The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-07-30
STRUGGLE FOR LIBERTY.
ELOQUENT Tribute to Those VINO
Fourht and Died for Humanity.

ral IneersolrS tribute to the heroes
who fought and died for liberty and hu-
mainly has been characterized as one OF
the most eloquent passages In the Eng
llslt language II Is SIS follows:
'-T'ne past as it were. rises before me
like a dream Again we are in the great
struggle for national life. We hear the
sound of preparation-the music Of the
boisserous drums-the silver voices or he
role buglers We see thousands CT as
seuh!ages, and hear the appeals o. ora
tiers: we see the pale cheeks " women,
and the flushed faces of men: and in those
assemhiages we see all the dead whose
dust we have covered with flowers. We
lose sight OF them no more. We are With
them when they enlist in the great army
of freedom We see them part with those
they love. Some are walking for the last
time in quiet. woody places with the maid
ems they adore. We hear the whisperines
and the sweet vows of eternal love they
lirtgeringly part forever Others are bend
ing over cradles. kissing babes that are
asleep Some are receiving the blessings
Of cd men. Some are parting with moth
ers who hold them and press them TO
their hearts again and again, and say
nothing: and some are talking with wives.
and endeavoring with brave words spoken
in the old tones TO drive away the awful
fear. We see them part. We see the
wife standing in the door with the babe
IN her arms-standing in the sunlight.
sobhing-at the turn of the road a hand
waves-she answers by holding high in
her loving hands the child He Is gone,
and forever.
I'VE see them all as they march proudly
away under the Haunting flags, keeping
time to the wild. grand music Of war
marching down the streets of the great
cities-through the towns and across the
prairies--down TO the fields of glory. to
do and to die for the eternal right.
I'VE go with them. one and all. We are
by their side on all the CORY fields, In all
the hospitals of pain-on all the weary
marches We stand guard with them in
the wild storm and under the quiet stars
We are with them in ravines running
with blood~in the furrows OF old fields
We are with them between contending
hosts. unable to move, Wild with thirst
the life ebhing slowly away among the
withered leaves. We see them pierced by
balls and torn with shells in the trenches
of forts, and in the whlriwind Of the
charge. where men become iron with
nerves of steel.
I'VE are with them In the prisons of
hatred and famine. but human speech can
never tell what they endured
I'VE are 1t home when the news comes
that they are dead. We see the maiden
silvered head OF the old man bowed with
the last grief
THE past rises before us. and we sea
four millions OF human being governed
ny the las5-we see them, bound hand and
foot-we hear the strokes OF cruel whips
We see the hounds tracking women
through tangled swamps. We see babes
sold from the breasts Of mothers. CRU
city unspeakable. Outrage infinite,
-Four million bodies IN chains-four mill
Ion souls I'm letters. All the sacred re-
latfens or wife. mother. father and child
frampied beneath the brutal feet Of might.
Aud all this was done under our own
beautiful banner OF the free,
The past rises before u.s. We hear tha
roar and shrek of the bursting she'll. The
broken letters fall There heroes died.
We look Instead OF slaves we see men
and women and children. The wand OF
progress touches the auction block. th..
siavepen and the whipping post and we
see homes and tiresides. and schooIhouses
and books. and where all was want and