The Ellensburg dawn. [volume] (Ellensburg, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1899-06-02

and scalding tear-drop of that
hurried farewell-which alasl was
sad and 30 often forever
ON earth-of father, husband,
son, brother or sweet
heart who, at their country's call,
donned the blue, shouldered KNAPP
sack and musket and marched to
the front to defend the Stars and
Stripes from dishonor and preserve
the union, or sailed away across the
seas in the cause of humanity, to
avenge the Maine and whip Spain,
with her misrule and vile conduct,
from off the Western Hemisphere
and the islands Of the Pacific. Then
followed the quivering suspense of
the long days of sickening anxiety,
when tidings were awaited from the
field. And now over the awful
grief that froze the faculties and all
but stilled the beating of the heart
when at last the news came that
John fell bravely fighting at Bull
Run, Jim at Charlottesville, or
Tom lay mortally wounded at
Gettysburg, in mercyI draw the
curtain of privacy as being too
sacred to display before the public
guze.
Again in fancy, these grizzled vet
Grams who wore the blue are boys
or men in prime of manhood and
amid the smoke and dust of battle
with fast melting ranks and brave
comrades falling thick about them
"with cannon to right of them,
cannon to left Of them, cannon in
Of them,' breathing fire and
belching forth deadly showers of
leaden hail, which plowes broad
burrows of death through their ad-
vacing columns are pressing the
fray at Donaldson, Nicksburg or
Chicamauga. All, those are thrill
ing memories that come thronging
back from the long ago." when the
nation was wrapped in the hideous
nightmare of civil strife and treas
on, clutched at the nations throat
and sought the nations life.
War viewed from any distance,
with its history written in widows
weeds and Orphans tears, in sol
dier's homes and soldiers graves,
in wooden limbs and armless
sleeves, is repulsive in its every out
line, torbidding in it's every aspect,
and well did the great Napoleon
say that it is relic of barbarism.
And in view of its many evils we
are compelled to stop and ask our
selves the question is it, was it ever
right for christian nation to en-
gage in conflict of arms?
But if an all-wise God in The dis
pensation of His providence in the
great scheme of universal good, can
from the stormwind, the flood and
the earthquakes shock heavens own
engines of destruction, evolve re-
suits to His own glory and mans
ultimate good, can He not from
the seeming evils of war evolve re-
suits to His honor and mans we'll
being? Well has the poet said,
"Who knows bat he whose hand
the tightening forms, Who heaves
'old ocean and who wings the
storms; Poured fierce ambition in a
Caesars mind, Or turned young
Ammon loose TO scourge mankind"
Almost every forward step man
has taken toward a higher civiliza-
ton in the past has been behind a
row of bristling spears or bayons,s.
Certain it is that many of our
greatest national blessings have
been secured by clash of arms.
The seven years struggle of the
Revolution gave to our hardy, free.
dom-loving sires thirst for pure
democracy, and a spirit of political
and religious tolerance, and con.
solidated the union of the little
sisterhood of states to an extent
that an amicable separation from