The bee., 1902-03-06

boys like himself, wholesome, honest, self
respecting. They looked down on nobody.
They never felt it possible they could be
looked down upon. Their houses were the
homes of probity, piety. patriotism. They
learned in the admirable school readers of
fifty years ago the lessons of heroic and
splendid life which have come down from
the past. They read in their weekly news
papers the story OF the worlds progress,
in which they were eager to take part.
and of the sins and wrongs Of civilization
with which they burned to do battle. II
was a serious and thoughtful time. The
boys Of that day felt dimly, but deeply.
that days of sharp struggle and high
achievement were before them. They
looked at life with the wondering yet res
olute eyes of a young esquire in his vigil
of arms. They felt a time was coming
when to them should be addressed the
stern admonition of the apostle, Quilt
you like men; be strong"
1t is not easy to give to those of later
generation any clear idea of that extraor-
dinary spiritual awakening which passed
over the country at the first red signal
fires of the war between the states. 1t
was not our earliest apocalypse. A hun
dred years before the nation had been re-
vealed to itself when after long discus
sion and much searching of heart the
people of the colonies had resolved that
to live without liberty was worse than to
die and had therefore wagered in the SOL
emn game of war their lives, their for
tunes and their sacred honor" In a stress
of heat and labor unutterable the country
had been hammered and welded together
but thereafter for nearly century there
had been nothing in our life to touch the
innermost fountain of feeling and devo-
ton. We had had rumors of wars-even
wars we had had, not without sacrifices
and glory-but nothing which went to the
a.
nothing which challenged the nations
right to live.
"THE VALLEY OF DECISION"
But in 1850 the nation was going down
into the valley OF decision. The question
which had been debated on thousands Of
platforms, which had been discussed in
countless publications. which. thundered
from innumerable pulpits. had caused in
their congregations the bitter strife and
dissension to which only cases OF con-
science can give rise, was everywhere
pressing for solution. And not merely in
the various channels of publicity was It
alive and clamorous. About every fire.
side in the land. in the conversation Of
friends and neighbors and. deeper still, in
the secret OF millions of human hearts the
battle OF opinion was waging. and all men
felt and saw, with more or less clearness,
that an answer to the importunate ques-
not to be denied. And do not mean that
in the north alone there was this austere
wrestling with conscience. In the south
as well, below all the effervescence and
excitement of a people perhaps more
given to eloquent speech than we were
there was the profound agony of ques-
tion and answer, the summons to decide
whether honor and freedom did not call
them to revolution and war. II is easy
for partisanship to say that the one side
was right and that the other was wrong.
II is still easier for an indolent magma
pimity to say that both were right. Per-
haps in the wide view OF ethics one is al
ways right TO follow his conscience
though il lead him TO disaster and DEATH
but history is inexorable. She takes no
account of sentiment and intention, and
in her cold and luminous eyes that side
is right which fights IN harmony with the
stars in their courses. The men ere right
through whose efforts the world is helped
onward. and humanity moves TO a higher
level and brighter day.
The men who are living today and who
were young in 1850 win never forget tho
glory and glamour that filled the Garth
and the Sky when the long twilight Of
doubt and uncertainty was ending and
tho time Of action had come A speech by
Abraham Lineo.n was an event no; cniy
Of high moral significance. but OF far
militia company by Ellsworth attracted
national attention The futtering of the
flag in the clear sky drew tears from The
eyes of young men. Patriotism, which
had been q rhetorical expression. became
a passionate emotion. in which instinct
logic and feeling were fused. The coun-
try was worth saving. 1t could be saved
only by fire. No sacrifice was too great
The young men of the country were ready
for the sacrifice. Come veal. come woe.
they were ready.
M'KINLEY THE SOLDIER.
At seventeen years Of age William Nc
Kinley heard this summons of his coun-
try. Ie was the sort OF youth to whom a
military life in ordinary times would pos
sess no attractions. His nature was far
different from that of the ordinary SOL
dier. He had other dreams of life. its
prizes and pleasures, than that of marches
and battles. But TO his mind there was
no choice or question. The banner float
ing in the morning breeze was the beck
oning gesture of his country. The thrill
ing notes of the trumpet called him-him
and none other-into the ranks. His por-
trait in his first uniform is familiar to
you all-thG short. stocl1y figure; the quiet
thoughtful face; the deep. dark eyes. II
is the face OF a lad who could not stay
at home when he thought he was needed
in the field. He was of the stun of which
good soldiers are made. Had he been ten
years older he would have entered at the
head of a company and come out at the
head of a division. But he did what he
could. He enlisted as a private lie
learned to obey His serious, sensible
ways. his prompt. alert efficiency, soon at
tracted the attention OF his superiors He
was so faithful in little things they gave
him more and more to do. He was untir-
ing in camp and on the march, swift, cool
and fearless in fight He left the army
with field rank when the war ended, bre-
vetted by President Lincoln for gallantry
in battle.
In coming years when men seek to draw
the moral OF our great civil war nothing
will seem to them so admirable in all the
history of our two magnificent armies as
the way in which the war came TO q close.
When the Confederate army saw the time
had come. 1t acknowledged the pitiless
logic of facts and ceased fighting. When
the army of the Union saw 1t was no lon
ger needed, without a murmur or ques-
tion, making no terms, asking no return,
in the flush of victory and fullness OF
might It laid down its arms and melted
back into the mass of peaceful citizens.
There is no event since the nation was
born which has so proved its solid ca
pacity for self government. Both Sec
tions share equally in that crown of glory.
They had held q debate of Incompatible
importance and had fought It out with
equal energy. A conclusion had been
reached, and it is to the everlasting honor