Evening journal., 1904-05-31
MEMORY OF DEAD
HEROES HONORED
President Roosevelt Speaks on
Gettysburg Battlefield.
LESSONS OF THE GREAT CONFLICT

Military-e. A. r. Commander Black
In Washington.
Gettysburg. Pa. May 81. - Amid
clouds of white dust President Roose-
velt drove over Gettysburg battlefield.
and later he spoke in a driving rain
storm TO several thousand persons in
the National cemetery. The little town
was overrun with visitors, most of
them veterans OF the battle Of Gettys-
burg, with their families.
No president had spoken at Gettys-
burg since Abraham Lincoln in 1863
gazed over the field yet Scared by the
fight and concluded historic address
with government for the people. by
the people and Of the people shall not
perish from the earth"
President Roosevclts address at the
memorial exercises was in part as fol
lows:
The place where we now are has won
| double distinction. Here was fought
one Of the great battles OF all time, and
4 here was spoken one Of the speeches
I which shall last through the ages. AS
long as the republic endures or its his
tory is known, so long shall the memory
OF the battle OF Gettysburg likewise en-
dure and be known, and SO long as the
English tongue Is understood so long
shall Abraham Iincolns Gettysburg
speech thrill the hearts OF mankind.
The civil war was a great war for
Righteousness. war waged for the no.
blest ideals. but waged also In thorough
going. practical fashion. II was one OF
the few wars which mean. in their sue
eessful outcome. a lift toward better things
for the nations Of mankind. Some wars
have meant the triumph Of order over
anarchy and lcentiousness masQuerading
as liberty. some wars have meant the
triumph OF liberty over tyranny masquer-
aiding as order but this victorious war Of
ours meant the triumph OF both liberty
and order. the triumph Of orderly liberty.
the bestowal Of civil rights upon the freed
slaves, and az the same time the stern
inaistence on the supremacy OF the ma
tional law throughout the length and
breadth Of the land. Moreover this was
one Of those rare contests In which Il was
10 the iugncasurable interest OF the van
quished that they should lose. while at
the same time the Victors acquired the
precious privilege Of transmitting 10 those
who came after them. as a heritage OF
honor forever. not only the memory Of
their own valiant deeds. but the memory
OF the deeds Of those who. no less valiant
" and with equal sincerity Of purpose,
fought against the stars In their courses
( The war left TO us all. as fellow country.
men, as brothers. the right to rejoice that
the Union has been restored In indestruc-
tihle shape in a country where slavery no
longer mocks the boast of freedom, and
also the right 20 rejoice with exultant
, pride I'm the courage. the self sacrifice
and the devotion alike OF the men who
wore the blue and the men who wore the
gray. a
A Battle UnrivalIed.
He Is but a poor American who. look
ing a this field. does not feel within him
self deeper reverence for the nation :
past and a higher purpose 70 make the
nations future rise level TO her past. Here
fought the chosen sons of the north and
the south, the east and the west. The
armies which on this field contended for
; the mastery were veteran armies. hard
ened by long campaigning and desperate
fighting into such instruments OF war as
no other nation then possessed. The Sc
I verify of the lighting is attested by the
! propOrtionate loss-a loss unrlvaled IN any
battle Of similar size since the close OF the
Napoleonic struggles a loss which In
I certain regiments was from three-fourths
to four-hfths Of the men engaged. Every
spot on this field has its own associations
Of soldierly duty nobly done. OF supreme
self sacrifice freely rendered.
D But the soldiers who won at Gettys-
the civil war and thereby made their
5 countrymen forever their debtors. have
I left us far more even than the memories
. Of the war itself. They fought for four
years in order that on this continent those
T. who came after them. their children and
D their chidrens children. might enjoy a
lasting peace. They took arms not to de-
stroy but to save liberty; not to over
throw. but 20 establish the supremacy Of
the law. The crisis which they faced was
e we're iit for self government and therefore
a ft for liberty.
The lessons they taught ms are lessons
y as applicable Ia our everyday lives now
Y as IN the rare times OF great stress The
men who made this field forever memo
q rable did so because they combined the
( power Of fealty TO a lofty ideal with the
l. power OF showing that fealty IN hard,
J. practical common sense fashion. They
stood for the life OF effort. not the life OF
ease. They had that love OF country.
that love OF Justice that love Of their
( fellow men. without which power and
4 resourceful efficiency but make a man a
danger 10 his fellows Yet. in addition
thereto, they likewise possessed the power
and the efficiency. for otherwise their
high purpose would have been barren OF
I result.
Our Duty to the Soldier.
II was because you men Of the civil war
~ and how TO defend It at need that We
and our children and our childrens chill
dren shall hold you IN honor forever
e Here. on Memorial day. on this great
r. battlefield, we commemorate not only tho
@ chiefs who actually won this battle; not
r only Meade and mis- lieutenants. Han
cock and Reynolds and Howard and
Siclles and the many others whose names
u flame In our annals. but also the chiefs
S who had made the Army Of the Potomac
= what IL was and those who afterward led
- II in the campaigns which were crowned
q at Appomattox and Furthermore those
who made and used its sister armies-Mc-
Clellan. with his extraordinary genius FOR
3 organization: Rosecrans. Buell., Thomas
n the unyieldinR the steadfast and that
r great trio. Sherman. Sheridan. and last
g and greatest OF all. Grant himself. the
q silent soldier whose hammerlike blows
. / finally beat down even the prowess OF the
" men who fought against him. Above all
e we meet here to pay homage 10 the ON.
s GERS and enlisted men who served and
- fought and died without having as their
q chiefs had. the chance TO write their
= names on the tablets Of fame: to the mer
!, who marched and fought in the ranks
l. who were buried in long trenches on the
e field OF battle, who died In cots marked
n only by Plumbers in the hospitals: who n
they lived. when the war was over weni
g back each to their tasks on the farm or ir
4 the town. 10 do their duty In peace as they
!, had done II in war; TO take up the thread,
: OF their working life where they had drop
ped them when the trumpets OF the natlor
pealed to arms. Today all over this land
= our people meet to pay reverent homage