The National tribune., 1903-06-04


western Confedericy, making q treaty Of
peace With the Southern GanfcdemeS end
permanently sunder the country into at
least three separate Governments. - t--
So sensitive :wers the money interests
Early appeared with his army in the out
skirts of Washington, and it seemed pos
sible that the rebellion would be q sue
cess, the greenback: dollar. the Govern
| ment's promissory nSte, sank to q valua-
ton Of but s35 cents! This showed the
opinion of the moHeyed men as to the
chances of the Nation being able to main
| tain its existence. TRey figured that there
| were two chances that it would not, to one
| that it would. This opinion was OF the
deepest importance to the whole country;
for the depreciation Of the greenback de-
preciated the value Of every share of rail
road and bank STOCK, every deposit in
| bank, every promiSBory note, every leg
acy and beQuest.
When, therefore, fie undaunted men of
| the Union army leaped over the breast.
works and drove back the confident reb-
els, following them up into the Shenan-
doah Valley to administer a crushing de-
feat at Winchester, the value of the green
back Immediately rose to 4S cents. The
| chances of the Government saving itself
| were then regarded as about even, and the
people of the country were billions Of dol
lars richer. This shows how readily senti-
ment is coined into money. -,,-s, be- ...5..
/ ACTUAL MONEY VALUE OF SENTIMENT.
The sentiment of patriotism, of courage,
OF intense determination on the part of
the men who bore the fortunes of the Un-
ion on their bright bayonets, coined bill
lions Of dollars for the mOneyed interests.
1t is therefore of pecuniary Importance, in
a purely business sense, that the fires of
patriotism be kept freely burning in the
bosoms of the people, and there is no
more effective way of doing this than by
every effort to enhance the Importance and
solemnity of Memorial Day, to make it as
deeply significant to the American people
as the Passover Feast to the Jews. 1t is
in the nature of on insurance to the peo-
pie, for all the wealth they have massed
up, and all the peace and unity they enjoy.
L have spoken at length of the material
value of the celebration, because there is
so much disposition on the part of the
eager money-getters to belittle the occa-
sion, even to sneer at it. Far too much
has been done in the way of converting it
into joyous holiday, and for fOrgetful-
ness of the stemer duties and responsible
ties of citizenship. 1t should be the most
sacred of Sabbaths. The Sabbath of
American patriotism.
The deeper hold we make Memorial
Day take upon the youth of the Nation
the greater security we give the money
getters for their possessions, and the surer
peace throughout life under his own vine
and fig tree. 4,t. 4. ...s.
War has been Justly denounced for its
r1easureless horrors and cruelties. Un-
doubtedly an unjust war is by far the
wickedest thing Of which men can be
guilty. Our war was as just rs the wrath
of God. 1t was the last dread means
taken by free people to support princi-
pies vital to their hearts and consciences.
When man feels so deeply for the
right that he is willing to offer his life in
its advancement he has reached a moral
hight unattainable in any other way. He
rises to spiritual stature impossible to
men whose lives are spent in the pursuit
of gain and the selfish development of
their own comfort.
A righteous war;, dictated and demand
ed by the hearts and consciences of great
free people, burns ont the rank weeds of
sordid selfshness, and puts the whole Ma
tional life on higher plane. 1t uplifts
mems souls and widens their horizons and
in this way the war of the rebellion
brought about our present greatness.
BUnDEp BETTER THAN WE KNEW.
While that war was a terrible burden
upon all engaged, yet it had its rich re-
wards. Every man came back home with
wider vision, loftier purposes and strong
er convictions. He saw farther and clear
er than men whose vision had not been
clarified by the lightning fash of battle.
Ralph Waldo Emerson, the greatest of
eSsFp goress Of the wonderful city
which sits throned upon her seven hills,
wrote:
"The hand that rounded Peters dome,
And groined the aisles of Christian Rome,
Wrought in sad sincerity :
Himself from God he could not free.
The conscious stone to beauty grew.
He builded better than he knew" s
Infinitely more is this applicable to the
work of the veterans of the Union army.
None of us in those dark, forebOding days
could have had the slightest conception of
the present glory and greatness of our
country. We could not see it even dimly, as
through glass. We only felt that we were
obeying the call to do Gods work, and
we each wrought with sad sincerity at
that which lay nearest our hands.
God has been very good to those of us
who are alive to-day, in that He has
shown us this much of the splendid fru-
ition of the work which we did years ago
amid the awful thunders Of battle, and
the march for four long years under the
darkest shadows of the Valley of Death.
Then, though thousands fell on our left
hand, and tens of thousands on our right,
we made firm and secure the fabric of
Nation where Humanity shall rejoice in
Freedom. Justice, Equality and Righteous
ness until .s @
The Stars grow old,
The Sun grows cold,
Ard tho Iany nf tho Ind pon1. |
unfold.