The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-05-31

| Sovereignty" Lincoln, the Sampson OF
| the west, said the conflict between free
dom an slavery was irrepressible, that
| this country could not exist half slave
and half free. When the full scope and
Meaning of these two propositions
! the right of all men to equal suffrage
| and equal freedom-had been felt and
| understood by the heart and brain OF
the people of the north, and the border
| states, slavery was doomed. The great
debate between the two champions in
1858 made Lincoln and Douglass OPP
posing candidates for the presidency in
1860. Lincoln became the recognized
leader OF the Free Soil party and was
elected president on that issue. The
south said this was cause for dissolu-
ton OF the Union. and withdrew.
President Lincoln pleaded with them TO
return. They answered by firing on
Fort Sumpter and Selling the forts,
arsenals and other property in the south
belonging to the United States govern
ment. Then came the call for volun-
teers. The people of the great north
answered with one grand acclaim for
the Union. They left the plow in the
furrow. the hammer on the anvil, the
shuttle in the loom, the yardstick on
the shelf, furnace fires were extinguish-
ed Spindles ceased their music, fac
tories closed their doors, mills were shut
down and in their stead the fire Of pat
riotism were kindled in every home
stead, m village and city AMI every part
OF the north was afiame. That is the
way they responded TO the call Of their
country. War is the subject of all his
tory" The microscope reveals armies
that fight and swim in a drop of water
-Sef-help-right 10 live, eat and drink
without molestation- This is an instinct
With us il was liberty, freedom for all
under the flag. We could no longer
live half free and half slave. We could
not maintain our nationality and just
laws with a proud and war-like people
living neighbor to US, separated by an
ina ginary line. The ''irrepressible con-
f1ict" had come. We could accept no
compromise. We could not consent 10
the destruction of our glorious Union.
We, therefore, had to fight in self-de-
Tense. Our war was necessary, was
just. and this fact is now conceded
everywhere that our flag floats. Justice
has been indicated and everybody is
satisfied. When four years had passed
with their hopes and fears, their blood
and tears, Lee and Johnston surrender
ed to Grant and Sherman, then there
was left on our hands in the south a
"sick man" at whose bedside many ply
sicians were called. The patients name
was Reconstruction. He required some
surgical and a great deal of medical
skill and attention Though his malady
was believed by some of the doctors to
be incurable, he threw away his crutch-
es in 1877, and his pill boxes later. He
Tz M a 1aal
individual, with only an occasional bill
Gus attack The whole country rejoices
over his recovery, and now yankee
Doodle and Dixie" "Sherman's
March Through Georgia" "The Star
spangled Banner and the Bonnie Blue
Flag" are sung and cheered by Ameri-
cans from the rocked ribbed coast of
New England to the gates of Califor-
MIA" and from the northern most con-
fines Of our country to magnolia and
orange blossoms on the south.
In al. ages the memory of the heroic
dead has been held sacred.
On this thirty-second anniversary of
the battle of Altoona, this day made
holy by the annual decoration of the
graves OF the half million of our dead
comrades with the fresh flowers of
spring, we stand by their graves I'M
coveref. Pledge anew our devotions 10
the cahSe for which they died-the cause
of justice and of freedom.
Our fathers had given us a govern
ment that we love, that made us free
and equal in political life in the choice
OF our avocation and in the selection of
our own mode of worship. All these
blessings were secured by war The
mother country being unable 10 subdue
the spirit Of liberty and local self-gov-
eminent, gave US recognition, and q
free and independent nation. But, the
one stain on our costitution, the bond
age of human being and his treatment
in law as a chattel was the sowing of
tares in the wheat They had to be
pulled up and removed from the field.
There was another doctrine that gave
encouragement to the secessionists, and
threatened the pillars of the republic,
the doctrine that all sovereignty was
lodged in the state-that we Were not a
nation but merely a partnership or a
confederation of states, and one of
which might lawfully withdraw from
the partnership at any time one OF the
partners concluded that the concern
was not conducted satisfactorily That
a state whose people became dissatis-
fed with any provision of the constttu-
ton or laws made Hereunder might
peaceably withdraw. In 1850 we had
thirty-three states with an aggresa te
population Of thirty-one and a half
million. Since that time our growth.
prosperity and progress have been Won
derful. We now have over seventy
millions population In 1850 we had 80
600 miles Of railroad. We now have
over 10000. Within the last generation
the value OF our property has increas-
ed 400 per cent; we have added twelve
free states TO our bright constella ton,
and VIII soon add three more. OF which
your neighbor and kinsmsn. Oklahoma,
is the most important. In 1860 our pub
Tic school system was unpopular and
poorly supported in the south and west
now we have a school house in every
district for the free education OF the
children OF the land. Ignorance, the
promoter OF vice and crime, the tool OF |
oppression and misery, IS fleeing before |
the steady march Of the public school |
system, which is the pride Of the peo- |
pie and the glory and safety of the re- |
public. The flag Of our country. proud |
y floats from the top OF the school house |
and * a beacon TO point the children 70 |
the road 10 patriotism What a mark. |
what . happy change since March 4.
1851
Comrades. the end coneth and n |
nan can work" You are 81 years older /
than You were when Lee surrendered. /
Many OF You left your homes IN the \
EASTERN and middle states. leaving your /
employers in the hope OF soon return
ns. and taking your places. AFTER d-iv- /
ng the rebels into the Mississippi rsver,
1r the Gulf of Mexico. This proved - !
- deluslon. and when you returned |
Our years later. battle-sc&red. b-oazed |
ana stln from exposure. your places
we're filed by The ''stay-at-homes." You