Evening journal., 1902-05-27

soluble union. in our universal and un-
precedented prosperity in our
proud position among the
worsu powers, in the bright
prophesies of future ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
and national influence and usefulness,
we turn with grateful memory to the
graves Of men who stood in the dark
smoke of battle and died to make our
greatness possible.
We feel the noble meaning now of
those fine words: "Blest is he whose
heart is the home of the great dead "
Think of this. then ask: f'What is our
debt to the soldiers. dead and living.
who saved this Union and by their
valor perpetuated freedom on this con-
tinent?" Nay. what does The whole
world owe them? What does emanci-
pated Cuba owe them? What does
every people aspiring to free
dom and self government owe
them? What does posterity owe
them? They made liberty mean more
to every nation; they made democracy
mean more to every people on the
earth. They advanced universal en-
pire of peace, good will, and brother
hood in the world. 1t was no mere wit
ticism. no idle joke that inspired the
phrase: Il am bound to have peace If
have to fight for it,
Their Living influence
We live in an age Of great memories.
as we'll as of great hopes and am
bitions. The past is too sacred TO be
forgotten in the dazzling splendors Of
the present or the prophetic glories of
the future. Blest be that country
whose traditions and histories are its
eternal pride. Blest be that nation
whose tombs treasure the holy ashes
of heroes and martyrs. There is a
gospel springing from the graves Of
our soldier dead, a gospel that ami
mates the heart and nerves the arm
Of every living soldier and sailor to-
day. a gospel that tells the saving
power of self-sacrifice, the uplifting
energy Of a broad and noble patriot
ism. the life-giving influence of heroic
death. Soldiers of the Grand Army of
Veterans who fought from Manassas
TO Appomattox, from the graves ofyour
fallen comrades. has come a nations
immortality, from their sacred dust has
sprung the harvest Of a wiser and
more universal freedom. All the world
is better. greater, more righteous and
more hopeful, as the result of what
those dead heroes had the grace to be
and to do. Dead heroes? No. they
live and will live forever. They live
in the glory of our history; they live
IN the worlds new and higher life.
they live in all this human progress.
they live in our living, virile, glorious
Union. in our regen nationalism.
IN our better laws, in our purer litera-
ture. in our loftier aims; they live in
us and in all the hope and love and
Justice Of this age; they live in all
the greatness to which this people and
this Republic aspire.
a Noble Type OF Soldiers
Those men of '61 and '65 were not
the victims of unholy ambition. nor
the dupeB of ignorance, nor the delud-
ed slaves of blind and heartless ia.
naticism, nor the rash champions o.
false and vicious sentiments. They
went TO war. not from a greed for gain.
filled with the conqueror's inhumau
spirit; they drew their swords. not
lrom nope of dominion, inspired by the
deceitful dreams of power; they fought
to victory not from pride OF opinion.
animated with stubborness of ancient
bigotry II was love, not anger; nerve.
not selfishness; love, not ambition
that ed the soldiers heart with his
magnificent courage. And it was the
love OF liberty. the love of country
the love Of humanity, the love OF
Christ that sent them forth to glorious
sacrifice.
Their work is secure, they did not
fight and die in vain. The world can
not go back of those graves and bat
tlenelds. They mark a new advanc,
Of humanity in civilization. There
can oe no rediscussion of questions
that were settled in battle and death,
no rewelding of shackles there broken
no rewriting OF laws and statutes
and precedents there blotted out in
blood: no resurrection Of the disrupt.
ing issues that were buried with the
men who took them for arbitrament
to the cannon's mouth.
Our Debt to Our Benefactors
We owe a debt of perpetual and eter
nal gratitude to the memory Of tn,
men who saved the Republic. Aboy,
all other benefactors their name:
should be cherished and their deed.
eXtOlled.
Each age 40 it advances, each gene
raDon as it is born. each day that pass
es into history should have a wor,
Of gratitude and praise for such i'm
mortal benefactors. And doubtless eacl
dawning day sheds a brighter and still
a brighter glory on these names. VIII.
should it not be with our soldier bene
factors?
They were not of an age,
But for all time"
AS the world grows wiser and NOR
righteous. "and the thoughts o
men are widened with tn
process of the suns" tn