The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-06-01

which insure its celebration in the times
to come in full accordance with its
original purpose, yet there is IL regret
able tendency on the part OF some to di-
vert it from its legitimate end. 1t is
not ii time to engage i'll light amuse-
ment. We gather in the temple of
patriotism and worship at her shrine
We can bring no offering but the trib-
ute of our grief; the secritice has been
made The thoughts which come to us
are not compatible with the thoughts
entertained upon the celebration of vic
tories. When celebrating our national
independence day we may properly
speak of our prowess and strength. But
while we are proud of the feats of
arms performed by those whose memoir
les we revere. our elation is subdued by
the thoughts of those who sleep under
southern skies. Our JOY is the joy that
| fills the heart with pain and dims the
feeling of thankfulness that so many
survived. and in those survivors has our
country been twice blessed = by their
heroic services III the field and after
the return of peace by their long and
useful careers in civil life; but even
| that thankfulness is tempered by the
thought of those MANNED and crippled
ones who have uncomplainingly borne
the burden of their sufferings through
| all these weary years.
The phrase 1.-THE boys in blue" is not
a figure of speech. 1t is now two score
years since the last one was mustered
out. Yet we have with us many of
those who took an active part in the
great tragedy, and though some now
walk with faltering step. they were then
literally boys, boys engaged in Il stu
pendous struggle assisted and inspired
bv thoughts of home and mother. They
were so young that the world marveled
at their endurance and long wondered
| if the same spirit of devotion and self
sacrifice still burned in the bosom of
the generation coming after. That the
same rediness to the call of duty still
imbucd the souls of all who lived under
the benign influence of the stars and
stripes was amply demonstrated even
while the echoes of the shock which
startled the world from HAVANA harbor
were still reverberating from sea to sea.
By that shock the last trace of bitter
ness was forever dissipated, north and
south alike vieng with each other
in their proof of loyalty. And here we
have an unparalleled instance of the rec
ognition of justice. Within Il single
generation misIed and defeated peo-
pie had accepted the punishment admin
istered. acknowledged the authority
which it had at one time disputed and
was ready to, and did respond to the
call of the common country. And side
bv side. shoulder to shoulder the boys
of this later generation have been in
strumental in succoring the oppressed
and quelIing disorder even unto the re-
hottest regions of the earth. And now
we decorate the graves of those who
We're unborn at the time when these
ceremonies were first observed, and
this we do without thought of sec
tional feeling, caring not whether their
| fathers wore the blue or wore the grey
Fleeing time heals many wounds, but
as long as there fingers one faint re-
membrane of the deeds of the army
and navy. so long and even longer will
the years of hardship endured with for
| titude by the noble women of the coun-
| try come to memory. Theirs was the
anguish borne alone-the silent suffer
| ing. There was no heralding the part
performed by them. They had not the
inspiration of martial music. They had
not the confidence of strength which
comes from presence of numbers. To
them fell the lot not only of taking up
the extra burdens imposed by the alb
sence of their natural protectors. but
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