Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1897-06-10

ana III many HpttA0 "phNSii'''s r.
gressive-the German nation
Where less than four centuries ago,
YES less than two centuries ago, roam
ed in savage freedom and savage pow
er Indian tribes. the children of the
| forest whose trade was war, whose
occupation was hunting by turns either
man or beast. into whose dark minds
never came the inspiring thought of
the upward march OF the race, VINO
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-
tunitv- the rarest, richest. llpest frult
of our modern civilization the gov
eminent and people of the United
States. SO / am glad to say TO you,
it is to me a pleasure 10 SPEAK OF TINS
great nation and Of its 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-
tions of duty.
He who sides with the weak as
against the strong always strengthens
himself. He who tries to cheer ana
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 molcsted in unemployment of his
own. He who would throw the shining
shield of law before the home of
stranger. will always have the same
bright armor to protect his own DO
nestle altar. In short, the men who
most checrfully 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,
we're 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 lei
low-man. They believed that in the
cradle all men are. or ought to be-
equal before the law, and that they
should continue 50 all the way up ana
down the hill Of lie 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 cumpcnsating that other, was
a thief: that he who would crush an
other TO the earth was a tyrant; that
he who would take advantage OF am
others weakness was coward. Ihey
believed that the same God rules over
all. that the same sun shines for all;
that the same omnipoteuce 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 opportuul-
ties ought to be enjoyed by ALL
The volunteer soldiers of the union
believed all these things, and beliey-
Ing them. they said that any man who
does not believe them Is not good
enough SO stand under America s
genial skies, or claim the protection
of our cOuutry's Nag. They opposed
paying for labor in lashes, changing
a home 20 a stock pen, using blood
hounds for sheriff. They said, it is
time to make the old flag, in fact as
we'll 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,
ana school, and counting house, ana
donujng the blue, and shoulderlng
their muskcts, they marched away 10
the field of battle 20 show 10 the world
abroad. and 30 the disloyal at home,
that their beliefs were we'll founded,
and that what they said they meant. The
Jhunders and lightniugs of war, the
iron hail and loaden death, had no
terrurs for them. They bore the
hardships OF the march and the priNa-
tiOns of the camp with tortlude
unsurpassed, with a patience rarely,
IL ever. cqualled, Through four long
Years of weary marching and fierce
lighting. through four long years of
wasting disease aud untold, because
iudescribable, prison crueltlcs;
through four long years of suffering
and care. of WEAKNESS and want OF
privation and pain, of occasional
defeat, but never of doubt, they strug-
glcd, confident that their cause was
lust: confident of the rectitude Of their
Intentions: confident that they We're
fighting the battles Of the oppressed
the world over; confident Of final
triumph.
In the hour Of defeat in the shadow
of temporary reyersrs. in the hospital,
when racked with pain and scorched
with fear, ii the prison pens where the
grus-cst crimes against humanity
were 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 free
as water, where manhood 5 truest test
WAS stood, the soldier OF the union
never lost hope. His courage never
Quuiled. Ills consistency never fall
tered, His patience never tired. His
patriotism never diWmed, His faith
never Weakened. His determination
was never shaken.
I'm the darkest hour, through the
|mi-t of his tears he could look for
,t.,u# 3D., in, ffrpa when the clouds ali