Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1897-06-10


never came the inspiring thought Of
the upward march OF the race, who
seemed to scorn the arts of peace and
the blessings of true civilization, there
is to-day the only true republic the
world has ever known, the first gov
eminent under whose Workings man
has enjoyed the largest possible lib
erty and the greatest possible oppor-
tunity--the rarest, richest, ripest fruit
OF our modern civilization the gov
eminent and people of the United
| States. SO | am glad to say to you,
| it il to me a pleasure TO speak OF this
great nation and of it's defenders. And
we should always remember that true
greatness consists in defending the
right, in being loyal to the true, in
being faithful to our highest concep-
ti0ns of duty.
He who sides with the weak as
against the strong, always strengthens
himself. He who tries to cheer and
comfort the oppressed always exalts
himself. He who fights for the rights
of others, builds fortresses for the de-
Tense of his own. He who would strike
letters from the limbs Of others, need
never be afraid of having chains forged
for himself. He who believes that
others ought to enjoy the fruits OF
their own labor, will be the least like
lyto be molestcd in unemployment OF his
| own. He who would throw the shining
shield Of law before the home of Il
| stranger, will always have the same
| bright armor to protect his own do
nestle altar. In short, the men who
most cheerfully recognize, and cour-
ageously defend, the rights OF others
are the worlds pioneers IN physical,
Intellectual, social, moral and material
Improvement.
And such, in very important sense,
were the volunteer soldiers OF the union
in the great rebellion. They believed
| in human rights. They believed that
every man should, first of all, own
himself. They believed that no man
should have any property In his fell
low-man. They believed that in the
cradle all men are, or ought to be,
equal before the law, and that they
should continue SO all the way up and
down the hill of life to the grave.
They believed that no man should eat
bread by the sweat OF another's brow.
They believed that he who would take
what another earned, without ade-
quatcly compromising that other, was
u thief, that he who would crush an
other to the earth was tyrant; that
he who would take advantage OF an
others weakness was II coward. They
believed that the same God rules over
all; that the same sun shines for all:
that the same omnipotcnce showers his
blessings upon all; and believing these
things, they also believed that the
same laws ought to be made for all
that the same advantages ought to be
open to all: that the same Opportuui-
ties ought to be enjoyed by all,
The volunteer soldiers OF the union
believed all these things, and believ-
inc them. they said that any man who
does not believe them Is not good
enough to stand under America $
genial skies, or claim the protection
Of our country's flag. They opposed
paying for labor in lashes, changing
II home to n stock pen, using blood
hounds for ~ sheriff. They said, il is
time to make the old flag, in fact as
well as in name, the flag of the free.
The volunteer soldiers of the union,
not only believed and said these
things, but they left home and friends,
they left farm and shop, and mine,
and school, and counting house, and
donning the blue, and shouldering
their muskcts, they marched away to
the field of battle to show to the world
abroad. and to the disloyal ut home,
that their beliefs were we'll founded,
and that what they said thcymcant. The
thunders and lightnings of war, the
iron hail and lendcn death, had no
tcrrors for them. They bore the
hardships of the march and the priva-
tions OF the camp with " forttudc
unsurpassed, with patience rarely,
If ever cqualled. Through four long
years of weary marching and fierce
lighting, through four long years of
wasting disease and untold, because
indrsrrihablC, prison cruelties:
through four long years of suffering
and care, Of wearincss and want, of
privation and pain, OF occasional
defeat, but never of doubt, they strug-
gled, confident that their cause was
Just: confident OF the rcctitudc of their
Intentions: confident that they We're
lighting the battles of the oppressed
the world over; confident of final
triumph.
I'm the hour of defeat, in the shadow
of temporary reVorsrs. in the hospital,
when rackcd with pain and scorchcd
with fear. in the prison pens where the
grosscst crimes against humanity
wcrc committed daily and hourly in
the trenches and ON the picket line
when keeping his lonely vigil, in the
storms ON the field of battle where
life was nothing, where blood was FREQ
as water, whore manhood s truest test
was stood, the soldier of the union
never lost hope. His courage never
quailcd. Ills consistency never fall
tered His patience mover tired. His
patriotism never dimmed. His faith
never weakened. His determination
was never shaken.
In the darkest hour, through the
mist of his TOMS, he could look for
ward to the timc when the clouds OF
defeat would he dispcllca, when the
field of battle and the corrmptiug
camp would he exchanged for the
blessings OF peace and the purity of
home; when every man, woman and
child would stand ctcrnally free; when
over all the land, from the lakes to
the gulf, and from ocean to ocean,
4 A 4 al 1 "A