Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-06-09

the union sky. You know the sequel.
There were alternate hopes and fears.
One day there was unbounded joy and
another day grief and shame. Now
the blue receded before the angry
roar and the impact of the advancing
pillows Of gray. Again tidal wave
of blue swept onward with resistless
energy. The first year of the war
was one OF disaster for the north. Re
bellion, assisted from beyond the At
lanttc ocean, waxed strong and felt
confidence born of success. Seven
TYNE thousand volunteers could not
strangle it and hence q second call
was issued for more defenders of the
union Three hundred thousand came
forward but another and another call
We're needed and were needed. The
farmer left his fields, the mechanic his
bench, the tradesman his shop, the
student his books, the advocate his
briefs and all fastened to the tented
field. But who could mould such a
discordant mass or teach them the
art OF war? Opposed to each other in
politics, different in race, a very babel
in language and hostile in religion,
who could anneal them and then trans
figure them into martial hosts? Ali
with them soldering was not to be a
trade. They had volunteered to de-
fcnd homes not merely to receive
hire. Love of family, home, country,
and God brought unity out of diversi-
ty, order out OF confusion and hero
ism out of weakness. With hurried
adieu these lion-hearted men went
to meet the enemy.
Appomattox at the Close of the War
Soon the blighting breath of war
devastated the south and flooded her
fields with human blood. Then she re-
solved to transfer the struggle to north
ern soil. Led by Robert Lee her sol
diers swept onward like an avalanche
down the Shenandoah valley, across
the Potomac, past elason's and DiXon's
line and into the old state of VIM.
Penn. At Gettysburg a decisive blow
was to be delivered, with the nope and
prospect that the north would then
sue for peace. The blow was deliver
ed by the men of the north and it was
the death stroke OF the confederacy.
How the people o. the north celebra.
ed the Fourth of July 1861 Vicksburg
was in the hands of General Grant.
while Generals Meade and Hancock
were masters of Gettysburg, Then the
tide of victory swept south and seces,
sion was killed at Appomattox. Yes,
rebellion died there, but how many
brave men died tnat secession and re-
bellion might die, How many gave
life that the union might continue to
liye How many homes throughout
this land We're made desolate thenl
How many little cottages beyond the
Atlantic ocean moHrned their exiled
sons who died for the cause of human
freedom in the United States of Ameri-
ca. How many German sons of the
fatherland gave life here for the union
cause! Who can tell? But we can
su1mise when we know that 100, 900 of
the brave sons of dear old little Ire
land died in the war of the great rebel.
lion. O, think of the ocean of tears
shed for the fallen and of the broken
hearts and ruined homes caused by
that dreadful conflict.
A Home of Human Freedom
Above all, let us today and every
day renew our love and our prayers
for those who died to preserve our
country. Let rs ask God to adorn
their white souls in heaven while we
decorate their graves with garlands of
flowers. When these men died slavery
died with them, and our republic be-
came what God had designed her to
be really and indeed the land of the
free. The philosopher Of history sees
in this the browning act of Gods proyi-
denee in shaping the destinies of this
republic. This America of ours was
TO be the permanent home of real hui
man freedom. There is a tradition
that, when the Savior of the world
was dying on the cross his face was
to the west 1t would seem that he
had turned his back on the corruption,
oppression, intellectual blindness and
slavery that We're enthroned in the be-
nighted east and was looking far for
ward to the superior civilization that
would yet find a permanent home in
the west and would spread out thence
to re-enlighten and illumine all the
world.
Spread of Corruption.
History tells US that corruption over
flowed from the east and came on surg
ing about the holy city, Jerusalem.
Truth and sanctity and Christian civ
ili2ation We're forced back, first, to
Ephesus, next to Constantinople, then
to Rome and (must we say it, lastly
to America. Freedom seems to be dead
or dying in Europe. Here man is
real king and every home is kingdom
of liberty Here states and people,
e Pluribus Unlim, have created a
nation to which liberty, both civil and
religious, grayitates because here is
it's habitat o, may our beloved country
become and ever be the permanent cita-
del and center from which true free
dom shall continue to radiate and TO
refresh and elevate all the children of
men everywhere, till time shall be no.
more. And hereafter when the sons of
Japhet shall have taken possession of
the tents of Shem when the folds of
our nag shall have enshrouded the
white man, the black man and the man
OF every hue and color and when the.
spirit and life of the great American
republic shall have infused themselves
into every form of human government
all the world over, o, then may the
members OF the q. A, r., looking down.
from their places in the triumphant ar.
my Of God in heaven, cry out to this
% zzsssss--sazsszss;zxzEsszssEss-zzgs> 1sA
x