Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-05-30

lul SiNeHeSS HIluSlS loudS Will iut
flowers of gratitude. and we say north
and south, God bless the American
union,
| Illinois True TO Nation.
In Illinois all men and women were
| true to the union. In South Carolina
and Mississippi the people were equal
! ly united in their determination to di-
vide and destroy the old republic But
in the border states, war was felt in all
its bitterness. 1t was dangerous to 90
to war. 1t was still more dangerous 10
stay at home. In Missouri company
was being raised to fight for the union
cause and an old lady came forward
and placed herself with her broom on
the left of the line. The captain said,
Madam, you can do no good there
with your broom She replied, L at
least want to show which side I am
on
How long those four years were,
Looking back over them today. they
seem to be at least a quarter of cen
fury. Ages were compressed into
months, and years into days.
with AppomattoX came the decree
exterminating human slavery in every
part of the globe, and today there is
no land where man may sell his fei-
llOw-man not even in the darkest
Africa.
"a few years ago visited the Chan
cellorsville battle-ground in Virginia.
An old confederate veteran was nv
guide. On the road he pointed out a
large cherry tree in whose shade a
Massachusetts lieutenant died of his
wounds, in May. 1868. On the anui-
versary of Charlottesville for several
Years the gray-haired father and moth
er of the dead soldier spent the day at
the spot where their son gave up his
life to his country. Then the father
: came alOne-the mother had gone to
join her son. But for several years
the anniversary came and went but the
death place of the hero was unvisited
So each year the men who fell in that
war have been rejoined by friends and
comrades in the great beyond.
The clock ticks and ticks, but we
5 hear it not. 1t strikes and commands
our notice. 1t is a great event that at
rests and chains our attention. Great
2 events and great sorrows develop tho
highest qualities in men. 1t is the
t wounded shell-fish that produces the
pearl. The pearl is its CONCEALED tear
in this audience are little girls who
? will grow up and would again, if neeC
: be. perform the part of the mothers o
1 1776 or 1861. l am looking in the face
/ of boys who would do or die.
4 "''Tis ages since God made hi!
youngest star,
His hand was on them as twas yes
,. terday'
Il sincerely hope this generation viii
. never have the opportunity for hero
= ism that was accorded TO the boys q
1861. General Torrance describes tn
heroic charge at Missionary Ridge, u
they go their backs to the setting sur
their faces toward immortality
/ Each generation produces its crop c
y heroes. Only at long intervals does tn
= reaper come to their harvest. Say
:, Montesquieu: Happy is that natio
whose annals are tiresome.'
stood Before Test.
"Only by actual test can the wort
of a man be measured. Frederick Ii
Great ran away from Molawitz, h
first battle. But he stood like a 70;
on many a we'll fought field afterward
and his name is the synonym of stead
courage. The ploughboy of today m;
be the hero of tomorrow. Duty al
selfrespect are the great elements
a good soldier The soldier of Is
could be best brought to discipline
the threat to write home. The lette
which came from the front told he
Il William had won promotion, he