Evening star., 1898-05-30

hagS, the tramp of hurrying battaIions the
glow OF wars crimson. and in the signs
and groans of the wounded and dying,
Thus they announced, in rifle volleys
death-wingeG. that the Union must and
shall be preserved.
Had the Union soldiers been defeated
here our nation would now be welterins, in
an inevitable chaos, and the world would
now observe the sad and mournful picture
of a Union dissolved-the silver cord loosed
the GOLDEN bowl broken at the fountain
and the iniquitous schemes of ambition
the venom of intensified malice, the tricks
OF tredchery, the greed and cruelty of fac
ton, the awful wars of hate, the bitter
WrangieS OF envy ard the hot riyalrieS of
alienated states, until one after another
burns out and falls from its place on high
and the flag whose stars once appeared to
hberty-loving people like the jubilant stars
or the morning, and its stripes like the
radiant tints that gild the eastern portals
of the day, is folded up and laid away
amid iberty's symbols of renown to mol
der and decay.
TIE Republic Still Lives.
But the republic still lives in eternal
youth; and these monuments which mark
the spot where patriots fought in its de-
Tense are the raised letters. as it were,
which spell out for evil prophets every
where the sacred words, Liberty and Union
forever.
On this field of carnage, after the smoke
OF battle had cleared away, the survivors
went out to bury their dead. By the side
OF fallen tree they found poor soldier
with picture of his three little children
which he had taken from his pocket for a
farewell look before he died, firmly gripped
IN his hand.
. And yonder, where the gallant MARYLAND
ers fought hand to hand in that awful
struggle, two yourg brothers were found
lying near each other: the color of the
UNIFORM OF the one suggested the gray of
the morning sky, that of the other the blue
of full noon. These two incidents told the
sad story of the cruel civil war; and fill
our hearts with mingled feelings of sorrow
and love All honor to the memory of our
heroic dead-dear as the blood they gave
Nc impious footsteps e'er shall tread the
herbage of their graves
And We do not forget the noble bows who
went down to watery graves in the unfor-
tunate Maine. their valor shall never be
forgotten while fame her record keeps
Nor do we forget the graves which are
marked Unknown" for them we bring
the rarest flowers. None is forgotten, but
all live in the Immortality that blooms be-
yond the grave-live in the record Of their
countrys history: live in the hearts and
memory of a grateful people.
And today, as their surviving comrades,
with emaciated forms and tottering limbs
are passing in grand review, let America S
loyal millions throng their line of march
with words of welcome and of praise
Heroic Women.
Nor do we forget the patriotic women of
our land; they were heroic as the men:
they encouraged the volunteers cheered
them in despondency, braced them to firm
ness and cared for the little ones left with
out fathers protection. And when their
loved ones, slain in battle, We're brought
home they laid them tenderly away in the
family burying ground and went out into
the world to fight life's battles alone
Truly, the~cup of misfortune pressed To
their lips ran over with bitterness When
our country shall build the grandest mon
ument known to human hands in memory
of her fallen sons let her build beside il
one even more beautiful, if possible lean.
Ing toward 1t. as if in support, in memory
OF the loyal women. And the historian
who loves courage will write the pleasant
story OF their unseIfsh patriotism on a
page whittier than marble and more incor.
ruptible than gold
We believe in the establishment anG
maintenance of homes for the homeless de.
tenders of the republic. We believe too
In reserving a little space therein for tn.
poor, old, helpless, white haired mothe,
who gave a husband or a son as a liyiDa
sacrifice to the cause of liberty. We be
Ieve also IN liberal pensions for all VIII,
are worthy and deserving This is not onl
just and right, but il will be an incentty,
to all patriots of the future to go forth
II need be. 10 fight for their country Il
they fan they know that those who ma,
gotten by the country for which they died
Indeed the greatest assurance of the pros
perlty OF nation Is its devotion to ant
grateful remembrance of its defenders
Let hold fast the virtues of the me,
who sleep mere, and purify. enrich an,
adorn our country by building higher an,
going farther in our march OF progress
teaching our youth to become good citizens
TO guard well their country's honor I,
cherish. foster and upbuild its industries
TO love the Union more and more as tn
years are lost IN tho cons OF time and I,
let each life be ono whose polar star 4
duty. whose goal is liberty and whose stat
is justice.
We can raise monuments to the Ynemor,
of the men who sleep here by doing some
thing in the development Of our manifol.