Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1904-06-02

QueHl ADDRESS llSleneu TO Dy thousands
was that made on the Gettysburg bat.
tlefeld by President Roosevelt yester-
day. 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 all time, and
here was spoken one of the few
speeches which shall last through the
ages. AS long as this republic en-
dures 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 Continu-
ing the president said:
The civil war was a great war for
righteousness: a war waged for the
noblest ideals, but waged also in
thoroughgoing, practical fashion. 1t
was enc of the few wars which mean,
in their successful outcome, lift to-
ward better things for the nations OF
mankind Some wars have meant the
triumph of order over anarchy and
RIGHTEOUSNESS masquerading as lib
erty: some wars have meant the
triumph OF liberty OvcI tyranny mas
Querading as order; Nut this victorious
war OF ours meant the triumph of both
liberty and order, the triumph of or
derby liberty, the bestowal of civil
rights upon the freed slaves, and at the
same time the stern insistence 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 it vas 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 honor 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 to
us all, as Acknowledged, as BROTH
ers, the right to 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
eXultant pride in 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
to 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 We're veteran armies, hard
ened by long campaigning and desper.
ate fighting into such instruments OF
war as no other nation then possessed.
The severity of the fighting is attested
bv the pr0portionate loss-a loss I'M
riyaled in any battle Of similar size
since the close of the Napoleonic strug.
giles: loss which in certain regiments
was from three-fourths to four-ffths of
the men engaged. Every spot on this
field has its own associations of SOL
dierly duty MOLLY done Of supreme
self-sacrifce freely rendered. The
names Of the chiefs who served in the
two armies form long honor roll; and
the enlisted men were worthy, and
even more than worthy Of those who
Ted them Every acre Of this ground
has its own associations. We see
whore the fight Numbered through and
around the village of Gettysburg;
whore the artillery formed on the
ridges; where the cavalry fought:
where the hills were attacked and de-
Tended and where. finally. the great
charge surged up the slope only to
break on the summit in the bloody
spray of gallant failure.
But the soldiers who won at Gettys-
burg. the soldiers who fought to a
finish the civil war and thereby made
their countrymen forever their debtors
have left Us 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.
dren's children, might enjoy lasting
neace They took arms moi to de-
stroy. but To save liberty not to over
brow. hut to establish the supremacy
Of the lan Tire crisis which they faced
was 70 determine whether or rot this
neople vas ft for self-government and
therefore f for liberty Freedom IS
nor a gltt which can be enjoyed save
by those who show themselves worthy
OF II In this world 10 privilege can
be permanently appropriated b. men
who have not the power and the Will
successfully to assume the responsible
itr 81 using ii Alright In hts recent
admirable little volume On freedom
and responsibility In democratic GOV
eminent President HadIey Of Yale has