The evening times., 1898-09-09
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9. 1898.
The Heroes of the Day.

Inc OF the lDHy.
Those who witnessed the event Of
today may never see its like again.
The chances are all against it The
welcoming of the soldier home from
war is one of the vanishing ceremonies
OF a changed and changing world
whether for good or for i'll, time alone
can reveal. however strongly we may
believe the abolition of war an un-
mixed blessing That in which all
Washington took part this morning as
actors or spectators has been one Of the
most joyous and often splendid of oc-
casions from the beginning of human
life. In sall former civilizations the
young man Of ambition was soldier,
but not for the amiable and innocent
garrison duty that absorbs the time
of the modern warrior. Bred to arms
that he might win renown and fortune
by strength and courage, he sought
constant action. and not always with
care for the cause. Fighting was his
business in life, and with nearly all ma
tions at strife with one another and
robbery respectable and general, he had
many opportunities to defend his own
country and fireside His return for
brief season to his home led all other
events in joyousness, and when he re-
turned triumphant, in splendor His
tory is only a record of his deeds. So
entirely was war the occupation of the
world that the wandering minstrels.
like the blind Homer, were welcome
tie.
Nothing could better show the tre-
mendous change that has taken place.
nothing could better indicate the char
acter Of our civilization. than the rarity
Of today's scene and the appearance Of
our victorious soldiers. Only thrice has
any living man seen the thing that once
was so common. Our victors made no
gorgeous spectacle. They were laden
with no rich spoils of the conquered
and were followed by no band of un-
happy prisoners destined for death or
servitude. Even if they had been less
haggard from privations and disease
and gayer in new-bought uniforms,
they would still have been without the
appearance Of the conquering heroes
OF other ages. They were not soldiers
by profession, but peace-lOving, order
ly civilians, who put aside their usual
avocations. and for a 1.-THE of their Gus
tomary earnings gave up their homes,
the comforts and even necessaries of
existence, and offered life itself for the
holiest purpose that has ever inspired
a lofty soul The Crusaders who at
tempted to wrest the Holy Land from
the hands of the infidel-who has il yet
had no such exalted cause as that
for which these young men, all unused
TO war. left their homes. uncertain
whether they should ever see them
again. 1t was to free from the yoke
OF the tyrant a people who had only the
claim Of the common brotherhood of
man, the claim Of suffering, to their
care. Such unselfish offering of their
lives lis the rare, ripe fruit of modern
civilization. the newest religion. We
must look In vain in the worlds past,
and we must look in vain in other lands,
for an instance in which virtually all
the sturdy young men of nation are
moved by so profound sense of re-
sponsibility for the brothers welfare
and for the promotion of the cause of
human freedom. 1T was hatred of Span
ish oppression and sympathy for the
afflicted Cubans that led our youth to