The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-09-20

| dedicate, we cannot c0usecrato, we can
not hallOw this ground. Tae brave men,
living and dead who struggled here
have coDsecrated it far above our power
to add or detIact
II will detain you no longer from lis
tening to the eloquent words OF those
who were participants in the bloody
| struggle shaCers alike In It's danger
and its glory"
When he had finished, prayer was Of
fered b, the Right Rev. Bishop GaiIor,
| of Tennessee.
'Auerio4, " the beautiful national an
them. was then sung by the audience,
accompanied Icy the band, and everyone
! oil the forty and odd thousand OF people,
assembled, blue and gray, sang 1t as #
Inspired. The great volume OF sound
rolled u0 as a great tidal wave, and long
bsf0ro the song was ended tears We're
| c0arsiDq down the cheeks Of thousands
Of the old veterans.
It made a thrill run up and down the
| backs of even the most hardened OF the
| battle scared veterans, and those who
she'd tears were proud OF it. Not one OF
| them was ashamed, nor was there any
one who rould shame them.
Gen John Il Palmer, the venerable
| Senator from Illinois, who thirty years
ago 10 day risked his life on the battle
| field, made the first dedicatory address.
When he came forward his voice was
husky and had a tremuious sound. And
never in all his life, unless, perhaps
when he was directing his men at Chicka-
mauga, thirty-two years ago, did he
speak more earnestly.
He became grandly eloquent as he
advanced in his address, and his el0
Quence was fully appreciated, and at
frequent intervals he was applauded with
a vigor that showed the audience were
in touch with him.
Senator John II. Palmer told the story
Of the battle Of Ohickamauga, saying
that bat few Of the names Of the fallen
were known, bat the c0u-age and gal
lantry Of all could be remembered.
Another patriotic tune followed Gen,
Palmer and the battle scared veteran
Of the C0nfederacy whom Lee called his
right arm, John B. Gordon, Of Georgia,
was introduced He was greeted with
no less applause than was accorded Gen.
Palmer. and he spoke with fullyas much
enthusiasm, feeling and patriotism.
Refe. ring to Charles Summers pro.
position in the Federal Senate to strike
from the battle flags Of the Union all
mementGes Of our civil war, in order to
lessen passion, restore harmony to the
embittered sections, and unity 10 hls
divided country, Mr.. Gordon said:
''But Mr. Sumner vas not the only
statesman ". 0 then believed that the
preservation OF war memories was the
perpetuation Of war passions. de was
not the only one who failed to appre-
ciate the mighty changes which were to
be wrought py time; Or the hallowing ef
fects Of great trials and sorrows upon
the tempers of a people; or the elevatipg,
ennobling and unifying power OF our
Christian civilization and free institu-
tiors
Few, if any, there were who then
saw, as We see now, tnat the American
civil war, when fully and rightfully
understood, was to become the most
| unique chapter in the worlds history;
that it was Inevitable; that it came as
| the inevitable always comes, with no
human agency competent to avert 1t;
| that it was inevitable because 1t was an
| irrepressible conflict between irreconcll-
| able constitutional constructions, main
| tanned on both sides with American
| tenacity, by brave and truth loving
/ people, involving momentOus interests
| and rights, whose claim could neither
| be settled nor silsnced except by the
shedding Of blood.
Few, did / say there were May !
not rather say the were none Where
/ are the men WHO then fOresaW, for ex
ample, the South's speedy recupera
| ton. or even her possible resurrecti0n'
| do not recall one who, in that woeful
period which followed the disbanding Of
| armies, saw through the widespread
desolati0n Of this section her present
triumphal march to enduring prosperity
| and social order ! do not recall one
| whose vision was clear enough or far
reaching enough TO catch even faint
glimpse Of these inspiring scenes around
| us to-day: not one in any station or sec
ton optimistic enough or audacious
enough to promise his cOuntrymen the
light and life and fraternity Of this
| glorious hourl
"And why notY' he asked in conclusion.
"Why not mutual, absolute confidence,
trust and unity2 What is the basis of
this trust and brotherhool? Shall l an
swer? do answer, because the answer
is a great truth, which history will re-
cord and heaven reveal at last That
basis for brotherhood, vouched by the
dead heroes who fell, and the living
around me today, is the monumental
fact that every drop of blood which was
shed in that struggle was the priceless
tribute paid by liberty loving men to
inherited and profoundly cherished
convictions. Every uniform worn by
the brave, whether its color was
blue or gray; every sheet Of flame
from the ranks and rifles Of both; every
cannon that shook Chickamauga's hills
or thundered around the heights of Get
tysburg; every whizzinR shell that tore
through the wilderness at Chancellors
| vile or Shiloh; every ballet rent flag
that hoated in victory, or went down in
defeat on any field; every patriotic sigh
or PRAYER waited heavenward from the