Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-05-31

II
II would be useless to deny that MANY
grave mistakes were made in those days
when the passions and prejudices of war
were still warm, but they cannot be at
Lributed to the army. The burden Of
hem rests riShtfully upon the shoulders
If men in civil life. who had neither the
soldiers quick intuitions and broad sym
DlthieS nor his ability to judge correctly
he Southern character. The country has
now had practically 81 years of citizen
soldier rule. What is the record Of that
stewardship?
At the close of the Civil War the popu-
lation of the United States was about
g Wn coo people Today IL is more than
., 1oo"" We had at that time in this
2uOuU poStOiiiccS with an annual
revenue OF less than fifteen million dol
lars. At the present time we have more
than I5.tn0 postotiices and the annual rev
cnuc Of the department Is nearly one
hundred million dollars.
The assessed valuation of this country
in 1855 was about fifteen billion dollars.
Today its assessed valuation will, doubt
less. reach thirty-three billion dollars, ana
vast as this figure is. il probably does
not represent much more IMAM ohe-thiru
When Lee. surrendered at Appomattox
We had i'm operation in this country about
IS 900 miles of railroad. Today we nave
more than 10000 miles.
At the beginning Of the war the various
savings banks Of the country held depoS-
its amounting to $50 millions OF dollars. y
considerable portion OF tllS sum "'9'
doubtless absorbed by the government
during the continuance Of the tremendous
struggle for the preservation OF the mon
and vet today the American people nave
depoSitS in state banks and trust COM
panics aggrc%ating over two billion dol
lars which is. doubtless, more than ten
times the amount that stood 70 thelr
credit when the citizen soldiers OF Inc
Republic turned their attention from the
tasks of war to the duties and problems
of peace.
In 1865 the public debt of the United
States was more than two billion and q
half dollars. much Of it bearing interest
at six per cent. Since then-notwith-
standing the fact that we have success
fully fought Il foreign war-this debt has
been reduced more than billion dollars
ana 50 strong today is the credit OF the
United States-foremost among the great
nations of the world-that our govern
ment can float Il two per cent pond at Il
handsome premium. while the recent war
loan Of the British government was neSO-
tiltcd upon Il ~ per cent basis
Ana 50 | might 20 on almost indefinitely
multiplying examples Of the astounding
growth and development Of This great
country of ourS-this empire of empires
i'm the thirty-iiVe years that the veterans
of the Union have borne 50 conspicuous;
ana honorable a part in the civil life 81
the Republic.
The history of man furnishes no parll-
lei to our marvellous increase in material
wealth during the past three and 4 half
lttdu'S- ne 'IN l4lZth WI ~ 'l''N ''h V
on in undiSguis+d wundermcut. while the
figures Of our ever expanding prosperity.
seeming to them little less than miracH-
lnus. nave almost outStrlpp"d Inc pounds
Of the Imagination. Nor mas our growth
been wholly along tnr Ii's II tl"teI n n
HrNrioiiiitn,. '' ~, tbn rtinn,,i HI
~, ,,i,,,i,.a ~ t,nh, pbnt,. ,,Ititn9t,
l'',ui' - ,i+h II ~, ,,,l. " ,nt Al
urNl''H - o, ~ -. i - ''..,,.i,. 49,
aI'" = ,J'' rn,n,rt,I III thn
,hlrl''H n'l-iliII @'ilIS "n"St II
utii'e WIS i''"S''i%'" "9 ''l''' oman ~
l''''.
To me the crnwnlnE glory oi the mon
veteran as Il factor in our civil life has
always been his Steldfast ANA uuSWcrV-
ing faith in enduring power ut the Re
public ana ;hc genius If the American
n,,t,I.. TN, mon who St,od in iudufuit-
',bla array arnifud fhr old tl.Ia when The
great Tide. of treason broke aud chbrd ON
TIL. hnody nrId NJ Grttvshurg whu
yaW its Symboli,al majesty ANA strength.
an Ni.kShurg. ut ChickamIuga. ON tnc
PcNiusuur. through the Wilderness. i'm
the Shenandoah Valley. above the clouds
OF Lookout Mountain, on hundreds OF
hard fought fields are NOT To be- dauutcd
Ey the DuglbonS uf modern alIrmiStS.
They can never be persuaded tuat the
people OF this country are unequal To IN"
tasks that have been easily accomplished
br other great nations, nor that tnc tiaS
they bore - victory in inc dark days ~
civil strife. Will ever wave above amy PEG
III" save - their advancement ana httlrr-
mrnt III all that makes FOR q pr"EreSSlN,
CIVILIZATION, iheE p"i''NS nj "H'' t en- ~
,