The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-01


and prosperity, watching for its preserva-
ton with jealous anxiety, discontenancing
whatever may suggest even suspicion
that it can in any event be abandoned,
and Indignantly frowning upon the first
dawn Of every attempt to ALLEVIATE one por-
ton Of our country from the rest, or to
en1eeble the sacred ties that now INK To-
gether the various parts.
General jackson, in his parting words
to the people of the United States, spoke
at length upon the sacredness of the Union:
If the Union Is once severed, he said
the line of separation will grow wider
and wider and controversies will be set
tied on the field of battle by the sword
The first line of separation will not last for
one generation. New fragments Will be
torn eff. New leaders will spring up, ana
this great and glorious republic would soon
be broken into Il multitude OF petty states
NiIhouI coIiAheTCe, without IetI5' JSaiouS
or one another. armed for mutual agrees
sion, loaded with tax to pay armies and
leaders seeking aid against each other from
foreign sources, insulted and trampled upon
by the powers of Europe, until, harassed
by conflicts humbled and debased in spir-
1t, they would be ready to submit TO the
absolute dominion of any military adven-
turer and to surrender their liberties for
the sake of repOse.'
This sad picture of dissolution, downfall
and destruction would have marked and
married the history of this country but for
the patriotism and valor of our brave boys
That the conflict was inevitable history af-
firms. Let us glance at it's magnitude.
MAGNITUDE OF SECESSION.
THE eleven seeded States embraced an
area of territory larger than England, Ire
land, Scotland and Wales with all France
and Germany added. This vast territory
afforded many natural defenses against an
invading foe. The border States were about
equally divided between the North and
South. The seeded States were in number
three times greater than the colonies when
they gained their independence from Great
Britain. They were marshaling their forces,
accommodating munitions of war before the
North was aroused to action. Overtures of
peace We're made and spurned in the spirit
OF arrogance and contempt An unarmed
vessel, carrying supplies to our soldiers,
was 1lred upon, the flag of the Union was
torn down ana trampled in the dust. When
the news hasned over the land that Fort
Sumter had been fired upon, that the reb-
els were bombarding the burning fort
then, indeed, was the great heart of the
North electrified with patriotic fire: Men
IKE Putnam or old left the ploW in the I'M
finished furrow, left their professions their
shops, their business their homes, their
parents, their wives and children; all these
sacred ties were severed; business and
prosperity We're sacrificed home comfort,
positions, loved ones all exchanged for the
cruel hardships of war. Our soldiers en-
dured sleeplesS nights, pitiless storms,
weary marches, cold and hunger. priva-
tons and exposures, the scorching sun, the
burning sand, all for the country's life.
Faint sick and suffering, they faltered not.
why this sacrifce-this suffering? Ye,
who lightly estimate the service the sac
rifice of the soldier and deem them UNI
worthy of a Nations gratitude, go with me
into that home OF prosperity, OF content
ment, of happiness. 1t may be the home
of the mechanic, the business man, the
farmer, or the professional man. Look
upon that home circle, so cOntented and so
happy. The demand of the country in peril
calls for the husband. How can he go? 1t
will be financial ruin. No matter. If a
merchant it is disaster to his trade and
business If professional man, he leaves
1J1H al e. fnOH
his stock, pillow the field, harvest the grain?
In short, it is the stay and the support of
the home that is called The sacrifice to be
made is irreparable. Money cannot COM
penSate for such loss. But money is of
little moment compared with the national
life How desolate that homel How the
and father are needed! Out from home
so dear, away from Il Wife-the idol OF his
heart-separated from the children of his
affection; away from a nome around winch
clusters and in which centers his earthly
ALL yes, from the loving presence of his
wife. from her benediction and tears, from
the cries of the little children, he must,
with sad step and aching heart, turn, per-
haps forever on earth, 10 meet the cruel
realities of war and to till, perchance, a sol
threshold of the sacred precinct, the
home when he bids adieu and marches
away That last lingering vision, seen
through tear-dmmed eyes, is sacred lie
enters the army. The battle is on With
manly tread he marches bravely into NOR
tai combat Charging a battery he falls
mortaiIv wounded. The message is sent TO
the wife, Your brave husband, in the front
line of battle, FELL we may not enter that
sacred home now to hear the heart-rendlng
agony of the wife and witness the tears OF
weeping children.
upon that manly form, racked with pain
the crimson life-tide ebbing fast away
Listen, In his delrium he calls for his
1,,ife he names his chiIdren-the wandering
mind carries him to his childhood home; he
lisps the name of mother. No loving voice
responds. God pity the poor soldier! Alone
he dies! He rests in an unknown ana un-
marked grave. Like heavy pail the ebon
shades of gloom and darkness settle down
upon a once bright ana happy nome
''Three months after the terrible battle
of Chickamauga it was my privilege with
a small squad of soldiers, to visit that held
hurying our comrades who had taiIen IN
battle The most lonely night OF my life
was passed on that silent leId Oh uea at q;
Hundreds of our brave comrades were still
living where they fell in that mortal COM
bat These moldering forms presented
more forcibly than eloquence can depict
and more convincingly than pen can por-
tray-the sacrifice and cost OF war; In
silence | meditated upon the scene before
me | thought of the loved ones who were
still hoping for some word from the missing
in battle whose forms were silently mol
dering back to dust.
NO SMALL SACRIFICE.
"Think you this sacrifice small? Only He
who can bind the bruised soul and gather
the broken heart strings, and bottle the
burning tears of sorrow, can measure the
sacrifice Thousands of homes in our land
gave UP brave boys-the fathers pride, the
mothers darling, the household jewel. With
that brave boy went out the light of the
home. The prayers ana tears of the mother
followed her boy. Soon a message comes
not from her beloved boy but from a COM
rade-giyne the sad news that her loyal
son fell in battle to-day
From homes all over this land, fathers
husbands, brothers, sons, responded to the
call of their country, counting no sacrifice
too great for the Nation s honor and life
These brave soldiers did more hard fight
ing, contested more battles and lost more
men in killed and wounded, than the whole
of Europe for three-quarterS of a century
Since the close of the wars of Napoleon
in 1875 all the great countries of Europe
Great Britain, France, Germany, Austro-
Hungary, Russia, Spain, Italy, Portugal
and the Scandinavian countries-with their
millions of armed men and their frequent
wars, have not, all together, fought as
many bloody battles, killed and wounded
as many men, nor subjected their armies to
such strains as the Union soldier from 1861
to 1860. During that time they fought 261
battles and skirmishes. Our war lasted
nearly seven times as long as the Franco
Prussian war and we lost six times as
many in killed as Germany in oVerrunning
all of France.
consent to turn their backs on the flag of
their country even to save themselves from
suffering, starvation and death. Half a mil
lion of lives, untold suffering priVations
of our united and prosperous country to-
day. Sectional strife is forgotten. If this
Nation again engages in war the battalions
from the North and South will march i'll