The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-05-31
THEHEROICDEAD|

section against section, TO dlscredit tn.
professions of those who fought agains,
the union of loyalty to the Federal gov.
ernment While l am glad that mag.
unanimous people have forgiven tnt
crime of those who attempted to destroy
the union, and that those who today have
decorated the graves of the men who
fought Ito preserve the union have
come to their solemn but delightful TASK
with malice towards none, without en-
nifty even towards the authors OF the re-
bellion, | should be false to the patriot
dead If 1 should forget the cause for
which they imperlled their lives.
AS We celebrate the day when our revo-
lutionary flthers appealing to the God
Of nations for the rectitude of their in
tentions declared their independence of
the mother country, a declaration which
they made good by the long and bloody
struggle of the Revolution, and en-
deavor to teach our children to emulate
| the example of their revolutionary slres,
| so should we on each returning anniver-
sary of this day. which win for all time
commemorate the patriotic services of the
brave men who preserved in the war OF
the rebellion the free institutions estap-
lished by the fathers of the revolution,
teach our children to abhor the crime
which cost the nation 50 many lives.
over the graves of our patriotic dead we
will teach this and all future genera
tons the duty of patriotism. We will
recount to them the long struggle or
the human race for civil and religious lib
erty, the cost of our national independ-
ence, of our system of republican gov rn-
nent and free institutions, and teach
them to emulate the noble deeds of those
who carried the emblem of our national
.ty to victory and overthrow the enemies
of the republic when the national exist
nee was assailed and swear them 70
eternal fealty to the flag Of the union,
the cause Of civil and religious freedom
and TO eternal hostility to the enemies of
free government.
The stories Of Leonidus. of Wallace and
of Tell, that have delighted past gener-
ations viii be rlvalled in all future times
by those of Washington, of Ii coin, OF
Grant, of Sherman, of Sh ridan, OF
Thomas, of Logan, and the ether heroes
of the great struggle to preserve to future
generations this last and best experiment
Of a government instituted by the peo-
pie for the protection of the inalienabfa
rights of man.
, While WE recall the memories of the
sacrifices and sufferlngs and of the
deeds of heroism of the armies of the
union and mingle our tears with our
floral offerings upon tn sir graves, WI Will
not forget the national crime which
brought upon us the calamity of civil
war
When the fathers of the republic came
TO frame our system of gov rnment they
found existing in some of the states
an Institution not in accordance with the
declaration of American independence
and not in harmony with the princ,pl 9
upon which they sought to found the new
republic. This institution was in the ma,
ture of things bound TO be a cause of dis
cord and contention. 1t precipitated an
irrepressibia conflict, which for many
" ars threatened the destruction of the
union. Slavery was regard d by major.
tty of the people of the north as a nation
al sin and was defended by the ruling
classes in the slave states If not as NOR
ally right ait Hast as protected by the
Federal constitution.
With nations as with individuals, a
long continued violation of any great
moral law is sure to be followed by ma
tional punishment. However we may diff
fer as to the rightfulness or wrongfuln 50
of human slavery all must admit that sla-
very brought upon this nation the great
calamity of the war of the REBELLION. It |
was slavery, the greatest of all wrongs, I
lgainst the rights of man. which caused I
thIa death of those whose graves the !
American people have today decorated.
1t was impossible that this greet evil |
should have been confined to the original |
sllve holding states.
In order that thu friends of the institu- |
ion should maintain their political power |
In the nation 1t was necessary tn sla- |
very should be aggressive and should ex-
pand with the growth Of the republic. |
nAe attempt to extsnd slavery TO the ter |
ritoreS brought on a fierce conflict be- |
tween free and servile labor, between |
the advocltss of the exte sion of sla, |
very and those who opposed its further |
extension. This conflict resulted so far |
as legislation and judicial decls ons were |
concerned in a triumph for slavery. But |
the moral ssnse of the nation was arous- /
ed and in 1860 Abraham Lincoln was elect
ed president upon a national platform op-
posed ITO the further extension of slavery. |
He was elected in strict c1nformity with
nj thods. The party whicn |
elected him propos d no violation of the
constitution, no disregard of tn rights
Of any section or any class. But bafor
he could be inaugurated our great nation
al sin precipitated the gr. attest rebellion
In the history of the race ag linst the
best government the world has ever
known. The save-holding states attempt /
ID to secede from the union and sought
TO establish a confederacy founded on
human slavery and committed their cause
beyond recall to the arbitrament of the
sword by firing on Sumpter.
This was war. A diss tuition of the
union WIS threatened. Republican gov
ernment was at stake. The North was
aroused. A wave of patriotism swept
from the Atlantic to the Pacific obliter-
ating for the time being party lines and
hurrying the loyal sons of the North to
the front resolved that Whatever the cost
the union should be preserved.
"Warl War! Wari
A thunder cloud in the south in tho
The launch Of thu thunderbolt; and then,
With one red fare the lightning stretch
ed Its wing
And rolling echo reused a million
men,"
] need not dwell on the fearful conflict
that followed and continued during q
p riod of four years.
Mighty armies met In the shock Of bat
lie. The nation poured out its wealth
and blood without stint. Hundreds OF
thousands Of the patriotic sons Of the
North found soldiers graves upon the
blttle fields Of the South. Hundreds OF
thousands were MANNED and crippled
ior life. Every section, every class, ev.
Fry interest shared in the harvest OF
ieath and woe. Thus did the nation
sXpiate the national sin and pay ths
penalty Of the nations transgresslon.
Sllvery perfshed The union was saved
as II by fire. The banners OF union ano
liberty were carried BY the brave boys
n blue 20 victory.
From the carnage and devastation OF
siyil war came forth a regenerated nation
With a constitution and laws IN l1armony
with the declarations Of the faith Fs thar
life, liberty and the pursuit OF happiness
Ire inalienable rights OF man.