courageous people impelled By tnat spirit
which would rather "reign in hell' than
"serve in heaven" and led on by pur-
pose, determination, q madness they
cannot now understand or explain, were
| put forth for the dismemberment and de-
struction Of our Government, and the es
tablishment upon its ruins) of Souther-
an Confederacy whose corner stone should
| be slavery. 1t was the fnal-the death
grapple, on this continent, between free
dom and slavery-the inevitable conflict
had come. Compromise had been heaped
upon compromise, but all of no avail, the
| yexed question would not down, the peo-
pie in the sacred urn of the ballot box had
recorded the majority's will that slavery
| should go no further, but it was OF no avail
the South few to arms, and by her own
overt act transferred the antagonist ques-
tion of freedom and slavery from legisla-
| tive halls and the ballot box to the battle
! field. They appealed to the stern arbtra-
ment OF war. These questions which had
SO long vexed the people of our land. were
| by the deliberate act, the choice of the
South, to be settled amid the roar of artil-
cry, the rattle of musketry, the mad rush
of charging squadrons and the clang of
clashing sabers. The great question at
stake was, shall our government survive
the shock Of armsf Or, shall it like me-
teor, that for a moment has dazzled the
eye, go out in blackness and darknessf
Shall the prediction so often made by mon
archists and imperiallists Of the old world,
that our government could not long sur
vive, be stamped as melancholy TRUTH
| Shall the last experiment of man for self
government be q failuref These were the
questions that confronted us as a nation
and which we were compelled to face, and
these questions were to be decided by the
| arbitrament OF the sword, the ordeal oi
battle, at the cannons mouth and the bay
onets point. Looking back now through
20 years of peace we can scarcely realize
| the deep, intense interest of that hour, as
| the situation, with all its consequences,
the existence of our nation at stake, was
forced upon the people. 1t was in such sn
hour as this, and with such momentous
| questions as these to be solved by the or
deal Of war that the young men of Butler
county in 1861 to 1865 stepped upon the
stage to act their part in the grsndest and
bloOdiest drama the world ever behcld.
And how did the people of Butler coun ty
act their part in this trying hour of our
nations perilf That consider an appro.
pirate question for this occasion. We
make that inquiry to-day-as citizens OF
the county We are deeply interested in the
answer--was it such as to cause us to-day
to hang our heads in shame. or was it such
as we can look back to with pridef