The Portland daily press., 1896-06-01

| on not by treason or secession alone, but
| by every evil thought and act OF you and
me in the simplest exercise of our custo-
| mary vocations.
II. Their spirits tell of peace, not war.
These heroes, if I catch their purpose
Alright, fought not TO prove their prowesa
| or their bravery; not to exhibit TO genef-
| ations yet unborn the glory Of tho field
of battle. They fought to show that these
| qualities, however the world has held
them in its fond esteem, were each to be
| sacrificed on the altar OF peace.
| Since last you met to review the memo
RES OF our honored dead, our coun try
mas been moved by what we call the war
spirit. An unwise word of our chief Ex
eoutive, the ready rantings OF many
voices IN our halls Of legislation, the bel
Moose emissions of press that reflected
all TOO truly the popular mind at the
lnoment-how far all these from tho serj-
GUS purpose of O nation of heroes, who
could see no justification for war, except
When the Union itself were threatened.
ohoniu We not have learned ere vt that
Word OF franklin, "There never was a bad
peace, or good war.n War never brings
She results that passionate men predict
lof IL. ONE has but to open the book uf
record OF any military people to SEQ such
fruits as these: great loss of life among
tAe younger and more vigorous men;
tremendous destruction of property
great disorder in the finances; increase vi
tho spirit of speculation; distaste for
steady industry; contempt for law; in
crease OF crime; the creation of false
standards of living in all pha, es OF sooi-
| ETY.. We should all pray that tho
| time might never come, when our ideals
could rest i'll visions of white war ships
and standing armies; when Christian
nation worshipping the symbols OF broth
nc L..
camp, keeping armed watch to prevent
the surprises of follow nations.
III. The spirits OF our heroes bid us
cherish all that can be meant by citizen
ship. They gave us land free from
strife. They fill our visions with ex-
amnles OF noble men. They bid US enter
into heritage of civil benefits and re-
sponsibilities. From conditil ms that re-
quired them to crowd whole lifetime of
service into the few short hours that were
theirs, while the angel of death was
swiftly gathering rank after rank into
eternity, they summon us to the long
continued, but no loss vital service
through our lifetime of citizenship.
(a) One form of slavery was indeed
banished from our country forever But
who dares say even after this generation
and half, that we can see more than
tbs first faint morning flush of true
emancipation. A race of negroes could
be- only nominally set free by the sigma.
ture OF our martyred President. The
great sociological problem shall hover
about our national life for many genera.
ti0Is yet to come.
(b) The growth of our municipaliti OF
since the war has made of us another Il a.
| ton than that for which our heroes
fought. HoWa would they act and
legislate and teach, to create out of this
mass of differing material a clear, def
mite oyerpowering sentiment, for which
one could lay down his life as freely as
once he could?
(c) How often we are led to doubt il
now our representatives are men who
hold their office as sScred trust Or
certain legislature it has lately been
said, "They debate nothing, but pass
bills under the orders of dealer in
votes" How it behoovss US to
drink deep from the fountain of life and
honor that gave vigor to these, our noble
| heroes
(d) We cannot read q paper of a morn
ing without finding our eyes gazing upon
deeds of horror and of crime. Social up-
| risings; domestic infelicity; jealouses;
| unccountable offences; how the heart S
made sick and the spirit Sore as we re-
view the catalogue of these thingsl :.
| What grand sentiments are these,
union, peace, citizenship !. I. AS we
PehunC az VuO sSItlt6S kl uiibul WuOSJi iu6iI-
ory we keep alive today, we say to our
selves, Eyes, they have given us these
things. But as they behold US from
| their eternal abodes, think you our con-
ditions can fulfill their dreams? They
! saw something in their ideal thoughts
| Was it this that is SO familiar to us?''
M, | think not; vet are we the right
full inheritors of that for which these
soldiers made such splendid preparations.
"Like men in the ancient story, who
found themselves in the palace OF the
giants, we cannot feel ourselves quite at
home in the grand halls that tho past
has built for some coming race. We
play at ownership. We place ourselves
on the waiting seats. Upon its walls
hing the consecrated weapons. We ars
not yet wholly fitted for their use But
they shall come-they for whom all THU
was builded and prepared. They shall
come, that nation of patriots, who shall
know what it is to prize and to use the
dearly bought liberty that means SO LITTLE
to us. They shall come. the law -givers,
who have a sense of the honor and TIL
responsibility of their high calling, t,
whom political life is neither game no
a speculation.
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