Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1906-06-14

more than his usual solemnity and
dogmatiSm: jefferson Davis mas
made a new nation: he has made an
army; he has made a navy:" and he
loaned his eloquence to the idea that
the experiment. of free government in
America had SO far failed.
Bright spoke in reply to Gladstone
at Birmingham on Dec. Is and among
other things he said: II am very
happy that though the Chancellor of
the Exchequer is able to decide to a
penny what shall be the amount of
taxes to meet public expenditure in
England, he cannot decide what shall
be the fate of a whole continent. /
say it is the home of the working
man: as one of her poets said:
For her fredericksburg never was
drawn in
Against the poorest child of Adams
KIM"
And in that land there is no six
million of grown men,
| speak of the free states excluded
from the constitution of their country
and its electoral franchise: there you
will find a free church, a free school,
free land, a free vote, and free
career for the child of the humbleSt
born in the land. My countrymen,
who work for your living, remember
this; there will be one wild Shrek of
freedom to Startle all mankind if that
American Republic should be over
thrown"
.'Now for one moment let US lift
ourselves, if we can, above the narrow
circle in which We are too often apt
n nj of ne
on an historical eminence, and Judge
as We all know, the huge foul blot
upon the fame of the American
republic: it is hideOuS outrage
against human right and against
Divine law. but the pride and passion
of men, will not permit its peaceable
extinction. The slave owners in our
colonies, if they had been strong
enough. would have revolted too. |
believe there was no mode short of a
miracle more sJupendouS than any
recorded in Holy Writ that could in
our time or in a century, or in any.
have brought about the abolition of
slavery IN America, but the suicide
which the south has committed and
the war which it has begun"
Il blame men who are eager to adj
NIT into the family of nations a State
which offers itself to US, based upon a
principle. [ will undertake to say
more odiOuS and more blaSphemOus
than was ever before dreamed OF in
Christian or Pagan, in civilized or
savage times. The leader of this
revolt proposes this mOnstrouS thing
that over territory forty times as
large as England-the blight and curse
of slavery shall be forever perpetuated.
[ cannot believe for my part, that
such fate shall befall that fair land,
stricke though it now is with the
ravageS of war. | cannot believe that
civilization in its journey with the
sun, will sink into endless night in
order TO crafty the ambition of the
leaders Of this revolt, who seek to
"Wade through slaughter to a throne,
and shut the gates of mercy on man
kind" | have another and far
brighter vision before my gaze. 1t
may be but vision, but / will cherish
it. l see one vast confederation
stretching from the frozen north in
unbroken line to the glowing south
and from the wild pillows of the
A tlantic westward to the calmer
waters of the Pacific main. and [ see
one people, and one language, and one
law. and one faith and oyer that wide
continent, the home of freedom, and
a refuge for the oppressed of every
race and Of every Cline"
For such speech as this Gladstone
had no rejoiner.
About Il year after Gladstone's
speech, John Bright wrote to Chas.
Sumner and said, at would be
curious now to hear Gladstone make
another speech on American cOndit-
IONS"
But | dismiss this for it has served
its purpose. 1t is shown you that the
world was looking on with barning
interest while these men whose
memory we honor today, fought, bled
and died to settle these absorbing in
tereSts, to decide whether this re-
publican government should live or
die. Such an issue as that could not
be determined on smaller stage, or
by smaller men than our patton was
able to furnish. The men we honor
today entered the stage and settled
the issue to the satisfaction of the
world for all time. AS a result we
have one nation, one flag, one set of
institutions, and free people, free
schools, and equal opportunity for the
humblest in the land, exhauStless
national wealth, and all this existing
geographically on the best territory
on the round world. The greatness of
our heritage is beyond power to tell;
the price paid for it can never be
told. The price in blasted hopes, in
blighted lives, in death and sorrow.
These men entered the fray and
covered themselves with a glory that
shall last when the sun has gone,
What matters it if their dust is not
held in classic urn, nor their names
written on granite? Long after the
gnawing tooth of time has reduced
both these to dust, their memory
shall be held in the throbbing heart
of the nation. If the annual grafton
delivered in the sacred presence of
the tomb of Leonidas. produced for
Greece an annual crop OF heroes, shall
not an annual recital of the deeds of
these men perpetuate for America a
race of heroes?
1t is said that the CHASTITY wounds
that appeared on Caesar manly form
as Anthony pulled aside his robe, be-
came the seeds from which Sprang ten
centuries of tyrants. Then shall not
the recital of the deeds of these men
produce for America, not ten CEN
turtles, but heroes as long as nations
shall live?
But my sermon would be incom-
plete today, did l not mention heroes
who were not in battle. and brave
souls that did not fight at the 'front.'
the mothers, the sisters and the loved
ones who remained at home. Time
would fail me to tell of the sacrifice,
labor, anxiety and anguish that these
bore, 1t is question whether their
part was not quite as hard to be per-
formed as the soldiers at the front.
During these terrible years, the suS-
penSe and anxiety when the barking
of the dog filed with fear; and when
the yellow developed message filed
with inexpressible alarm. Very few
of that generation can read telegram
today without excitement. In those
days many times it was utterly i'm
possible for the one receiving such a