Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-02-23

ating a union to preserve the liberty So
gloriously achieved. Three months and
more they labored, and then from the.
crucble into which had been poured the
patriotism, the passions the hopes, the
brightest minds and most ferved hearts,
the highest craftsmanship and the Wild
est vagaries there came the constitu-
ton of the United States. an INSTRUMENT
by far the most importans ever wrought
in satecraft, for it created nation, an in
strument which Gladstone one said is
the most wonderful ever struck off al a
given time by the brain and purpose of
man.
While George Washington composed
but little, if any, of this character of the
new government, he was the author Of
it ALL The mere phrase into which the
constitution was drafted is marvellous
tribute to the scope of the human mind
but the power of conceiving the broad
and comprehensive plan there ex-
pressed shrinks into nothingness com
pared with the power Of coercing the
factious spirits of the convention into
any agreement that had for its object
the formation of a strong, efficient and
suitable government. 1T was he who
gathered up and strengthened the tam
gled threads that held the colonies so
closely together. and then with his
mighty hands tied the eternal knot that
will hold Us side by side a long as men
love free Institutions. In all the history
of the world no single man ever did for
his country so stupendous a service or
in a critical time exercised so potent an
influence as cid Washington In bringing
together and in leading the delibera-
tions of this convention. He deserved
we'll OF his countrymen for the faith,
courage and genius which he displayed
in every encampment, march and bat
tlefield of the war, but the brightest
jewel, which shines and sparkles in the
crown which a grateful and apprecia-
tive posterity has bestowed upon him,
|cemmemorates the convention of 1857.
II must pass over our interesting ca
recr from 1887 to 1861. Time went on
and the republic prospered and grew,
not only beyond the hopes of its found
ers, but beyond the dreams of the en-
thusiast. The skeptics of the old world
were not convinced. and from the lips
Of the seer and prophet there continual
I ly rolled across the sea the prediction of
ultimate failure and complete diSinte-
grafton. The year 1860 came, and the
dispute which years of heated discus
sion had made intense brought the re-
public to its first great peril.
Viewed from any standpoint the
WAR of the rebellion has no parallel nor
comparison in the history of the world.
From its beginningg TO its end, the
Estates and territories sent into the union
army and navy 22.17S,sO4 men. OF these
2e0,222 died in the service From the
29th of April to the 18th of November,
| 1865, SO0963 volunteers were mustered
civil life The direct cost of the war
Ito the United States was more than So
I.0O00OO,OOO. and its indirect losses We're
linnumerable in kind and incalculable in
amount. The south enlisted more than
a million men. lost as many as the
FORTH furnished the battlefields, the
camps, the marching grounds and desc
Hated her whole territory in the efforts
TIC sustain her cause. Two thousand
miles from north to south. and fifteen
hundred miles from east to west, meas
lgdred the distances that separated the
scenes of conflict. What stupendous
event! We turn to look upon IT after
thirty five years have rolled between u.
and Appomattox, ana find that We arr
too near the mighty Struggle to under
stand its proportions. Another genera
tion must pass before the patriotic stu
dent of history will know how it towers
above the events of the nineteenth CEN
stury. how it dwarfs every other war OF
1 the Christian era. and how completely
| it changed the course of human affairs
Many times have / been honored
Withsan opportunity to speak to he men
lcf the Grand Army of the Republic, but
when i began TO consider what should
say to you upon this anniversary
Iseemed to realize. as never did before
1.-the price we paid for the victory of 1863
i've Offered 100000 lives as a sacrifice ID
| the god of war. We broke the hearts OF
| the mothers who bore these immortals
| OF the wives who had wed them and OF
1.-The maids who loved them. We lavished
Treasure inconceivabe and sustained
l.losses indescribable to vitalize anc
maintain our armies and naives. The
treason for this cruel waste of life anc
Vast expenditure of treasure must have
been good or we We're the greatest mon
listers of the age. We must have wor
something immeasurable and priceless
/ for humanity. or we deserved to b.
logged into obscurity by the popular
scorn of civilized people.
No man can adequately understand
the debt we owe to you, the gray haired
Battle SCARED veterans of the civil war
/ and to your comrades who rest ST
peacefully with the benedictions of q
| grateful people falling ever upon theil
graves, until he pauses 10 reflect upor
| the consequences that must have fol.
|lowed the destruction of the union The
4 stream of American civilization bears al
this moment upon its rushing tide the
best hopes of mankind, but if its waters
1 had parted in 1865, who dares to say
that the eyes of the world would not be
/ turned hitherward, knowing where we
lead they must follow? Moved ane
overcome by these inspiring truths, 1t i:
not strange that our hearts overflow
with reverence and affection for the
4 dead whose spark of life Went out In
i lighting the torch that flames along the
! pathway. guiding all humanity to high
Ter things, II is not strange that the
whole nation bows low its head and sa.
flutes you. the survivors of war ou
of which has come blessing for ever,
human soul"
Carroll's Juvenile Band.
Special to Times Republican.
I \, ~, 6