Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1895-06-01

sward, the blood Of loyal Union men
watered it again and their steady
hands supported its dropping branch
es, and caused It to bloom more beau
tiful than ever before. And shall We
now apologize for our actions and say
today that your comrades diedin vain,
and that the cause for which they
died was wrong' Let MS hope not.
The principles fought for were sa-
cred. The course Of each side ha d
been thoroughly considered and the
probable result carefully estimated
The South. the home OF the aristocla-
cy, violated every compromise made
in the Congress Of the United States,
looking to settlement Of the slaves
status. She wanted the new states
to poison the blood in their veins by
a continuation Of slavery. She VAS
jealous Of the loss Of power that would
surely follow the admission Of new
states, and rather than bow to Tie
will Of the majority, rather than lose
her supremacy, she sullseG and rauted
and finally broke the compact that
existed between all the states and
flung the banner Of the confedeFacv
to the breeze. She cast her die ard
lost The inconsistency OF Wanting.
ly claiming this to be the home Of the
free. when millions of human beings
were held in bondage and chains, is
no doubt evident to ALL Slavery was
contrary to every feeling Of Justice
and would have been eventually over
thrown anyhow, and now has ucilher
the sanction of the South nor o. hut
manity. That the South could have
dispensed with slavery beneGcially to
herself. is evinced by the strides She
has made in enterprise and wealth
since it was wrenched from her The
mistake made by her good people was
that they did not sell their slaves to
the government and permit them 10
be freed, as was proposed by leading
philanthropists Of that day, instead
Of losing all. and having them set
free and constitutional right and JUS
tice established at such a fearful sac
rilice Of life and property.
But why dwell on these thiugsp
The storm has spent its fury; the
smoke has cleared from our national
horizon and the noise OF the artillery
has ceased. The sun breaks through
the riited clouds, gliding the land with
is rays. Peace. white-robed aud
,live-crowned, is ours again. Not a
star has been bloited from the glotious
constellation. Not state has been
lost by the madness that ruled tile
hour. By the baptism OF blood the
uation has been purified She stands
today without. the strain Of slavery on
her garments, and Liberty attuning
her harp, sends forth a louder, sweet
er strain than ever before. trcmbled
on the lips and harps Of freeman 1t
was given to our fathers to rejoice at
the birth of our nation. 1t was given
to us to see her born again and fully
redeemed to liberty. All, well may
we recall the words OF Webster, Of the
God-like Daniel, in closing his debate
with Hayne. in 1850;
while the Union lasts, we have
high, exciting, gratifying prospects
spread out before us, for us and our
children. Beyond that seek not TO
penetrate the veil God grant, that
Ia my day at least. that curtain may
MT rise. God grant that on my Wis
10 never may open what lies behind
When my eyes shall be turned 10 be.
h I'D for the last time. the sun in the
heavens. may not see him shining
IN the broken and dislIonofcd fta4s
ments Of once glorious Union. on
states discovered. discordant. bciligcr-
emit; on land rent With civil iends.
or drenched, il may be, in lfalcfnai
blood! Let their last feeble and ling
eriug glance rather behold the gor-
geous ensign OF the republic. now
known and honored throughout the
earth, still full high advanced, KS
inns and trophies streaming IN their
original lustre, not a stripe erased or
polluted; nor a single star obscurcd.
bearing for its motto, no such miscfa.
bic interrogation as What is all this
WORTH nor those other words OF dc.
fusion and folly Liberty first aud
: Union afterwards. but everywhere.
spread all over in characters Of living
light. blazing on all its ample folds
as they float over the sea and over the
: land, and In every wind under the
. whole heavens. that other sentence
dear to every true American
heart Liberty and Union--now and
forever, one and inseperable.
The wish OF Webster. finds an echo
in our hearts, and that Union he SO
much loved. has been newly baptised
into lie and vigor by your devotion.
love and patriotism. old soldiers. a
grateful country will ever cherish and
venerate your patriotism, and the
gfandest and prondest heritage which
yon can ever leave to your children,
is the old blue uniform. the old. tar
nished, brass buttons. and yonr ex.
ample Of devotion and love for yonT
couhtry.
Andnow. in conclusion. "a few person,
al words TO you, old friends. You are
here to Gay with trembling hands and
loving hearts to remember your dead
companions, and the thought comes
to one and all that you. too, viii soon
be mustered out. Tramp. tramp.
tramp. you are marching to the grave.
i.Time has brushed the roses from your
cheeks and fnrrowed them with care,
aud the frost Of many winters have
brought ''silver threads among the
gold" Your camp-fres are burning
low and but dtfuliy at best. ard soon
flowers will be placed on your graves
and others will then be here 70 con-