The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-05-31

now rallying under the one flag. exult-
ing and rejoicing that the azure field
of the union banner holds in equal hon
or every star of statehood and singing
i together the r~earranged music of the
union Yankee Doodle and Dixie. the
favorite airs.
Under normal conditions I am op-
posed to ~sermonizing, to the reading of
homilies and to the discussion of pub
lie questions on Decoration day. i be-
lieve our service shoul be a love serv-
Ice Of prayer and praise n song;
that out of the memories of the past
we should draw new inspirations OF pa
triotism and find new ardor for the
preservation of the free institutions
which came to u through the baptism
Of fire and blood. But, my country
men, for the first time in the history
of Decoration day, We are at war.
One more upon the soil of old Virginia
the federal bayonets are agleam. From
day to day the boys in blue pass by;
the reveille of the bugle call is heard
ever in this city of the silent dead.
This time. thank God. the war is not
sectional. There are 10 brothers ar
rayed against brothers; no Americans
against Americans. There is only one
uniform in all the land. one flag in all
the sky, one sentiment in the breasts
of all the heroes of the republic.
WAR is a terrible thing, to be
stunned and avoided whenever and as
far as possible. But l have no sympa-
thy with those who believe that war
should be voide at the sacrifice of
national honor, at the expense of hui
mainly or the loss of liberty. i can
not owe those who turn deaf ears to
the unceasing cries of the victims of
tyranny, inhumanity and barbarity.
because liberty and RELIEF can only
come through the shedding of blood. If
/ read Gods history Alright, civilization
and Christianity have not come from
the survival of the fittest, but by the
| sacrifice of the best. What human in
telligence dares to assert that the blood
of Lexington was not sacred. even as
the blood of Calvary? Warren at
Bunker Hill, Baker at Balls Bluff,
Bagley at Cardenas. all g~loriously died
to hasten the coming of Gods kingdom
on earth. Yea, and Dewey in the har-
Dor of Manila was the blessed messsn-
ger of Gods just wrath.
II do not know when this war with
Spain will close. / do not know what
sacrifices we may yet be called upon
to make. / do not know how many
headstones may yet be added to this
city of the dead. ! do not know how
many mothers hearts may mourn. i
do not know how may affairs may be
desolated, but ] do know that what
SNti tit ttot ~ ihe VI IL ht
world from the barbarity and inhu-
mainly of SPANS merciless despotism
will be worth il all. / do know that
the cementing together of the hearts of
all the people in enduring friendship
and abiding love: l do know that the
conservation of American energies, the
uplifting of American sentiment in so
hoR a cause; / do know that this
touching of elbows under the one flag
by the men and the sons OF the men
who faced each other on our battle
fields under two flags; i do know that
this accomplishment of Gods great
purpose will bring to the American
people Gods choicest blessing and re-
ward. And 1 have faith to believe that
from above the opened the
great war president. Abraham Lin
coin, looks down a~pprovIngly upon our
great war president. William Mckin-
ley, while Grant and Lee, could they
but speak to III to-day. wouId fire the
hearts Of their old ~lieutenants, now in
command of the rmies of the United
States. with the inspiring cry, on to
Cuba
Rest in peace, o mighty dead. The
cause for which you fought can never
be assailed again. Rest in peace. The
race whose freedom o achieved will
bless o with their last breath. Rest
in peace. The union you preserved re-
mains forever, and liberty, equal rights
and justice is the heritage of your des-
cendants to the judgment day. God
bless the men who followed the flag"
simultaneously with the exercises in
the amphitheater a smaller assemblage
gathered on the front porch of the man.
sion where the confederate ~chieftain,
Lee. spent much of his life, to attend
special naval services at the tomb of
Admiral Porter. Ex-Secretary of the
Navy Hilary A.. Herbert of Alabama
was the speaker of the day, and an ad-
dress was delivered also by w. II.
Michael, chief clerk of the state depart
ment. Secretary Herbert said in part:
Here rest the hallowed remains of
heroes of the army and navy OF the
union, but here also are heroes of the
confederacy. all sleeping in the same
soil and covered by the same flag. and
ex-union and ex-confederate soldiers
and sailors are here alike to pay united
tribute to the deeds of those who made
forever glorious the epoch of our great
civil war. Never was there a civil war
like our great civil war. Never was there
a civil war like ours. and never were the
fruits of a war richer or more benefcent.
There was no compromise. Secession,
the issue. and slavery. the incident. were
settled for ever. nothing left for dispute
and as the God Of nature intended 1t
should be. We became at last one coun-
try. such a union Of state and people as
Washington and Franklin and Jackson
fought for. dreamed of, and planned
for, but never lived to see.
II would not pluck a leaf from the
chaplet that adorns the brow of any
soldier of hat war. federal or confed-
crate, yet IL is only fair to say that
while history has done no more than jus
tice to them ii has not one full justice
to the sailors of the civil war. The
union navy achieved results out of all
proportion to the numbers enlisted in
the army and navy, aye even out of all
proportion to the cost OF proportions of
the two branches of the service. Ger
tainly no one knows better than the
confederate the telling effects Of the
blows delivered by the United States
navy during the civil war, and IL may be
that without them we should have two
governments where we now have one.
and that Wheeler and Fftzhugh Lee