The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-05-31

nNlng, ana IN my own name, give
grateful thanks to the people of Chi
cago, who have done honor to our dead.
not as confederate soldiers, but as
brave men who preferred Imprisonment
and death rather than freedom OBJ
tained by a dishonorable sacrifice of
the principles for which they were will
ing to die.
"Of the 5000 confederates buried here
not one was an officer: all were pri-
Yates, and in no way responsible for
the unhappy war which brought an
Iliad of woes upon our country. And
yet these humble private soldiers, any
one of whom could have gained free
dom by taking an oath of allegiance
to the federal government, preferred
death to the sacrifice of their princi-
pies. Could any possible dishonor at
tach to these brave men of Chicago
because they are willing to recognize
the courage and the loyalty to duty of
these dead confederates? We of the
South measure our dead comrades
buried by the standard applied TO men
after death. and you of Chicago have
measured them by the same standard,
the only standard by which we can
measure men, and by applying this
you have shown that you have come
to the highest standard vouchsafed to
men, and on this the North and the
South can stand, with honor alike to
both sections.
Some of our northern citizens seem
to paraphrase the Biblical question,
Can anything good come out of Naza-
reth? by applying it to the South; but.
my friends, we really are not evil. Put
yourself in our places and judge us
4l,af AfY,t In,
ton which framed the constitution
there were two parties which held OPP
posite positions, one urging the forma-
tion of a strong central government
and the other advocating the doctrine
of state rights. 1t was attempted TO
reconcile these antagonistic views by
a compromise by which it was de-
clared all powers not delegated to the
general government were left to the
states; but like all compromises it left
the question unsettled, and from 1877
until 1861 the proper construction to be
placed on the clause of the constitu-
tion just referred to had led to con-
stant and often angry discussion.
This unfortunate condition of af-
fairs was further complicated by the
injection of the question of slavery
into il, and we all know what has been
the result of these unhappy differ
ences. But these are all now dead is
sues, and 1 do not propose to discuss
them further 1t seems TO me, too,
that the past should inculcate another
lesson to us, and that is. the time has
come when the actors in the fearful
strife and those whom they represent
ed should judge their former oppo-
nents as they should themselves be
judged. This can be done without sac
rifice of principle on either side, as
examples of our mother country have
shown us. York and Lancaster, Cava-
lier and Roundhead no longer wage
war on each other; all are English
men, proud of their country, and the
red rose and the white are emblems
of peace and glory of the olden land
Can we not all be proud of the Prov
ess of the American soldier?"
memorial poem by Maj. Henry T.
station of Kentucky was next, and the
literary portion Of the dedication was
closed with an address by Rt. Rev.
Samuel Fellows. bishop of the Re
formed Episcopal church, Chicago,
late general of the United States vol
unteers. The ceremonies of consecrat-
ing the guns and placing floral dec
orations followed. and the exercises
closed with the firing of three volleys
over the graves of the dead by the
First regiment of i. n. c., ending with
a bugle blare and taps" Following
these came the decoration of the
graves of the Union soldiers in the
cemetery by ex-confederate assOcia-
tions, assisted by a large number of
visiting ladies from the South, many
of them noted Southern beauties. Aft
er the exercises the guests were enter
tanned at luncheon by the Chicago
club and reviewed the procession OF
the G.. a. r. from the balcony of the
Auditorium. Tonight there was a mil
itary ball and reception at the First
regiment armory and a reception at
the Palmer house.
The display of flowers on the graves
of the confederate and federal dead
was very impressive, and will long be
remembered. For several days they
had been coming by the car load. six
car loads having come by one railroad
alone. The monument dedicated to-
day stands 40 feet from the ground to
the top of the figure which surmounts
it. The pedestal is of pearl granite
from quarries at Constitution Hin
near Atlanta.