Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1897-06-10
1.-THE UNION SOLDIER"
Continued from pa0e ~

Victor and vanquished were broth
ers. The conqueror not only forgave ;
he took the conquered home and for
him the fatted calf was killed.
If foreigners were surprised at our
resources and our armies of citizen
soldiers. if they We're astonished at
our victories, they were amazed at
our forgiveness. In this also they
showed their ignorance of our peo-
pie, of our form and methods of gov
eminent, of our American institu-
tions, of the higher civilization we
are building up on this side of the
Atlantic. They did not know, they
could not understand that the defeat
the south met did the south even
more good than it did us. AS years
go by and the light of reason and in
telligence penetrates all the dark
corners of the southland, as they be-
gin to enjoy and fully appreciate the
blessings of free labor, as northern
genius and northern enterprise be-
gin to develop the section that north
ern valor purified and made free.
southern sons viii rise and bless the
men who in battle defeated their
fathers. All honor then to the men
~
survivors of the greatest of modern
wars. All honor to the men who
We're willing to risk their lives, who
freely gave of their substance, thar
the poorest, humblest man in all the
land might learn the meaning of lib
erty and home. All honor to the
men who, in spite of disloyalty at
home, and the bad faith of foreign
nations. maintained, and more firmly
established, republican form of gov
eminent. All honor to the citizen
soldiers of America who have shown
to the world that those who make the
best citizens, make the bravest and
truest soldiers. All honor to the men
who with malice toward none and
with charity for all" shared the
fruits of victory and the blessings of
peace with those they had lately
conquered.
Nor while we try to picture old
SCIENCES and tell the tales of war,
should we forget the brave men who
never returned, or came home but to
die On the field of battle, in the
hospital of pain, one moment think
ing of home and wife and mother.
and the next moment longing to join
their comrades on the blood-red
field of war, in the prison pens with
starvation staring them in the face.
in the trenches keeping the lonely
watch, they offered up their lives,
that government of the people should
not perish from the earth, and that
wherever our nations flag floats
every son and daughter Of Adam
should be eternally free. The south
crn sod grows green over the graves
of thousands of our bravest and best.
They found IA resting place on the
fields they conSecrated to freedom
with their lives. A thousand miles
from home, with southern breezes to
fan their fevered cheeks and heavens
stars their only watch, they found
that rest and freedom from pain for
which tn, y so much longed, in death.
If we say all honor to the soldiers
living, what shall we say of the
dead? Could we conceive of them
just now as looking down from the
battlements of heaven, in whose fair
est fields let us believe they roam,
and could we believe that they have
power to read our thoughts, then
they know that language cannot
contain, words cannot express, the
love, the gratitude, the memories,
that fill our hearts today.
A brighter day is dawning upon
us. The clouds of sorrow that hung
so thick and heavy over this land "A
quarter Of a century ago have al
most entirely disappeared. The mists
of discord that estranged the men OF
the south from us of the north are
fast melting away before the sun of
intelligence and reason. The val
liant men on both sides who, in the
deadly strife, amid the battles roar,
tested one another's courage and en-
durance, are now not only wiling
but anxious to live in peace. A
brighter day is dawning. Since wars
last echo died away, peace with her
white wings has lowered over this
our favored land to heal the wounds
and sootbe the sorrows. Since then
old prejudices have largely died out;
angry passions have been almost en-
tirely subdued; bitter feelings have
been, TO great extent, overcome. A
brighter day is dawning. Freedom
in its largest and best sense is to-
reign in this country. Chains have
Dttn STRUCK from tlt IIIlDS, anu Itt-
tiers from the minds, of men. Free
dom of body, freedom of mind, free
dom of speech. freedom of the press,
freedom 10 come and freedom to go,
freedom to take on,tand freedom to
throw off, allegiance, have made our
nation great. This larger freedom
gives us light in which all should
live, true liberty which all should en-
Joy, and truth, which all should
speak and act.
This is our tribute to the men who
saved the nations life, and made of
liberty a household word in every
home of black or white, however
humble, in the land. They met as
brave a foe as ever stood in serted
ranks. led by cunsammate masters of
the art of war. They gave to free
dom what she characterization
absolute DER all our land. They gave
to those they conquered equal share
in all of victory's fruits. They did
not seek revenge, but, on the con-
trary. with friendships open hand,
they welcomed to the nations coun-
ellis those who. on the battle field,
I /, II. LY,4