Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1906-06-06

south; sees her great son. the nation,
growing to be the leader OF the world
She listens to the music OF industry
rising from thronging city and fruitful
farm.
She behoids laden trains wind
ing over mountain and prairie. great
ships bringing treasures and peoples
to her shores. mines In the mountains
pouring yellow wealth into her minis.
She gazes on her erstwhile deserts
transformed by the magic touch of
labor. She hears the paudits OF the
nations as her message OF peace and
freedom is borne throughout the earth.
She dwells not on the past. except as
ii holds the promise of that which is to
be.
Her eyes pierce the veil of the flu
ture and behold a vision of greatness
and glory. Her face grows radiant
with the light OF better days, whose
dawns even now fall upon her. She is
the spirit Of the Union, reverential Of
the past, but more reverential of the
infinite good that shapes for her des-
tiny prouder than that of Rome and
more beautiful than that of Greece.
She IS compassionate of the gray and
mourning shade at her side, but whls-
pers q hope Of later and greater
southland already springing into being
And out of her goes a thought of
mighty love that binds together the
two sections with a bond that will
never be broken.
Aye, truly the place is. haunted
Here yet is another spirit. with a star
in her forehead and a light In her hand.
She looks not only TO this land, which
Is her especial care. but TO all nations
and all peoples Now her eye falls up
on Russia, over which rises the lurid
morning of belated freedom. She
frames a thought of equality, and the
workers of the world arise TO claim
their own. She fashions concept Of
brotherhood. and men begin talking Of
q federation Of the nations. Sha medi
tates ON the inward nobility OF man,
and souls are stirred with naneIess as
nrations and With divinity they can
not express. She turns her eyes to her
chosen people. and America rs thrilled
with the dream Of purer democracy
than eartsShas yet known She looks
on Gettysburg and says Here will ]
build me another shrine IKE those az
Thermopyiae. at Zama, at Tours, at
Naseby and at Yorktown For / am
the Spirit of Liberty, and here viii
men come to renew their love of me
and to consecrate themselves 10 my
service until all the lands are as free
as the airs Of their own mountains
Yet other shades are here, hosts Of
the departed who fought and fefl upon
this immortal field. They wore diff
ferent uniforms and served opposing
causes. In life they were enemies; IN
death, friends. In the spirit rs unity;
In the grave is peace. They struggle
no more, but fraternize now, as indeed
do their comrades who yet remain IN
the sphere we call the living. In the
battles red tide they were officers and
privates, but Death. the great hveler.
has made them equals. Gone are the
anfmsities, the antagonisms Of sec
ton, the distinctions of rank. Only
brotherhood remains; only the binding
tie of love. May 1t not be that they
bivounc together at this spot where
they won glory and peace both for
themselves and their land? May II
not be that they gather here TO live
over again those three momentous
July days when they helped TO decide
the fate OF q continent and hewed out
! Though the red soil OF human flesh
path that is to be followed by all man
kind?
Then, too, may II not be that the
great white soul of Lincoln comes
/ here sometimes 90 view the scene
where was played the eliminating act
of that drama in which he took such
a memorable part? May it not be that
/ he pauses at the spot where was de-
livered his greatest though shortest
Grafton, now and forever an insepara-
BILE part OF the memories Of this field?
May IL not be that the spirit of Robert
II. Lee broods here sometimes over the
mistake-or was IL the fate-whch
led to the defeat alike Of his army and
his cause? May IL not be that Reyn-
olds and the other leaders who died
OH these heights and in these valleys
return to grand reunions on this field
that is the focal point of the thoughts
of a nation? Memorable scene! Har-.-