The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-06-01

commander introduced Rev. C. E. Man
chester
Il think may call you comrades"
said he, because you had the same
work to do that we had third Of a
century earlier, only you carried the
flag little further than we tried to car
ry it, and extended the influence of the
flag a little further than we tried to do,
and I am glad to come here and appear
before you."
He stated that the donor Of the flag
wanted him to speak along the lines of
memory in military life, after the
name Of Decoration day had first been
given, general order went forth from
the headquarters Of the g. A. r. to
change it to Memorial day. He spoke of
| the first assault by the Confederates
upon Fort Sumpter, and the frenzy into
which it cast patriotic citizens Of this
country, and the announcement Of the
fact in the press, by calls for revenge.
The call Of Lincoln for $4,000 men was
graphically referred to, in that the en-
listment of men was so rapid that in a
short time afterwards no more men
were required for the war Of the rebel
lion. He said the patriotic spirit had
been touched as never before withing
the recollection of the citizens of this
country as to their sense of duty. 1t
has been said that war is a frequent ne
cessity, good thing, because it takes
away the plethora Of a nation; that 1t
takes Off those who can best be spared
from among the men, from factories
and marts Of trade. The argument is a
fallacious one. 1t doesn't take off the
bad; 1t takes the good, robs the home
of its best. Do you know that when
| Napoleon marched with his army to
Moscow, that he destroyed every house
within $50 miles Of that city? Do you
| know that the war of American rebel
lion cost England three hundred and
eighty millions Of dollars: the French
revolution cost England three hundred
| millions of dollars. Christendom paid
in 22 years preceding the ending of the
year 1880, fifteen millions of dollars for
war. Edward Burke places the figures
at thirty-five millions Of dollars,
including the war of the rebellion and
later wars. More than five millions of
| men were taken from the productive in
dustries of this country, stores, farms
and shops and factories, and that fact
| means great deal when we compute
| 1t in dollars and cents. The losses sus-
| tained by war are beyond the possibil-
| ity Of any man to conceive of. Thous-
| and are laid upon the altar Of sacrifice
in battles, and yet not many die in bat
tie, larger portion dying from the re-
suits of wounds received who pass away
afterwards off the field. Comparison
was made by the speaker of the condi-
tion of the veterans in the last war with
| the condition of those in the rebellion,
and he manifestly decided that the
young men had the worst of 1t, that
| they suffered the most, in that the
| veterans of the rebellion were in their
own country and had such food as they
were accustomed to, and they were not
| subjected to the inconvenience Of accli-
| nation, which caused the death of SO
many of the young soldiers in Cuba.
His reference to this sad spectacle was
matter Of favorable consideration and
| approval in the minds Of the young
veterans present.
The proposition Of freqent wars being
necessary he pronounced as wrongful,
Notwithstanding the cost in money and
the cost Of life and the cost in loss of
production. He said the wars engaged
In by this country were justified. The
| great principle involved between ma
| tions means a great deal. If the prob
| lem Is great enough to justify the So
luton, then the method by which 1t is
done Is justified; and IL there can be no
other method than war to get a So
luton Of the problem; then that war is
the best thing that can occur. The So
luton of the problem that confronted us
during the late war could not have been
found in any other way. A peaceful
| solution Of the question had been hop
ed for. Finally war came. ask you,
was It justifable? 1t is too late to ask
now. We believed that 1t was right. l
believe that when the history of this
country shall be read fifty years from
now, that 1t shall be said that we did
the only thing that could be done to up
hold the greatness and goodness Of our
nation. God said to these people: Let
the oppressed go free. The motive was
not revenge. There was something bet
ter than that. There was a better i'm
pulse than that moving us. 1t was not
well to do wrong simply because
somebody else wanted us to do wrong.
1t was for the purpose and intention of
extending our hands to those across
the sea and extending civilization into
that country and those other countries,
and protect them under the protection
of the flag that means something all
over the world and will continue to
mean something good unto the end Of
all time.
One of the most striking days in the
history OF our lives, which always will
be remembered, was that day when you
went marching down the streets, lined
on either side by a great mass of human
beings, on your way to the front. Our
hearts went with you. and we read of
your dangers and adventures as the
days went by. We were careful to read
every particle Of information on the
subject. And our prayers and good
wishes went to you and for you. Our
people were sorrowful when they learn
ed that things were not as they ought
TO be under the Protection Of the flag