The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-05-31

the news that the old flag has been fired
upon at Fort Sumpter; that the time of
argument is past and that appeal must be
had TO the arbitrament of the sword
that the great north and the great south
have buckled on their armour for an in
evitable and irrepressible struggle of
giants
Then comes the call for volunteers.
You have enlisted, bidding farewell to
wife and children and home and friends.
To the stirring strains of fife and drum
you march to the front.
Vast treasure is poured out, blood
flows freely, great campaigns are planned
and executed. titanic battles fought
mighty victories won, age-old issues set
/ tied. Then comes the close After the
smoke is cleared away we find that the
nations life has been preserved, and that
slavery has been destroyed forever.
But then we begin to realize the loss
we have sustained Thousands and thous-
ands Of as brave men as ever bore Cod s
image had gone down. There was scarce
ly home in the North or in the South
where there was not vacant chair How
many maidens looked in vain for the home
coming of their lovers; how many moth
ers and wives and sisters heard only in
the dreams of night the returning foot
steps of sons and husbands and broth
ers. At every firesde almost was a
sigh for the touch of a vanished hand,
the sound Of a voice that is still.
1T is but little that the living can do
for these honored dead but il is most fit
ting that we gather on this sacred ami
versary and bring together the garlands
| of spring blossoms and lay them upon
their lowly beds; to stand with fearful
eyes before their silent tents Of green; 10
rehearse the immortal story Of their val
or. their patriotism, their conservation
to duty. TO recent the marches they made,
the battles fouhht, the triumphs gained,
the death they died. They did not fight
/ for fame as in other wars of history. but
for their country; not for conquest but
for the preservation of the union. They
fought not for glory, but for the rights
of man. and that government of the peo-
pie. by the people. and for the people,
should not perish from the earth. Gap
plause.)
The best praise, the greatest reward
that can crown the deeds of your dead
friends. your own best monument is the
union itself The Incompatible glory Of
your unparalleled victory is that the men
You fought, brave ehivalrous. fiery south
erners are today as loyal and patriotic
/ defenders of the union, its flag. its con-
situations and its laws as those who met
them on the field of battle (Applause)
out Of the fires Of the war the union came
freer. frmer. nobler. grander and mighticr
than before. How blessed TO mingle the
magnolias of Texas with the evergreens
of Maine and the sunfowers of Kansas.
(Applause)
The most fitting way TO preserve the
memory Of your fallen comrades. our i'm
mortal dead is not only TO decorate their
graves, To speak th.ir praise, to embalm
their illustrous deeds in marble. music and
poetry. but 60 maintain the principles Tor
which they fought CApplausel This
means that we are 10 guard this nation
With eteraai vigilance. that we shall smite
! every Zoe NJ home or abroad. that trouble
the peace and permanency Of tins rcpub-
/ lie. tApplause)
"One Of the greatest elements Of our
real national greatness IS political inde-
pendence and the ability ana courage to
maintain that independence against al
corners a people who are not ready To
die for their freedom are not worthy OF
the liberty We enjoy.
What makes a great people2 II is the
good red blood. The brain. the heart ard
the manhood 81 its citizens A great IA
ton produces great men. In this respect
We are noJ ashamed to compare our rec
ord with an The world. Greece gave the
world Homer. Scion. Plato. Dsmosthenes
ard Alexander the Great, Rome gave the
world Horace. Scipio, Cicero. Caesar and
Consta ntin'e, ltaly gave Angelo. RahpaeI.
Columbus. Dante. Cavour and Car5baldi
France save Charles A5artel. joan ~
Arc. Richelieu. Is Fayette. Napoleon ana
Victor Huge; England save Alfrea the
Great. Cromwell Shakespeare. DlsraeH
America gave Georse Washington. JcT-
erson. Hamilton. Grant. Lee. Mckinley
and Roosevelt But above them all Is
man who came nor from high rank. bur
from She courion psoale. He was a boat
man on the river. and ral splitter lie