Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1898-06-03

trodden and the oppressed, Is devot-
Ing her wealth and contributing her
sons to the high duty OF an unselfish
war. Let us then lift the shroud
which Time has thrown over the
buried years and recall the fading
past.
War is a great teacher. In the 900,
1t arrayed Us against slavery and
taught Us that Righteousness which
exalteth nations. 1t taught us the
advantage VI transcont'nental rail-
ways, and today 1t teaches the need
Of an Isthmian canal. under Amert-
can control. so plainly. that even
partisan congressman ought to be
able to see It. Our battle ships In
place Of circumnavigating the CONT
nent ought to pass only through tho
narrow isthmus and the central sea.
War shows the advantage OF island
out posts. How plainly we now
understand how much the. Hawaiian
islands would count az q base for
attack or defense M our western
shore. War teaches the advantage
Of union, and We OF the North and
South fortuna tely are IN closer touch
and stronger sympathy today than
10 any day since the legions Of Lee
grounded arms at AppOmatt"x.
Men OF blue and Of gray arc march
ing side by side In common cause un-
der Il common flag. and Old Glory IL
that flag-no doubt to gain new
luster from the united efforts III the
North and the South. We, too, are
brought in closer sympathy with our
motherland, the great. the free
Britannia, whose flag has braved a
thousand years the battle and the
breeze" and navies dominate
the world OF waters still.
But war teaches moral as well as
material philosophy. Unjust,
rapacious, bigoted Spain ruled sub
|ject peoples regardless Of right or
humanity and red handed. War
avenged their wrongs, and despoils
the naughty Spaniard Of the extern
sive possessions which he once held
on tho Western continent.
Yes. 1t IL true, new conditions and
circumstances have arisen this year
to add special interest to the
patriotic duty of hOnoring the men
who fought or died for our country
In the COS. But 1t can be justly
claimed that the services OF the men
Of the eos have made possible the
grander conditions Of our country
today. 1t ia only free united ma
ton that would have right or power
to vindicate American freedom In
Cuba or to emblazen American glory
in Manila. Happily the lessons OF
American patriotism Taught by the
Grand Army OF the Republic have
not been bitter nor sectional, While
they have always justly insisted on
the incompatible superiority OF their
cause they have spoken with honor
and respect of the valor Of their
former enemy.
They have recognized the endur-
ance and the courage of the men
against whom they fought. They
were brave men ably led, and the
herOism OF the men who sustained
the lost cause may justly be regard
ed as a grand contribution to Ameri-
can manhood. 1t can he justly claim.
I'd that the Grand Army Of the Re-
publiI made generous response to the
of the fraternal regard
manifested by Lincoln, our patriot
president. And who does not re-
the liberal terms granted by
Gen. Sherman to Gen. JShDsOn in
North Carolina, and by Gen. Grant
to Gen. Lee In Virginia. Their
won the hearts OF the
enemies they conquered In arms, and
there was wisdom and statcsm an
ship In their broad policy Of con-
citation. 1t was wise to treat the
enemy kindly. wise to
make him feel that this Is his |
and this government his
government. 1t is this p olicy that has
our nation, and that today
to the world the spectacle
II the men who wore the blue and
hose who wore the gray, rival
:olors under conflicting flags. now
side by side and unitedly
the honor M American
arms, American spirit, and American
But. my. friends, can
We not, as I have said. justly claim
hat it was the success and the ma
ure OF the national cause in the late
var that makes the position Of Am.
RIGA before the world today a pos.
Utility. /