Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-05-29

OF centuries have the garments of tn.
world been rolled in blood? Why this
dark picture of war. leaving its awful i'm
press upon the annals of the ages? W.
can only reply, that standing at the
threshold of the temple of knowledge md
looking out upon the wide horizon OF
| human achleNements, and the trophies OF
| human genius, that of all the problems
ana mysteries that ever addressed them.
selves 10 the human mind, the unsolved
| problem OF all the ages is man Tn
| world has never produced a eenius ~
scntilla tons Of whose mind have flashed
upon the uneXplored depths of the hui
analysis OF this great problem has beer
| aDe 10 cry in the ears of the world
EuTeka. Inc astronomer finds the SOU
700 prilnant Tor his glass, while the geol-
| oslSt says. It's organism, is too fine for
me microscope, and the metapnysician
only makes the mystery more profound.
truly, man is an unexplained compound
OF earth and other properties, Possessed
OF powers, the abuse of which may sinh
MN 10 the lowest depths, or their proper
| training and embodiment lift him 10 a
| peefsh!p with the angels made in the i'm
| age OF God, the browning work of ne
| dlVihe hand, the sovereign of the world.
anu whose unrestrained capabilities will
| permit him to draw the farthest away
atoms.
In this age Of general intelligence and
| Faculties for gaining information we do
| not need to speak of the wonderful in
| NtntlonS ana improvements in the ma
| chinery of war. In looking over the far
| past and studying the political conditions
| mat nave been obtained among men and
| nations, so far as monarchy is con
| cerned, it has owed its existence to the
| soldier who has been the main support
| of thrones and kings. General Logan has
| said. The soldier was an institution
coeval with the birth of nations. He was
| the prop of thrones, the first and last
| hope of royalty. He was wound up at the
| beginning of battle and ran down after
no n tlI t...l
movements When circumstances placed
| him on the side of victory, he accepted
it as an event in which he had no par
| There is a striking contrast between
| the soldier Of the past ana the present.
| lie of the past was the vassal of a king
| to endure, to fight ana to die a his com
| mand. The soldier of the present is a
man Of intelligence, citizen. and before
the law he stands on equal footing with
the statesman and the President. He
| acts from principle and his soul is
| stirred with lofty sentiments of patriot
ism. He is deeply interested in the coun-
try's welfare, for her interests are his
The possibilities of the nation are before
him, and from the rank and file of her
| armies he may be promoted to high posi-
tons Of honor and trust. The high plain
| and mission Of our citizenship is ac-
| knoWledged the world around. No other
| nation, ever thought of throwing wide
| open the door of human possibilities to
| their subjects as we enjoy it. Upon the
! rude plane Of human activity the rearing
| Of liberty's temple and its adornment
| was left to the citizens of America and
| when an enemy seeks to destroy ii he
| lays aside the garb of a civilian and be
| comes a soldier, and protects the crea-
ton Of his hand. When the ship of state
lurches among her breakers and Is
| threatened with destruction, the soldier
steps forward with lofty convictions OF
honored manhood, and with his hand on
the wheel guides her 10 the deeper depths
| of an ocean sea.
| When the muttering storm broke upon
| this fair land the eyes of all the world
| We're turned to America.
| For ages monarchy had predicted ana
| Witnessed the downfall Of republics, ana
they were sure that the common fate
| awaited this gem of the ocean. With
| abated breath they awaited the awful
| crash that they expected would echo
among the courts and thrones of Europe.
What a surprise ii was to the world when
this great army of natures freemen fel
| into rank and file at the call of that i'm
mortal chieftain, Abraham Lincoln. | do
not need to tell You that in the great
| struggle. the Union men strove lawfully.
| All the world is agreed that they stood
| in defense Of great principles, in the de-
Tense Of the flag Of the free, in the de-
| Tense Of our common country. They
| StroNe lawfully, because on the field of
| carnage. they met and repelled a foe.
that sought to hinder free institutions.
They stroVe lawfully, because when the
last gun was fired soldier hands waved
the grand old stars and stripes from
ocean TO ocean and from the St. Law
renee to the Gulf. They strove lawfully,
because the constitution of the United
States bequeat hed by the Revolutionary
fathers was saved from destruction
They strove lawfully, because with their
| right hand Of power. they struck the
shackles from 100000 slaves, and made
IL possible for them to become American
citizens. They strove lawfully, because
the grandest flag that ever iioated
over a nation, a flag tnat is re-
spected wherever tide waters flow, is
in jeopardy. and he would not have one
Of its stripes furnished or its stars
dimmed. With his blood would he wash
every stain from its luminous folds anu
polish its stars with the luster of his own
life
Members Of this post. in concluding
this address, permit me to remind you
that time is thinning your ranks: your
ranks are sadly broken, and no recruit
ing officer will ever fill them We ne
longer see The young soldier Of 81, with
erect form and elastic step, but ne ma
| climbed the heights and is slowly de-
scendins the sunset slope.
| When General Logan was dying he said.
IF this is the end am ready and may
YOU all be able to utter these words in
| The diving hour. May we SO live that the
world Viii be better because are in il,
| and in our peaceful vacations we may
rear a monument, and at last be worthy
Of a tear from those who know US best,
then Of us and Of the dead soldiers II
shall be said:
"Stil through the rolling ages
| Shall brightly glow their fame,
| Still on our country's annals
| Their deeds of Valor flame;
And bands Of patriot children
In spring-time's sunny hours,
Shall rev'rent place above them
| Fair wreaths of spotless flowers.
Following this came a prayer by
Rev j. $. Williamson and the singing
: by the congregation of the hymn,
: stand Up for Jesus" y male quartet
+ rendered Under the Sod and the
+ Dew" and all was closed with the
r benediction which was pronounced by
-; Rev. f. S Stackpole.
Marshal Morse is sending out his
! | second notice to the dog owners who
2 have not paid the license. He says
that all dogs not licensed, June ], VIII
be killed. The owners have come VI
! and paid very well, though there are
A few who have neglected to do 50.