Evening star., 1901-04-09

whose struggles have toen harder than
| their fellows, and vino have Uassed their
youth either in or upon the borders of the
western wiHerness. 1t was found in the
| civil war that there VAS no difference in
courage. dash or endurance between the
men of the east, the west, the north or
the south: between those who came from
the fields, forests, the mines or the facto-
rieS, and those who stepped cut from the
pulpit, the lawyers Office, the counting
house, the professors chair or the peda-
Scgue's seat. In that most illustrative
body of American manhood. the rough
rider regiment of the Spanish war the
dandy from the club the student from the
! university and the cowboy from! the plains,
in the stress of battle. in the deadly charge
and under the hail of bullets. found that
their only differences Were in dress, and that
under fire and following the nag they
We're equal and equally GOOD Americans.
I'm the crises of our fate q nation
COD seems to have raised up and prepared
men specially for the accomplishment of
the wonderful purposes which he had in
store for the republic But these wonder
ful lntelligences, ready tor great occasions
and the accomplishment of historic deeds,
are inactive and undiStinguiShed in COM
munities like ours until their country calls
them to duty.
The Mexican war at cnce fired the imag-
ination of the adventurous youth of our
land. 1t carried young Logan, with g
musket, as private in the ranks of his
company across the Rio Grande and he
won his shoulder straps in the bloody bat
ties under Generals Taylor and Scott. This
baptism of fire opened the mind enlarged
the horizon and pointed out q larger fu-
ture than ever dreamed of before for him
self and for his country to this enthusiastic
lad.
"A most difficult thing for anyone is TO
escape from his surroundings of neighbor-
hood, traditions, provncialisms and fam
lily. 1t is more serious task, If born
leader has discovered the errors of opinion
OF himself and his neighbors and attempts
to remain their leader by converting them
to his newborn ideas. There was no more
unpromis1ng section of the United States
in which to rear Union man and fed
eral soldier than the ancient Egypt of Illi-
nois. 1t had been settled by Shareholders
and the sons of slavetloders and it's peo-
pie, from blood relationship sympathy and
association, Were in thorough accord with
the slave holding states from which they
had come Young Logan became their
idol, and he their representative I'm
Congress. The nearly unanimous vote by
which he was sent 10 Washington Illus
trated the closeness and confidence between
himself and this constituency. He was a
tower of strength for The reactionary views
and purposes of the slavery leaders in
Congress, but underneath the sentiment
and principles of the party to which he
was devoted there brightly burned a spirit
of liberty.
Logan on Side of Liberty.
Slavery was intolerant of opposition and
discussion Lovejoy Of Illinois, Logan's
1elioW member, was one of the bravest and
ablest of the anti-slavery champions
w hen he rose to speak in the House
OF Representatives there crowded about
him an enraged mob of members which
not only prevented his being heard but
threatened his life. 1t was this incident
which opened the eyes of Logan to the
great truth, subsequently expressed by
Lincoln, that the Union could never en-
dnre half free and half slave. He in
Stantly stepped upon the side of liberty
and so imperiously demanded recogni-
tion of the rights of his colleague upon
the floor of the House that his turbulent
associates went back to their seats, and
free speech was vindicated.
when hostilites began weaker man
than Logan would have sided with his con-
stitucnts in their sympathy with the south
Had he been with them insurrection
in southern Illinois. barring the way of
the Union army to Kentucky and Tennes-
see, would have been a frightful blow to
the success of the national cause. 1t was
a conflict in which on the one side he
would apparently lose his home and his
political future to enlist in a cause which,
in that hour and atmosphere, seemed well
nigh hopeless; while on the other, in addt-
tion to the hardships and perils Of war
would be ceaseless dangers from enemies
both in front and rear.
The stirring news c1me to the House
while in session that the battle of Bull
Run was in progress. The soldier of the
Mexican war again heard the music of
the national anthem, and flew to the de-
fense of the national flag. The dramatic
scene was witnessed upon the battlefield of
a civilian in frock coat and top silk hat
%ho had seized musket from a wounded
soldier, and by action and words and reek-
less daring was doing his best to stem
the tide of defeat and turn the army back
to meet the enemy. In that hour Logau's
vision clearly saw the path of duty He
fastened home to his constituents to bring
them around to the Union cause and to
have them enlist in the Union army He
met sullen and threatening mobs every
where. But nothing could resist the fer
Vor of his eloquence. the inspiration of his
presence, and his cry Follow me to the
field for the old flag and the Union 1t Is
no longer the right and wrong of slavery;
it is no longer the disputed question of
the extension of that institution into the
territories, but 1t Is whether you will be
with me for the preservation of the Union
and of this last refuge and security of
liberty and humanity Character, courage
and patriotism triumphed. He led his
whole people out of the darkness of Egypt
into the light of the promised land. Within
few weeks he was in the field with his
regiment. and other regiments followed as
unteerS.
Military Education Necessary.
Logan Is the finest example of the vol
| unteer soldier. Around the nucleus Of a
| little army of 25.0OO regulars gathered a
million Of volunteers. who formed In an in
credibly brief space of time the most mag,
nificent and resistiess body of soldiery of
modern or ancient times. They demon
strated in the quickness with which the
army was mobilized and disciplined In the
steadiness and endurance which it exhibit
ed as il trained veterans, and In it's peace
full disbandment and return to the pursuits
of peace after the close Of the war, that
| the strength and reliance of our country
rest upon its citizen soldiery This expert
| ment also demonstrated that while the citi-
| zen soldiers are engaged in gainful pur-
| suits and increasing the wealth of the coun-
! try, adequate army composed of those
| who select soldiers career can protect
| the public property, suppress fnsurrection,
l meet immediate and exigent requirements
/ obroa nd hat uyo -