The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1900-05-31

81, 1900. #..
war, OF such presidents as Grant and
Hayes and Garfield and Harrison, who
were better fitted than before for such
great duties, by reason Of their service.
as soldiers. And if true of them, how
much more SO OF Mckinley, to whom
have fallen duties Of the most delicate,
Irresponsible and worldwide character,
only to be met with discretion, mod
eration and wisdom which were learned
and appropriated by him in his career
as soldier F9~~< H. B. p
E >.., -'=.~~s& es5 SINCERITY. ~.
Seeing them thus volunteering in a
great cause from pure principle, we
discover in their characters the qua
lily of sincerity. To sustain their
cause, not merely to win or to triumph,
was their. object. There was no per-
sonal bitterness in their enmity. It
was not as personal foes that they met
and charged the confederates. No
hatred mingled in their feelings, no
hatred, that is, Of persons. The cause
of secession merited$ and received their
profound antipathy. To put down that
odious doctrine, all who supported it
by arms must fall. So long and as
often as armed secession confronted
them, their efforts were untiring to-
destroy it and all its cohorts. But
when armistice or truce permitted,
the Southern soldiers always received
their courtesy, were always recognized
as Americans, and as foes worthy of
their STEEL Grants magnanimity at
Appomatox simply voiced the senti-
ment of all the Union soldiers toward
their antagonists personally. Distin-
gushing between the wholly unwar-
ranted doctrine of secession and the
misguided men who advocated it, they
gave to the doctrine all their hatred,
but to their fellow-citizens personally
their esteem, and except when in arms,
their love. 1t was the proudest boast
of the Federal soldiers at the close of
the war, that they had whipped Amer
lean soldiers only by reason of the fact
that they themselves were American
soldiers, and they then invited their
late antagonists to join them under the
old flag, and show to the world that no
other nation could whip American
soldiers. In these respects, we see in
these men the characteristic Of pure
sincerity: warm espousal of cause
:, by reason of its merits, without any
personal animosity, but with fair
q appreciatio ion OF all that was good, and
4 Ihiegaa and noble q heir foes. Lincoln,
Iagain, their great commander, spoke
for all the men under his command. in
the words, with malice toward none
with charity for ALL
DEVOTION.
: The character of these men is fur.
, Their illustrated by what they gave tc
| their great canse. It was not merely
. their time, their skill, their talents
3 :heir energy, nor even all these com
r bined; they made the complete self
sacrifice, and gave themselves. The
5 martyred president we'll called it ''the
, full measure of devotiOn.' No gift, nc
, sacrifice, could be more complete Anc
t this characteristic is to be judged, MOI
f by the grade or character of the indi
! vidual deeds of the men after they en-
2 tered the service. The emphasis here
y should be placed upon the enlistment
3 itself. That meant, and it was under
r stood to mean, the readiness to ente1
. upon any service, to endure any hard
ship, to attempt any deed, to which
s duty might invite. Taking their live:
Q in their hands, they offered up home
family ties, all earthly prospects, al
the feelings of affection, and life itself
T. upon the altar of their country. Tha
= offer was the heroic act, and this il
\ why we call them all heroes. For thi
- reason, we of the Grand Army neither
r, make nor tolerate, on Memorial Day
= any distinction of rank or grade OF
! length or character Of service. or time
y or mode of death. Nay, we do not neet
: to know even the name of the dead
n soldier, but over thousands of the
6 graves of the unknown we scatter the
8 same flowers. He who gave himsel
$ and who thereby made himself ready
+ for any service, was a hero thereb,
=. and thenceforward and shall ever be-
, esteemed as such.
t CONSTANCY.
, Another distinctive trait of charac
l ter these men disclosed is their con
, stancy. We know how persistent they
} we're, how long that four years wal
seemed to them, and how much endur
, ance the crisis demanded. The record
t of campaigns, of battles, of sickness, o.