Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1904-06-06


was that made on the Gettysburg bat
uefeId by President Roosevelt yester-
Eav. In opening he observed that the
place where We now are has won a
double distinction Here was fought
one of the great battles OF az time, and
here was spoken one Of the few
speeches which shall last through the
ages. As long as this republic en-
Eures or its history Is known, so long
shall the memory Of the battle OF
Gettysburg likewise endure and be
Known; and as long as the English
tongue Is understood. SO long shall
Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg speech
thrill the hearts Of mankind. CCntinu-
ing the president said:
The civil war was a great war for
rI.hteousuess. a war waged for the
uoblest ideals. hut waged also in
acknowledging. practical fashion. IL
was enc Of the few wars when mean,
in their successful outcome. q l!ft to-
ward better things fOr tie nations or
mankind. Some wars have meant the
triumph Of order over anarchy and
RIGHTEOUSNESS masqueradsng as lib
e-ty. some wars have meant the
triumph OF liberty o-cr tyranny mas
cusrading as order; bat this victorious
war OF ours meant the triumph Of both
liberty and order. the triumph Of or
DERBY liberty. the best0wal Of civil
rights upon the freed slaves. and at the
same time the stern insissence on the
supremacy OF the national law through
out the length and breadth Of the land.
Moreover. this was enc OF those rare
contests in which IL was TO the i'm
measurable interest of the vanQuished
that they should lose, while at the
same time the victOrs acquired the
precious privilege Of transmitting to
those who came after them, as a heri-
tage OF homer forever. not only the
memory Of their own valiant deeds, but
the memory Of the deeds Of those who,
no less valiantly and with equal sin
cerity Of purpose. fought against the
stars in their courses. The war left 10
rs an. as fellOw-COuntrymen. as broth
srs. the right 10 rejoice that the union
has been restored IN indestructible
shape in a country where slavery no
longer mocks the boast OF freedom,
and also the right TO rejoice with
eXuItaut 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.
lie is but a poor American who,
looking at this field, does not feel
within himself a deeper reverence for
the nations past and a higher purpose
60 make the nations future rise level
To her past Here fought the chosen
sons Of the north and the south. the
east aud the west The armies
which on this field coltended for the
mastery were veteran armies, hard
aued Ey long campaigning and desper-
ate fighting into such instruments OF
war as no other nation then possessed.
The severity OF the fighting Is attested
ty the prOpOrtiUnate loss-a loss un-
rivaIed in any battle OF similar size
since the close OF the NapOleOnic strug-
giles. a less which in certain regiments
was from three-fourths to fOur-fifths OF
the men engaged. Every spot on this
field has its own associations Of sol
tierly duty nObly done, Of supreme
seIEsacrI6ce freely rendered. The
names Of the chiefs who served in the
two armies form q long honor roll; and
the enlisted men were worthy, and
even more than worthy. Ct those who
Ted them. Every acre of this ground
has it's own associations. We see
where the fight Numbered through and
around the village of Gettysburg;
where the artillery formed on the
ridges. where the cavalry fought:
where the hills were attacked and de-
tended; and where. finally. the great
charge surEet ur the slope only 10
break ON tine summit in the bloody
--~ry of gallant failure.
.Eut the soldiers who won at Gettys-
rrr-. the soldiers who fought 20 a
finish the civil war and thereby made
+rrfr c1ru-ryuCu forever their debtors.
have left MS far more even than the
memories 81 the war itself. They
Fought for four years in order that on
This continent those who came after
Them. their children and their chill
Eren's children. might enjoy lasting
peace. They took arms not 10 de-
stroy. but 10 save liberty; not to over
throw. but 70 establish the supremacy
rg the law. The crisis which they faced
was 20 determine whether or not this
rerr'e was ~ for self-government and
therefore CO for liberty. Freedom is
not q gift which can be enjoyed save
PSI those who show themselves worthy
nc 60. In this world no privilege can
be permanently appropriated by men
who have not the POWER and the viii
successfully 90 assume the responsible
ity 81 using IL Alright In his recent
admirable little volume on freedom
and responsibility in democratic gov
eminent. President Hadley Of Yale has