The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1903-09-17
TIE BATTLE OF ANTIETAM.
Continued from Page One.)

make good By our deeds the deeds
which you who wore the blue did in
the great years from 81 10 '65. The
patriotism, the courage; the unfiincn-
ing resolution and steadfast endur-
ance Of the soldiers whose triumph
was crowned at AppOmatoy must be
supplemented On Cur part by civic
courage. civic honesty, cool sanity,
ard steadfast adherence to the immu-
table avs Of Righteousness. You left
as a reunited country; reunited in
fac1 as we'll as in name. You left us
the right Of brotherhood with your
gallant foes who wore the gray; the
right to feel pride in their courage
and their high fealty TO an ideal, even
though they warred against the stars
in their courses. You left us also the
most splendid example Of what broth
erhCOd really means; for in your ca
reeTs you showed in practical fashion
that the only safety in our American
life lies III spurning the accidental
distinctions which sunder one man
from another, and in paying homage
to each man only because Of what he
essentially is; in stripping off the
husks Of occupation, Of position, OF
accident, until the soul stands forth
revealed, and we know the man only
because of his worth as a man.
There was no patent device for Sc
curing victory by force Of arms forty
vice for securing victory for
the forces of righteousness in civil life
now. In each case the all-impOrtant
factor was and is the character Of
the individual man. Good laws in the
state, like a good organization in an
army, are the expressions Of national
character Leaders will be developed
in military and in civil life alike: and
weapons and tactics change; but the
fundamental qualities which make for
good citizenship do not change any
more than the fundamental qualities
which make good soldiers. In the
long run in the civil war the thing
that counted for more than aught else
was the fact that the average AmeTi
can had the fighting edge; had within
him the spirit which spurred him on
through toll and danger fatigue and
hardship. to the goal Of the splendid
ultimate triumph. So in achieving
good government the fundamental
factor must be the character Of the
average citizens power Of hatred for
what is mean and base and unlovely;
his fearless scOrn Of cOWardice and
his determination to war unyieldingly
against the dark and sordid forces Of
evil.
The Continental troops who follow
ed Washington were clad in blue and
buff. and were armed with clumsy,
fintl0ck muskets. You. who followed
Grant, wore the famous old blue uni
form, and your weapons had changed
as had your unifOrm; and now the
men Of the American army who up
hold the honor OF the flag in the far
tTOplc lands are yet inherently armed
and differently clad and differently
trained; but the spirit that has driven
you all to victory has remained for
ever unchanged. So it is in civil life
As you did not win in month or a
year, but only after long years OF
hard and dangerous work, so the fight
fo,, Governmental honesty and pfficiOn-
cv can he won only by the display OF
similar resolution and power OF endu
rance. We need the same type Of
character now that was needed by the
men who with Washington first inaug-
urated the system Of free poDular|
government, the system Of combined
liberty and order here on this CONT
ent: that was needed by the men who