Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-05-31
MEMORIAL DAY.
Continued from Page seven.)

lHe 0IdIHe SdNdhy AssAS 49,
Of sustaining the greatest loss oI any
cavalry regiment and the ISL Ma"e
Heavy Artillery, the greatest u on" q
re,,imental organization IN any am VI
the service In the Union army. when
ever and wherever the roll Oh s'ae"
was called the old Pine Tree state all
swered Here"
have dwelt upon these idcls soilie-
what I'm detail, not for the purpose OF
bringing before you the norrors oi
war. but that we OF the present day
NAV not forget, amid all the material
struggles of the moment, tina there was
a time when the preservation OF the Re-
publfc was the one paramount issue,
when patrfotism was at the front, and
ce,f-sacrifice the duty of the hour, and
at the same time that we may not for
get that the men who preserved the
RepubIic. VINO showed this high spirit
Of patriotism and self-sacrifice, did not
belong to some mythical race or age,
but were the everyday citizens of our
State. When their work was done the
survivors came back to farm and shop
and Office, took up the labOrs Of peace
and proved to the world that as the in
teJligent citizens Of a free Republic be-
come the best citizens in time of war,
so the soldiers of a free Republic be-
come the best citizens i'm time of peace.
But they did this so mOdestly that we
have hardly realized that out next
door neighbors were the heroes of
scenes such as these we have de-
scribed. You and meet them upon the
street and the only badge of the old
no no Sivpnlp bronze
button in the coat. Yet they were d
part of that great army that preserved
the Union, kept the flag intact and de-
Ijyered a race from bondage.
Once il year. at least. this story may
well be told, LEST we forget. lest we
forget
The problems that confronted this
government at the close of the war
were almost as serious as at the be-
ginning Lincoln had said In MS ilrst
inaugural that a government could not
long exist half slave and half free.
With equal truth might 1t have been
stated at the close that government
could not prosper where either section
cherished 4 bitter hatred of the othcr.
Before the war we were Union III
name, after the war we were Union
nv force. The first great problem was
reconciliation. Do you wonder at the
feeling with which the South still re-
garded the North? Their homes had
been dcspoilcd, their slaves had been
freed their SONS had been sacrificed.
can YOU imagine IA more hopeless fu-
ture than confronted those Southern
soldiers as they struggled home poor.
,t,1 hiSha.lrtnneH
the surrender at AppOmatox: From
the very nature of things reconciia-
tion mist come slowly. Forty years
have hpl,cd, but a century VIII pe re-
o,Ijred before the last trace OF the olu
autaronisIn shall have disappeared.
The men who wore the gray have loSt
their hatred more thoroughly th;tu the
women who suffered at home, or the
children who have been taught the
story Of the war ut their 'mother
knees Tho average Southern man VIII
tell you today. that emancipation was
a blessing to the South, that an lnde-
Derd,nt government would have been
A mistake, and that their section mas
,rosnerod far more than it ever could
under the old regime, but he VIII not
admit that secession was WRONG anu
pcrhaus we ought not to ask H. Let
that question, which was settled at
priceless cost, sink out of sight and let
the task of rcuniting the Union go on.
Commercial enterprise has done
mucn 10 bring the two sections tpgetb-
or Northern capital has largely deVci-
o,ed Southern resources. and men VINO
are busy with prosperous enterprises
VNlt
have little time to dwell upon the pi'-
tcrncss Of half a century ago. Inc
wealth of the Confederate states, To-
day. far exceeds the resources OF the
entire I'hion In 1861, and the work 't
DEVELOPMENT is still going on. EVERY
railroad that Is constructed. every hl,iic
that is opened. and every mn mat Is
started by Northern capital Is hasteh-
ing the era of good feeling.
Your Grand Army of the Republic IS
contributing to this result. You know
that no Drawer men ever fought PC
Meath a flag than those of the SOUTH
and AS time has softcncd the asperitics
of tbe old DAVIS. and the ardor of youth
has given place to the mcllowncss OF
middle life you have been ready 10 ca
tend the hand of forgiveness.
Two weeks ago on tiic wv ~ II
of Bull Run the Society of the Army vi
the Potomac had. as invited guests, 'n'
Association Of Confederate Veterans
one week ago members OF the Grapd
Army united with a Confederate POST
In the city Of New York. IN the dccofa-
tion of Confederate graves. while "A
Union officer for the Iirst time was arc
tor of the day.
Today in the city of New York In re-
turn for such courtesy. 400 Confederates
have marched side by side with Gram
Post of the G.. A. r.. and together the
blue and the gray have covered with
flowers the tomb Of that silent leader
who rests, on the banks of the Hudson;
and nearer home still your comrades IN
Bangor have at this very moment as
their guest. Gen. Joseph Wheeler. a
rebel briyadicr. He has since shown
his reconciliation by wearing with dis
tinction the Union blue and we hope
that tomorroS we may be able to show
our appreciation of the work he Is do
ing by rendering him here the freedom
of our good city.
The mystic chords of memory arc
being touched by the better angels o.
ouf nature" and are now Swelling tho