Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1905-05-31
HONOR TO THE
SOLDIER DEAD
Continued from first page }

no Spartan must retreat before the
enemy. But one man left the battle
field alive, and when he reached the
city with the news he was received
with contempt because he had not the
courage to die at his post with his gal
liant companions. They persisted
through devotion to an ideal, and the
centuries have told and retold the story
of their heroism to the inspiration Of all
gallant men. God forbid that the day
shall ever come when patriotism shall
inspire men no more to unselfsh SER
vice, and when love of country shall
find no response in our hearts.
Finally, in our observance of this day,
when our thoughts turn naturally to
war, we may come to see that although
war is hellish and brutal, yet in achiev-
ing all the wonderful progress of the
world war has played an important
part. Wars are of three kinds: War
for ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, the motive for
which is selfish and prompted by the
desire for territorial expansion and
spheres of influence; war to satisfy
wounded pride, and to preserve the
the sense of national honor; war for the
esta blishment and maintenance of some
just and righteous principle. 1t is
to the glory of our people that their
wars have been of the last mentioned
character We have undertaken no
crusade for territorial expansion, no
mistaken sense of honor, or injured
pride has plunged our land into war
stake our country has taken no I'M
certain stand. 1t fought it's way to
freedom in the the glorious struggle of
the Revolution, 1t maintained this
spirit of freedom in a civil war. 1t ex-
tended this same principle to another
land, when in behalf of a weak, op-
pressed people it drove Spanish cruelty
Spanish misrule, and Spanish power
from our continent.
The United States has never carried
a chip on it's shoulder; nor has it ever
accepted peace at any price. There
comes a time when patience ceases to
be a virtue, and when hesitation is
criminal and cowardly, and when re-
fusal to fight means palliation of a
wrong. Under such circumstances a
nation must fight. Until the time
comes when all our battlefags shall be
into ploughshares, let us confess that
there are some things worse than war;
and that it is prefera BILE for nation to
fight than TO suffer national dishonor.
Or by silence to acquiesce in the face of
gross injustice.
l am War. The upturned eyeballs of piled
dead men greet my eye.
And the sons of mothers perish,-and I lauoh
to see them die
Mine the demon lust for torture, mine the
devil lust for pain,
And there is to me no beauty like the pale
brOWS of the slain
But my voice calls forth the godlike from the
sluggish souls at ease,
And the hands that toyed with ledgers scatter
thunder round the seas;
And the lOlling idler, Weakening, measures IN
to Gods own plan,
And the pulling trif1er greatens to the stature
of a man,
When I speak, the centuried towers of old cit
les melt in smoke,
And the fOrtreSSed ports sink Keeling at nv
far aimed thunder stroke;
And an immemorial empire filings it's last fac
to the breeze,
Sinking with its splintered navies down in the
IMPLYING seas.
But the blind of sight awaken to an unimag
ined day,
And the mean of soul grow conscious there is
greatness in their clay;
Where my bugle voice goes pealing slaves
grow heroes at its breath,
And the trembling coward rushes to the well
come arms of death.
Pagan, heather and inhuman, devilish as the
heart of hell,
Wild as chaos, strong for ruin, clothed in hate
unSpeakable-
So they call me,-and l care not,-still work
my waste afar,
Needing not your weeping mothers and your
WidOwS-I am War!
But your soft boned men grow heroes when
my flaming eyes they see.
And | teach your little people how supremelv
great they be;
Yea, tell them of the Wilderness of the souls
unfolded plan
And the godlike stuff that's moulded in the
making of man.