Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-30

not fighting for conquest. They were not
fighting for ACKNOWLEDGMENT They
were men engaged i'll peaceful walks Of
life, just now.
They were of our own blood and of our
own family. They were from the farm,
the shop, the mine, the bar. the bench. the
store, the ministry-in short, from all vo-
cations Of life. They were then as ambi-
tious to gain and acquire wealth, position,
place and power as we are now. All of
these earthly allurements. for which We SO
strive, they put to one side and voluntarily
went forth to do and to die. 1t cannot be
that these men gave up all and risked their
lives for the insignificant monthly pay Of
fered by the government. However, have
at-home towards that these men were
amply rewarded for what they did, and
that they should not receive pensions in
addition thereto.
Such structures upon the brave men who
composed our armies can spring only from
a low. sordid nature. No. the men who
composed that great army were the flower
of our country and the highest type Of
Christian civilization. They were moved by
the highest and noblest earthly sentiment
love of country. They were men, high
minded men, who their duties know, and,
knowing, dare maintain OF such was
that great army, on the Union side, led to
victory by the greatest generals the world
has ever seen.
Citizen SoIdfery.
In deeds Of valor and Of hero:sm, the
student of history will seek in vain to find
that anybody anywhere has surpassed the
American soldiery north and south. Men
could not be drawer and do drawer acts
Our people demonstrated to the world that
Intelligent, free men, contending against
each other, can be transformed from citi-
zens into soldiers and exhibit the highest
type of soldierly qualities.
FORTUNATE for us as people that the
south n ohor
the Union. Had II succeeded. what would
have been the result? Two republics of
kindred people, one based on liberty, the
other on slavery, occupying what is now
our common country. A little later on each
republic would be engaged in rebellion,
and each would be again divided and sub
divided. and. as a result, there would be
number OF petty little republics. 1t would
only be a little time until, one by one
these little republics would fall into the
hands Of some foreign monarchy, and the
great republic Of our fathers would cease
to exist. Fortunate. indeed, not only for
the people of our own country, but for the
world. was II that the north succeeded
and that this government of the people,
for tie people and by the people, did not
cease to exist.
"Out of the bitter experiences Of war have
come forth the sweet joys of peace We
are now united. happy people. Made SO
through commercial relations and inter-
marriages. This splendid country Of ours
still continues to be the land of the free
and the home Of the brave In this coun-
try of ours is to be wrought out the great
est problem ever intrusted to man-man's
ability to govern man. 1t would seem as If
Providence had specially set apart this
country Of ours. Centuries have come and
gone before America was discovered, and,
when discovered. the footsteps of the
brightest and best of Europe were directed
TO our country, their future home. Under
the leadings Of Providence We took on a
republican form of government
4 Splendid Heritage.
The wise and patriotic statesmen Of our
sariy days enlarged our borders unit. we
extended from ocean to ocean ana from, tho