The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-02-23

. 2 B F. . d
strongly In the young. If the poet
sang truly, the young heart is "hot and
restless" and the '.o,d subdued and
SLOW" Whether the poets word be true
or not, this do know, that they who
defend their country's honor and her life
Win arms In hand are her young men,
are her boys, used to wonder why the
o.d soldiers were called the "boys OF
81 until l learned that the average
age or the volunteer soldiers OF the civil
war was less than % years, They were
the boys then. And so have they been
In every age, In every land.
is patriotism decadeEt virtue? Is
this flag. unfurled in the breeze In this
place Of congregation OF the young, to
kindle flame anew upon the cold altar
stones of our hearts2 Is 1t meant to
revive the embers of flame once bright
but now swift passing out In darkness
ana cold? Is 1t rev shrine before
2Which 10 burn incense to our country's
honor, because her. people have desert
ed her high places and thrown down
her altars?' No! not that-not that!
We believe now. We have always be-
neved, and. trust, we always shall be-
ltere that we have country worth
living for. and, II needs be, worth dying
for" .{E,f q =, = =, 20
There Is land OF every land the pride,
Beloved by heaven DER all the world be-
side. l7l-s-'7 :.
We have never lacked men willing to
die for their country. Everywhere over
our land Is our history writ testifying
to the truth OF this statement. In every
city stand the monuments commemor-
atlng the sacrifice OF the patriotic dead.
The great battlefieids are the Meccas
to which pilgrimages are made We
honor the soldier by preference with our
ballots. And annually We lay down our
tribute OF flowers upon the sepulcher
where wrapped In the silence of his last
sleep the "unreturning brave" waits the
last summons. They are .heroes-and
we worship the hero. ~
War has been the fashion OF the
world. But must it always be so? Do
ne, not hope that there shall come a
time when "mer shall learn war no
more" when men ard nations Shall do
roShteousiy, when there shall be peace
In our time" when the war drum
throbs no longer, and the battle flags
are furled?" Peace hath her victories
no less than war;" The value and the
sanctity of the flag is no whit less in
time OF peace than in time OF war And
l am booking forward to the new CEN
tury as a time 10 teach the new patriot
ism which shall not claim OF men sim
ply that In defense OF that beloved ban
ner they shall lay down their lives. but
in the piping times of;peace that In the
exercise OF those duties which pertain
TO the citizens OF q free country they
shall ever bear in mind that IL they
faithfully discharge those duties, they
are doing so IN response to the Hottest
feeling patriotism that can inspire them.
Out OF the sunny southland comes tho
voice OF a prophet. Henry W. Grady
said: The day OF physical power is
past. The llon-hearted Richard chal-
Longing Saladin to single combat is alb
surd, for even God and Magog shall
wage the Armageddon from their clos
cts and look not upon the blood that
runs to their bride bits" Shall the
prophecy be false?
wonder IL that was dream which
gave US this thought: Napoleon over
ran Europe with drum tap and bIvouac,
but the Napoleon OF the coming century
will marshal his battaliors at the tap
Of the school bell, and his captains shall
come forth In cap and gown" Zap
plause.)
The exercises concluded by the fcho-
rus "WashlngtoRs Birthday" by the
students. and the playing OF the Star
SpangIed Banner" by the band.
Thus ended one OF the most success
full patriotic celebrations In this city,
and the best ever occurring on WASH
ington's birthday.