Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1904-06-01

the name of the mess mate who
shared the last crust and the last sup,
until his lite went out in the frenzy
of q raging fever is burned indelibly
upon the soldiers heart. They recall
the frail, young recruit who wearied
on the march and sunk down by the
way side, never again to join the CON-
mand. They have listened to the fatal
roll-call when the fight was over, and
name after name went wandering
down the line with never a response
save the echo of the sergeant's voice,
family responding for those whose
voices were forever stilled. Since the
dawn of peace at intervals of ever in
creasing frequency they have fallen
again into line to pay their last tri-
butte of love and render the last mill
tary honors by the side of the open
grave of an old comrade. They have
seen that army in the day of it's might
and have watched the thinning of its
ranks and understand.
| Veterans of the army of the Union,
I salute you.
On behalf of the younger generation.
whose span Of life runs not back to
the epic days when you trod the fiery
furnace, hail you as men whose his
tory commands our willing praise and
whose memory grateful nation will
ever cherish.
Though old and gray many of you
with little thought of the future save
to listen for the bugle call that will
sound q welcome summons to that
radiant cncampment on the other shore
from whence there shall be no muster
out. point you out to this assembled
audience as fragmentary units of the
grandest military organization that
has stood forth in the worlds mighty
tournament to challenge recognition
from the unborn ages.
Those words, the strongest that l
can summon to my tongue, are not
spoken as an empty complement be-
fitting this occasion, or as all express
sion of extravagant praise, but are the
we'll considered. deliberate statement
of one who is satisfied that his words
go down just as uttered and who holds
himself ready to Justify them before
whomsoever disputes.
/ believe the impartial student of
the great deeds of history, though he
live a thousand years in the future.
will place the same estimate upon the
Union soldier. / find my justifica.
tiOn for this assertion In an analysis
of his character and the records of his
deeds.
The name of an American soldier
alone is title to distinction. even in
recounting ths merits of the greatest
fighters of the world. The American
soldier has never set his foot or raised
his flag upon spot of ground that has
not prospered beneath that foot print
and been blest by the shadow of that
flag. I call upon the impartial pages
of truthful history to verify this state
ment. and challenge it for contradi-
ction in single instance.
At home or abroad: midst frozen
wastes and snow capped mountains,
or the parched desolatiOn of torrid
plains; in those islands that bejewel
ths waters of our southern shores. and
those other islands SO far away in un-
known seas that fancy outruns the set.
ting sun and greets it again as the up
rising messenger of new day on the
other side of the world no matter
whether on mission of peaceful occu-
patton. or with the iron hand of hos
tile invasion. it has ever been his pri-
vilege to have bettered every land
that welcomed him to its shores or
yielded to his valor.
Even the high seas, whose restless
billows dash in tie abandonment of
freedom from pole to pole was the
pathway Of the pirate and free -booter
until American arms banished them
from it's bosom forever.
From the green at Lexington, where
luid
his life, to the block house on the
crest of San Juan hill. where he stood
triumphant in the blistering flame of
torrid sun. there has never been o
day-no not single hour.-when the
honest American need blush for
the conduct of tide American soldier,
and no honor has ever come to me.
and none can ever come SO highly
priced as that in an humble capacity
my name has been enrolled on the vol
unteer roster of my country and my
discharge certifies to the honesty and
faithfulness of that service.
To the revolutionary fathers belong
the honor of striking from the western
world the CALLING fetters that bound
her children to the chariot wheels Of
despotism across the sea, and the ven-
turing of their honor and their lives
in an unequal conflict that resulted in
the establishment of this great repub-
lie of ours, the clock of whose pro-
gress has struck the hours of the
worlds advancement for hundred
years and the torch of whose civil
freedom has lighted the watch fires of
liberty around the GLOBE and to the
Union soldier belongs the honor of
sustaining that republic through an
ordeal of fire and blood, such as no
nation ever suvived before. and of
crushing out the deadly evil that had
cursed the nation from its infancy
and Knocked it's boasted freedom.
Like every other American soldier.
the soldier of the Rebellion battled
for the honor of his flag and the cause
of his country. and he did more. His
cause was the cause Of race, down
trodden, dishonOred and accursed of
all men since the earth was parceled
to the sons of the patriarch-a race
that in the land of freedom bowed SUBJ
missive to the lash and graveled in the
dust at the spurning feet of tyrant
master rs and clanked heavily in chains