The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1903-05-26

ms 'AN tRff"A w N'"AA'A 80 NtA" A"t'"
tions OF political life and perpenate
itsei Such a government has moral
bein and accountability and answers
befcs the Supreme Judge Of the uni
yer. for the deeds done in the body
poll c.
Sch a government is realized in the
irigh Of the people. and proclaims the
liberty Of law and the freedom Of ord
er. and the peace Of right to the cap
tives of anarchy and chaos. tyranny
and despotism.
The nation has had three antagon-
lists in history; the anarchy OF Babel;
the despotism Of Babylon. and the CON
federacy Of the later Greek states,
whore the cruel rivalries and Jealous.
les of the Thebau fthenian, Mace
donian and Spartan states crushed the
organic life Of the people, and destroy
ed the best and grandest Of the ancient
civilizations
Through the long cycles Of time the
battle between the nation and these
three antagonists wore on shifting its
+ scene from the old world to the new,
eliminating in the memorable con-
fiict of go to 65. when the nation crap
pied with its adversary, the confeder-
acy, in a struggle for its life-a strug-
gle never to be forgotten by men.
Anarchy. tyranny and despotism as
forms OF government had been driven
out of the camp of civilization The
last enemy to assail the divine order
of government was the Greek idea of
the confederacy and the wilderness,
the nation rose triumphant, establish
ing, we lust forever. the best form of
civil government
The nations battles are not over.
other antagonists will assert them
selves; other enemies will seek her
ln1e. But God relgns and the govern
ment at Washington still lives" In
the victories of the past there is en-
couragement for the future.
So we join again in the chorus OF
the angels. GLORY to God in the high
est" for the American republic, "a
government OF the people, for the peo-
pie and by the people,
In the midst of the grandeur OF the
scenes with which the 20th century
opens. there may be danger of our
overlooking these lessons OF the
past Hence this memorial service,
Lest me forget, let we forget"
We go back to the years of so and
PG5 We witness again the enlistment
OF the mightiest volunteer armies,
those OF the nation and OF the con-
federacy; armies that for intelligence
and yalor, outranked the inyincible
Ironsides of Cromwell. eclipsed the
glory of the Household troops Of
France. and gave the world a nobler
example of high enthusiasm than the
followers of the False Prophet.
We see the homes from which these
armies went homes where mothers
and wives, daughters and sisters, are
hiding their anguish with a laughter
that is sadder than tears, where wo-
men are praying with love that is
stronger than death. while they are
bidding farewell with smiling faces
and breaking hearts. We sweep along
the pathway OF those armies as their
measured tread shakes the earth be-
meath: on the march and in the camp,
in the hospital and in the prison pen.
We follow them again on those fam
GUS battle fields of Wilson creek and
Donaldson. Pittsburg landing and
lVicksburg. Fredericksburg, Antietam
land Charlottesville, Gettysburg, Stone
river and Chattanooga, of Atlanta and
the Wilderness, We see the torn, rent
battle flags. We hear the rumble Of
their artillery and the stamping OF
their cavalry. We see them again in
all their glory, the most magnificent
armies that have inscribed their vic
tories in the anals Of fame.
Then we turn from these scenes OF
the Domp and glory Of war to those of
the present We see before us the
Grand Army Of the Republic. Its ban
ners stil borne aloft, but its tread no
longer the measured tramp of a discip-
lined host. but the weak. faltering
feeble step of age and infrmity the
step of men who lean on canes and
crutches, and walk on wooden limbs
We see before MS an army Of grey hair
ed forms, mingled with this army are
widows and orphans whose faces show
the strength and sadness Of the shad
ows OF the past.
Yet this army marches steadily on
! through the cities Of this land Of peace
on to the last camping place, ~tns
bivouac Of the dead"
Once, when the carnage OF battle
-