Daily Kennebec journal., 1904-05-30

to bless her waning years. But whether
it comes thus closely to us or not. it
should have a chastened meaning and
a solemn interest for us all. 1t is the
Sabbath of Patriotism. it is the monu-
ment of brave deels and heroic CAM
paigns, it is a perpetual reminder OF
one of the worlds greatest wars. Per-
haps l can best express the sentiments
l may desire to voice, tonight, by d.
filming in what respect the War of the
Rebellion was one of the worlds great
est wars.
1t was great in the type of it's SOL
diery. OF all the soldiers the world
has ever seen the citizen soldiers OF
the COS stands without a peer. For
heroic deeds and noble achievement,
for brilliant move and daring endeavor,
no contest in history surpasses the war
they waged. This war differed vastly
from the wars of antiquity In this
war there was no Philip of Macedon
riding rough shod over weaker states;
no Alexander the Great setting up his
world wide sway in spite of warning
tribes. War then meant Sterner stuff.
When Sherman and Johnston met;
when Sheridan and StOnewall jackson
rode in from North and South; when
Grant and Lee stood face to face, then
Greek met Greek. That was to be nc
easy conquest of rebelliOus provinces
as of Caesar in Gaul with trained Ro-
man leEions at his back against an un-
disciplined foe: that was to be no re-
cOnquering of dilapidated empire as TO
hlr ono in, tai If
leonic campaign against ruptured king
doms and wrangling empires, but it
was a time when war meant that fge-
mon sturdy should meet foemen sturdy,
Il time when war meant terrible havoc
and awful carnage. War then meant
more than Marathon, Syracuse, Arbela,
Chalons or Hastings: it meant Shilon,
South Mountain, ChancellOrsvillc, Get
tysburg, Cold Harbor, Cedar Creek,
Nicksburg. A single battle in that list
has made the little town of Gcttys-
burg forever famous in the annals of
history. Perhaps, all things considered,
that was the greatest battle ever
fought, certainly the most momcntOus
in its results of any in history. That
was the ficrccst cannonading the West
tiH WI III Iltl cNtl iC ttti 'ii
tremhlcd under the awful jar and
pound of 800 guns. Suddenly during
that tempest of war the Confederate
fire ceased and over Seminary Ridge
and across the mile vide plain thun-
dered Pickctt's awful charge, 1900
picked veterans. the pride of the South,
drawn up in three lines, one behind the
other, moving resolutcly and with grili
determination to shattcr the pride and
power of the North. l needn't tell
you what happened. They were given
a warm reception, they never doubted
but you had been looking for them.
They We're met by such as the superb
Hancock and his loyal men, the faithful
Howard and his heroes true, the daunt-
less Sickles and his sturdy troops, the
Maine boys with their blood well up.
Maine has many an heroic name on
that battlefield. Our State will ever
be proud of the part some of yoi:
played there that day. Pickett carried
back with him only 1000 men and the
doom of the Confedcracy was sealed,
the backbone of the rebellion WAS
broken, soon Il great Northern leader
was to demand the surrender of Rich>
mond. it was the turning of the tide.
1t was Il great war, full of great deeds.
crowned with great and lasting
achievements.
1t was great in it's resulting spirit Of
patriotism. A great dead never dies,
Il noble undertaking is never barren
nor unfruitful Hcroism has lasting
value for successive generations. Great
achievements are the seed of which
the future will reap a splendid harvest.
We are coming to see that at present
as we did not at one time. The spirit
of the veterans lives in the younger
generation. 1t will take many years -
uproot what the war so deeply planted
and what each Memorial day waters
and natures. Whatever there is of
freedom and of peace, of plenty and of
hope in our country. today, was Sc
cured to us by the efforts and sacri-
fees of these men, directly and inli-
rectly we owe all we have to them. The
spirit Of patriotism that marks our
citizenship with its characteristic dis
tincion is but the fruitage of the Civil
War and its glorious deeds. We have
seen this Illustrated once in recent
years. The men who offered themselves
so freely in the Spanish war caught
their inspiration from the men who
gave their lives a ransom in the Civil
war. We look toward Manila and SAN
tiago and say that it was not superior
guns but superior men that won those
noted battles. True, but how came we
by the men? Superior men stood be-
hind the guns because animated ana
stirred by great and noble examples of
living past. Manila and Santiago
were not the results of a day, but were
the fruitage of such deeds as brave Old
Farragut at Mobile Bay and Capt.
Winslow on the deck of the Kcarsarge.
With such history, we could not well
have smaller victories than those at
Philippine and Cuban harbors.
1t was great because a holy war.
The Lord OF Hosts led Israel of old, we
are told. through many IA conflict to
many a notable victory. But the hand
of God never was moro manifest in
Israers history than in our own. The
age of Lincoln was hardly less provi-
Dental than the age of Moses You
fought for holy cause. you fought for
the triumph of n Divine principle.