The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-06-06
INGALLS, WORDS.
The Old Senate OratOrical Spirit
Bursts Forth.
GIN the Battle Of Life There Are
No Volunteers,
ALL ARE CONSCRIPTS."
Defines the Distinction Between
Blue and Gray.
Decoration Day Speech at New
ton in Full.
ALL ARE CONSCRIPTS. 50

The Newton Kansan gave an eo0-
tended report Of Senator ingalls, speech
at that point on Decoration Day, prop
erly quoted which is given in full;
This is a most majestic, Impressive
and imposing spectacle" he said Il
have been the witness Of many pa
geants on both continents. but never
have beheld anything surprising this
lit is an inspiration and a prophecy as
we'll I feel as I never felt before
how magnificent it is to be young
These children are to inherit the glory.
the spIendor. the possessions and the
dignity of this earth 1t would GER
tainly be Indifference and insincerity
to pretend to be unmOved by this as
sembly and the suggestions of this
hour
There is no state SO stable and per
maneat as the state of Kansas. Zap
plause.l I repeat that ia everything
that makes life valua bic and worth liv-
ing there is no place that transcends
this magnificent commonwealth Kan
sas is the hub of the nation. Tt is the
great point to which converge and
from which diverge the monster ener-
gies that are necessary to this great ma
ton. am glad. and never more glad
than today, that / am a citizen OF this
commonwealth. And you may Wen feel
proud that you are residents of this
county of Harvey, one Of the most fer
tile in the state.
I'VE hold no treasures more priceless
than the ashes OF those who died that
their country might live In that ire
mendOus and ineXplfcable lack of hui
man Hfe-the hereafter-there is no un-
hidden guest. In this world where this
great drama is being enacted no one
ever appeared of his own accord. We
are sent here by some mysterious pow
ing Of our credentials all have The
same seal and we all have the same
recommendations After our brief
span we are summariIy dismissed and
sent across the mysterious abyss from
whose plane no mortal word has ever
come. Here lit is a struggle for eXiS-
tence-a battle for life In that army
fighting to live there are no voluE-
teers-we are all cOnscripts When the
purposes for which we are mustered
in are done, We are mustered out with
out pay on emOlument
History is for the most part a rec
ORD of blood and of the struggles OF
man 10 overcome the injustice of en-
vironment. the oppression of the poor
by the rich-the weak by the strong
We behold this struggle as have all
men-one long protest against the injus
tice of men.
Vex not his ghost: O. let him pass! He
hates him much
That would upon the rack Of this tough
world
Stretch him out longer.
.Since we last assembled to observe
this anniversary. 80 600 men who wore
the uniform of soldiers of this republic
have passed to the other shore.
The muhied drums sad roll has beat
The soldiers last tattoo,
No more on life's parade shall meet
That brave and fallen few.
on fame's eternal camping ground
Their silent tents are spread,
And glory guards with silent round
The bivouac of the dead.
s.In a few moments we shall pass
from this presence to take upon our
selves the duty 0f decorating the ashes
of the men that sleep in what has been
Justly termed Gods Acre As we
reflect upon the passing of these 80. 600
men, YOU probably feel as j feel, that
we come back to the profound and
engrossing question, IL a man dies,
shall he live again2' In your mind as
in mine comes that everlasting ques-
ton: Are they dead, on do they still
surVive2 Do we cast the fading rose
upon pathetic dust, or do they live
upon the domain OF some other repub-
lie where sins are unknown. I some
times think that the book of Job is the
most Interesting possession of the
human race To me it is interesting
because it shows that in the infancy
OF the race men We're thinking of the
same questions that perplex and con-
found us now
is no topic of greater interest than the
inquiry Where are these comrades
that gave UP their lives that this
country might Hve2' Are they cold
and apathetic and unconscious dust.
or 40 they stin live and are they now
in possession of powers superior
to cur oWn2
I'll have no experimental KNOWLEDGE
of religion, but believe that the
fundamental doctrines of Christianity
should be the corner stone of this
republic. NO nation can survive. nor
can its children be raised to love and
respect it, unless God and the resur-
rectiOn of the soul be the underpiuuing
comrades survive today. then this
moral universe is a chaos. Unless
they consciously Survive-unless they
know that they once lived here-then
our sanctions of the moral law are in
vain. heaven is a dream and he'll q
nightmare. Then all The great doc
trines which have animated men in All
ages are actions. do. therefore.
fellow citizus, declare my belief that
those whose graves we decorate are
that they live in their faculties ana
powers. and we may say %, men who
died in battle or on the march. look
down, look down and counsel us
II said a moment ago, my comrades
and ladies and gentlemen. that this
unconquered and unconq uerable race
to which we belong had for a thousand
years been engaged in q protest against
the iujustiCes of the race. a protest
against caste and artificial distinction
substitute the sovereignty Of the indi-
widual of the race for artificial distinc-
lions. The Ruritaus came to this COun-
try to found a nation based upon the
VIII Of It's people, to build church