Durango semi-weekly herald., 1904-06-02

fourtha to four.nfths Of the men en-
gagged Every spot on this field has
its own associations of soldierly duty
uObly done OF supreme grItsacridce
freely rendered. The names of the
chiefs who served In the Two armies
form long roll; and the enlisted
men we're worthy and even more than
worthy OF those who led them Ey-
cry acre OF this ground has It's own
associations. We see whore the fight
thundered through and around the vii
lagc of Gettysburg; where the artll.
lery formed on the ridges where the
cavalry fought; where the hills We're
attacked and defended; and where.
finally. the great charge surgcd up the
slope only TO break on the summit
In the bloody spray of gallant failure
But the soldiers who won at Get
tyshlrg. the soldiers who fought to
finish the clvil war and thereby
make their countrymen forever their
debtors have left us far more even
than the memories of the war itself
They fought for four years In order
that on this continent those who came
afler them. their children aud their
childreu's children. might enjoy a
lasting peace They took arms not
TO destroy hut to save liberty. no,
to overthrow. but to establish the su-
nrewacy OF the law. The crisis
which they faced was to determine
whether or not this people was lt for
selfgovernmont and therefore ht for
liberty. Freedom is not a gilt which
can be enjoyed save by those who
show themselves worthy of It, In
this world no privilege can be per
manently appropriated by men who
have not the power and the viii sue
cessfully to assume the responsibility
Of using It Alright In his recent ad-
mirabe little volume on freedom and
responsibility In democratic govern
ment, President Hadley of Yale has
pointed out that the freedom which
is worth anything Is tho freedom
which means se,lgovernment and not
anarchy Freedom thus conceived Is
a constructive force which enables an
intelligent and good man to do better
things than he could do without It.
which Is In It's essence the substitu-
tiOn Of self-restraint for external re
straint-the substitution of form
of restraint which promotes progress
for the form which retards 1t, This
is the right view of freedom. but it
can only be taken II there is full
recognition Of the close connection
between liberty and responsibility in
every domain of human thought. II
was essentially the view taken by Ah-
raham Lincoln, and by all who. when
the civil war broke out. realized that
in a selfgpvernlng democracy those
who desire to be considered it 10 en-
Joy liberty must show that they know
how to use it with moderation and jus
tice IN peace, and how to fight for
It when 1t IL jeoparded by malice do
nestle or foreign levy.
The lessons they taught us are les
sons as applicable in our everyday
lives now as In the rare times of great
Stress The men who made this field
forever memorable did 80 because
they combined the power Of fealty to
lofty Ideal with the power of show
Ing that feplty in hard, practical. com
mon-seuse 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 fel-
low-men. without which power and re
sourccfnl efficiency but make a man a
danger TO his fellows. Yet. in addi-
ton thereto they likewise possessed
the power and the efficiency; for 9th
erwise their high purpose would have
beon barren of result. They knew
each how to act for himself. and yet
zach how to act with his fellows.
They learned as all the generation OF
the clvll war learned, that rare in.
deed Is the chance to do anything
worth doing by one sudden and vio'
lent effort. The men who believed
that the clyll war would be ended in
90 days, the men who cried loudest
"On to Richmond" If they had the
right stun in them speedily learned
their error. and the war was actually
won by those who settled themselves
steadfastly down to- fight for three
years. or for as much longer as the
war might last. and who gradually
grew to understand that the triumph
would come not by a single brilliant
victory. but by hundred painful and
tedious campaigns. In the east and
the west the columns advanced and
recolled. swayed from side 20 side
and again advanced. along The coasts
the black ships stood endlessly of
and on before the hostile forts gen
erals and admirals emerged into tho
light. each to face his crowded houi
of success or failure. the men In
front fought; the men behind supplied
and pushed forward those In front;
and the final victory was due to the
deeds OF all who played their parts