Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1903-06-03
nut by those of their own flesh and


certainly owe our gratitude and our
homage. We owe those who went
forth to war comfortable and happy
old age. May we not grudgingly give
forth the $40, 900, 600 a year in pen
sions. May we gladly see the old
soldiers cared for in their reclining
years. If they cannot spend their last
days among their friends and kin,
may they be bountifully cared for in
our National and State homes. We
should in every manner possible show
our appreciation of their patriotic
deeds while they are yet with us.
The time came in the Spanish Ameri-
can war to test the validity of the
work accomplished in the rebellion.
country at heart? Will the Ameri-
can people stand for principle? 1t
took a war that lasted only one-hun-
dred days TO dispel all doubt as to our
unity, our motives and our patriotism.
War is always the crisis that flashes
the search light into the soul of men
and nations, revealing their unknown
strength and weakness, and the
changes that have been silently
wrought in the years of peace. The
world said our nation lacked unity.
The President called for 125, 1000 men
to serve their country's flag and tine
next morning 800, 900 men were strug-
CLING for places in the ranks. Roman
Catholic and Protestant alike strove
for the nations honor; the flag has
become the common symbol of eternal
Justice; the millionaire's son fought
beside the working-man' son in the
endeavor to free Cuba and wipe out
SPANS power from the Western Henri
sphere The first soldier wearing our
uniform who fell before Santiago with
Spanish bullet in his breast was the
only son from palatial home in New
York, and by his side lay cowboy
from the West and plowboy from
the South. Once more we showed the
world that classes and clothes are but
thin disguises that hide the true
American spirit McKinley's call for
troops was the trumpet sound that
put the South to the test of fire and
blood. Although the Union was saved
| by sacrifice of blood that appalled,
the world, still millions feared that
tie South might be false to her
plighted honor at Appamatox. The
world soon awoke to find for the first
time in our history the cream of
union living fact. There was no
| Noth-no ,South-but from the James
in Virginia to the Rio Grande the
children of the confederacy rushed
with eager. flushed faces to defend the
| flag their fathers had once fought. In
this Spanish war, God reserved for the
South, the land of ashes, tombs and
tears the pain and the glory Of the
| first offering of life. Our first and
only officer who fell dead on the deck
of warship was Worth Bagley of
California, the son of a Confederate
soldier. The gallant youngster who
blew up the Merrimac and set new
standard of Anglo Saxon bravery, was
the son of Southern confederate.
Friends, the cementing of blood and
war was hard and durable. America,
united at last and invincible, awoke
to the consciousness of her resistless
power.
Veterans you have come to us from
former generate On. Your lives have
been bounteously spared us that you
might behold these joyous days of a
reunited country. You now hear no
roar of hostile cannon, you resist no
lhpCtuOuS CiIdl &c Ou bdNt Wit-
messed the ground strewed with the
dead and dying; the advance and
repulse, the barring of a thousand
bosoms to whatever terror there may
be in war and death all these you
have witnessed, but you witness them
no more. All is peace, and God has
given you the privilege of seeing this
country's happiness ere you slumber
in the grave. He has allowed you to
behold and partake of the reward of
your patriotic tolls and he has al
lowed us your sons and countrymen to
meet you on this day and in the name
of the present generation, in the name
of your country to thank you. But
you are not all here. Time and the
sword have thinned your ranks. You
are remnant of many well-fought
battlefield. You bring with you hor-
rors from Shiloh, Antietam, Getys-
burg and the Wilderness.
Veterans. in your youthful days
your hopes never reached onward to a
time like this. You did not forsee
such time of national prosperity. in
which you are met to enjoy the fell
lowship of old soldiers and receive
the overfowings of universal graft
tude. May the Father of all Mercies
smile upon your declining years and
bless them. You are now able to look
abroad over happy united country
without the blemish of slavery. You
have within q few years seen your
sons stand shoulder 10 shoulder with
sons of your former enemies in war
to release Cuba from oppression and
distress. You have seen them carry
that war to successful issue and you
now look forth upon bright and
glorious future. We of the younger
generation are proud of being des-
cended from men who have set the
world an example of founding institu-
tions based upon human freedom. May
we meet the future problems of our
country as mantully. courageously
and successfully as you have.
The exercises closed with another
selection by the quartette and the
benediction by Rev. McVettie, after
which a delegation from the Sons of
Veterans visited the different ceme-
teries and decorated the graves of the
soldiers, and the members Of the Post
and Relief Corps enjoyed a dinner
served by the latter in the Post rooms.