Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1895-07-11

ional president and yice-presidenr. The
country seemed On the verge of ruin. 1t
appeared that the ship OF state was DUR
poseIy steered for the rocks. 1t seemed
a though the terrible scenes ofthe French
Revolution were about to be r~e-enacfed
in a country which God had made pros-
porous from it's very discovery. Ii
seemed as though the asylumfor the Door
and down-trodden was about to 90 down
in the ruins caused by internal dissen-
ton Bat an alLwise providence ruled
otherwise. The army had been sent in
detachmsnts to remOto frontiers: the
fleet was scattered in distant seas; the
financial credit had run down to it's low.
est ebb and the government was unable
TO borrow funds for current expenses.
With the exception OF Forts Sunpter
and Moultrie in Charleston harbor. Fort
P'ckens near Pensacola. and Fortress
Monroe IN the Chesapeake, all the impor-
tant naval points and posts in the sece-
ded states had been seized by the COME
derate authorities, even before the
organization Of the government. With
the beginning of the new year a feeble
attempt was made TO reinforce and pro-
vision Fort Sumpter. The steamer 'Star
OF the West" was sent out with men and
supplies. As the steamer approached
the harbor OF Charleston she was fired
upon by a Confederate battery planted
for that purpose, and compelled to re-
turn. In gloom and grief, and amid the
upheavals OF revolution, the administra-
ton OF james Buchanan drew to a close.
Such was the dreadful condition oil
affairs that it was deemed best for the
new president to approach the capital
without recognition. For the first time
in the history of the nation the chief
magistrate Of the Republic slipped into
Washington City by night as "a means OF
personal safety.
On the 18th day OF April, 1861, at hall
past ionr, the first gun OF the great war
was discharged from a Confederate bat
terry. lhavedwelt briefly upon the causes
which led up to thegreat war. Ii seemed
as though nothing could avert the i'm
pending disaster. In order to place the
government upon a firm, immoyal foun-
dation it was necessary To demonstrate
it's power.
la my addrss OF today | am confined
to the causes ,that led to the war. |
should like to- talk TO you a little while of
tine noble inca that went forwardto their
.country's aid, many of whom lie in
southern graves, many who returned sick
diseased aud manned by southern bullets
and many more who lie withouta grave.
unknelled, uDeoffined and unknown, but
! will have to forego this pleasure.
never think or speak of this great
conflict but that the words OF the poet
come to my mind:
I'm Rome, in the forum. there opened one night
A guilt. All the augers turned pale at the sir6t
In this omen the anger of Heaven they read:
Men consulted the Gods, then the oracle said.
Ever open this gulf shall endure. till at last
That which Rome hath most precious within. it
he cast
The Romans threw in II their corn and their
stat,
But the gulf yawned as wide. Rome seemed
likely enough
To be ruined ere this rent in, her heart sba
could choke;
Then Curtius, revering the oraSie spoke:
20 Qn%irities to this Heavens question is come.
What to Rome Is most precionsT The manhood
of Rssner'
He plunged and the gulf closed. The tals Y not
new,
But the moral applies many ways, and Is true.
Inv lar hanFf. rant in fngan -. alatl a.
be destroyed
lis a warm human life that must MI up the
void.
fon old soldiers feaTlessly cast your
bodies into the great gull, and alter the
American manhood 10 the number of
100000 had been swallowed up by the