The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1902-06-06

rest? We think we have done pretty
smart thing and have struck this pest
deadly blow when we have ousted
one of it's representatives from Con-
gress and sent him as on triumpbal
procession home to enjoy the bliss of
his triple marriage. So many foul
blots and dark stains cover our history
that in celebrating our Nations
glory blush suffuses our face; but,
my friends, when it cames--to |
this day which comme morates the
yalor of ursotdiers dead and bespeaks
the hoDef of our soldiers living, there
is rot a single star we wish to dull, not
a single bar we wish to cover. This
day makes our flag "Old Glory' indeed.
Proudly we shake out it's folds. Grand
ly we tell it's story to the world. We
challenge all mankind to produce from
all annals that have ever been written
a record of clearer lustre or more bril-
liant renown.
There have been dark figures that
have doomed up in the vision Of the
past, there may be darker figures still
to greet us as we cast glance toward
the future.
GIGANTIC PROBLEMS MAY STALK BE-
FORE US
like horrid nightmares, and cause us
to shudder and grow sick at heart; but
it may be easier to grapp]e with these
problems because of the rich legacy of
heroic faith and earnest endurance
which you, my soldier friends. have
bequeathed to, the rising generations
of to-day. We thank you for what you
have done. We count you heroes all.
Oh, how Time grasses the lines of hate!
Where once many apples of Sodom
grew, now there fourishes many a
blossoming tree. Where once the bill
lows rolled harsh and fierce among the
shoals and rocks, now smooth sea
and many a favoring gale invite our
Ship of State to try the further waters
of the broader main. We count you
heroes all, and l would speak of one
to-day in a way in which perhaps l
could not have spoken of him some
years ago, Robert E. Lee. We count
him as fine type of American as our
soil has ever produced, as brave a
soldier as ever drew the sword, as
noble in defeat as he was grand in the
hour of splendid triumph. 1t may be
natural ever for men of the North not
to be able to condone what they re-
gard his glaring fault, in taking up
arms against the government which
had nurtured him and given him his
commission and rank; but let us think
how he was placed. He never possess
ed an inherent hatred of the. North,
he would have forborne to, the last de-
gree rather than appeal to, the resort
of arms, he did not believe in the
doctrine of Secession, as it was pro-
mulgated in the South; but when it
came to the question of deciding be-
tween taking up arms against a gov
eminent that had been his foster
mother or fighting against his native
state, his mind was not held long in
the balance. AS he wrote to his sister,
"The thought of warning against my
children, my home, my neighbors, my
friends is intolerable to me-" He pre-
ferred to fight against the mother
that had trained him for service rath-
er than the mother of his heart and
home.
LIKE GRANT SERVING WITH DlsTINC-
| TON
in the Mexican War, holding commits
sion in the United States Army, he
resigned his rank when he saw that he
must cut loose from his former asso-
Citations. At first appointed to COM
mand in northwestern Virginia, in the
latter part of 1861, he was matched
against Gen Rosecrans. Both these
leaders saw fit to come into no decisive
combat. Then he was sent to eastern
North Carolina where he planned for
titications Tat lasted nearly to the
close of the war. Then he succeeded
to the command in defense Of Rich
mond. Here two men Of entirely op-
posite temperament met. Mcclellan,
cautious, conservative, dared not strike
an aggressive blow; but Lee, daring,
aggressive, willing to take large risks,
by six days hard lighting pushed Nc
Clellan away from the Confederate
capital, so that no attack was made