The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-05-31
MIR. ATKINSON's CITATION.
An Eloquent Discourse on tho SIGnitcnnr,
Ot tho Day.


momorie, to-day like dream OF tho al.
most forgotten past. Just thirty.four
years ago ton thousand buglo blasts
caused half million "boys in blue" to
for,akc homes and loved ones in answer
to the Nations call to arms. When tho
brass bands. flies and drums rolled out
their martial strains Of music, how tho
loyal hearts vero thrilled and tho
thousand, rallied to the summons.
Their sacrifices aud suileriugs cannot
DO written. Language is totally made
quate to express even faint descrip.
ton OF their sacrifices for mankind. a
republic versus monarchy was on trial.
and it was then in the throes OF crucial
test for existence. Their actions and
sacrifices and sutlerings settled tho test
forever that republics eau endure. Tho
risk they ran for our nation aud its flag,
as We consider it moro calmly, causes us
TO love them more as tho years roll on.
We cherish the memories OF their sacred
dead, and ioebly honor them by cover
ing their graves with May-day ilowerd
All the world says the records these
the stars. All the world crowns them
patriots, and all thoughtful men un.
cover as the veteran PROFESSIONS pass,
with their mutlcd drums and their arm
loads OF Carlands to scatter above the
ashes OF their silent, sleeping comrades.
THE GREATEST HONOR.
There is no better title 10 enduring
fame than the four years services
rendered by tho faithful. hosts OF the
"boys in blue" In honors truly to be
env!ed there is no roll call. whether in
the American Congress, tho German
Reichs,ag, or the English Parliament,
comparable with the roll call OF our
volunteer soldiers ut Missionary Ridge,
ChicamauGua, Vicksburg, Bull Run,
Antie;am. Gettysburg and Appomat-
toX. would rather my name was
called as private soldier for my coun-
try in these great engagements than in
any legislative body or ministerial cab
met on Gods green foot-s,ool. Thus do
millions to-day look upon the services
rendered BY the volunteer army OF the
republic. 1t 10 thirty years since the
grea. conflict ended. and it is only as
the smoke and fog OF battle pass away
that We can clearly see the magnificent
record these soldiers made.
We can now see plainly. at this dis
lance from the war, that these soldiers
in giving Us but one flag instead OF two,
one constitution. and n nation united,
also gave us peace. They gave us en-
during peace, because they gave US mi
versal liberty. 1t has taken our people
n full quar.er-century to find out the
true value OF freedom, FREQ labor and
FREQ thought. We are Just now begin
ming to appreciate in Its iullness. the
true grandeur OF 4 republic under whose
fla. all classes and races OF men can
walk erect in the dignity OF unrestricted
freedom. Thank God, in our great
country no man owns another. and bot
ter than all, labor is forever free.
At last we have learned tho lesson,
though it was written in blood, that
labor is OF God. and that nothing is
moro sacred and more 10 DO respected
than honest, faithful toll. Labor is
wealth, aud man needs no better pass.
port to fame than that he earns his liv-
ing by the sweat OF his brow. Our
soldiers OF the lato war. though fratri-
cidal as il was, should want no greater
title to nobility than that they gave to
tho American people universal liberty,
which in turn made labor FREQ and made
thought free also.
WHAT FREE DOM HAS WROUGHT.
Free labor and free thought have done
moro than all things clse to elevate man
kind. They have chained tho lightning,
conquered steam, bridlod machinery,
broken down caste. and upliitnd man.
They have treod out tho brain, whcttcd
the intellect and broadened the outlook
OF nil our people. They arc the iulcrum
and the lever which, under God, have
made ours tho foremos. nation on tho
earth. Any man who does not bolovo
in free labor and FREQ thought is IN
enemy to human progress.
Any man who docs not thank our
sodiers for breaking down tho middle
walls OF the partition OF prejudice and
letting in tho rays OF free thought and
truth, Is an enemy to himself rs vol as
to all mankind. Wo rejoice to-day tnat
ours ia tho foremost irec nation beneath
tho circle OF tho sun. and our soldiers
made 1t such.
1t always requires revolutions to ac-
colhplish works that arc overwhelming
anu great. 1t always has beGn 80, aud
it always will DO 30 in both church and
state. It was no execution in our own
fair land. Minor questions can bo aroi-
trated, but great upheavals alono eau
como as the results OF war.
There ia another iact to which | de-
sire briefly to alludc, and that is that
tho wounds OF tho war in our corptry
have been we'll nigh healed. Tho SOL
diors who wore tho gray arn now bo-
ginning 10 fool and ace and understand
that the soldiers who woro the blue
saved the south as vol as tho north.
There AFRO no better loyallsts to-day than
tho soldiers Of tho southland.
1.-THE blue ASD TIE GRAY
nro clasping hands across tho dcop,
broad chasm thnt once divided them,
which It was for years claimed by many
OF our people could novor DO archod.
But il Is now being nrchcd By tho bril-.
liant bow Of fraternity aud lOvo und
enduring peace.
Tho .prakcr hero rccited, with
good olIuct. n touching incident
Of li,tn girl in lndinnapoliH.
strcwns flowers on n Confod'