The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1907-06-06
Prof. Banta's Address.

Prof. Banta's Address.
Prof. Banta was introduced by
Judge Hess, who said that the speak
er needed no introduction to the peo-
pie of Plymouth. He had spoken
her on previous occasions and the
people knew him only to appreciate
and admire him for his excellen quail
tiles of mind and heart.
Prof. Banta said in part:
eff | had the magic power of gen..
Jus l would call up wildly before
your minds the stirring scenes of
61-2 and 3. l would wave above
your heads the wand of eloquence,
and these wrinkled, STOPPING. gray
haired veterans would in a moment
change to stalwart young men with
the dew of youth upon their cheeks
and the fire of patriotism in their
eyes. If / could do this, we would
hear again the soul-stirring music
of the fife and drum and the bugle's
call to arms. In the midst of it all
we would hear the subdued sobs of
mothers bidding good-by to their
sons, the cry of wives and children
as the husband and father took his
leave of them. Boys, YOU remember
that final, sad parting. those tear
stained cheeks, the last loving en-
brace. Having brought these scenes
to mind, ] would wave the wand
again, and from the graves would
come the comrades of these noble
men, so that the ranks marching to
the front would be full again.
90, glorious armyl Such enthusi-
asm, such devotion to the flag, such
courage, such spirit of determination,
seldom if ever animated so great a
number of men. / see them now.
marching to the front, keeping time
TO the weird music of war. The
Grand Army of the Republic in mo-
toni How they marched down to the
fields of carnage, through rivers OF
blood, through valleys of death, to
the mountains of glory! They stood
like men, But between the hills OF
eager anticipation and the mountains
of glory lay the weary marches, the
long nights of watching, the horrors
of the prison pens, the knawing OF
l ctrrnann'C knife all
these things characteristic of the ter
rible strife rise in our memories like
ghosts of the past, and we shudder
to behold them"
lThe professor here paid tribute
to the women of the war, who kept
the families together, reared and car
ed for the children in the absence of
the husbands and fathers and sent
clothing and food to cheer the men at
the 'front.'
| MAGNITUDE OF STRUGGLE.
"The magnitude and fierceness OF
the struggle can only be appreciated
by the mention of some facts. There
was ITO cessation of hostiities for
four long years. There were within
| those four years, 1882 battles, in
which at least one regiment on a side
was engaged. Four hundred and
seventy battles a year, forty month
There were 112 general engagements
in which the loss on one side or the
Iother exceeded 500 in killed and
wounded. Five hundred thousand
men killed or MORALLY wounded in
battle. A million permanently dis
abled. If we could put them in line
of march, such as passed down Penn
lsylvania avenue at the close OF the
Iwar. marching eleven abreast, il
would form column 13 miles ir
length and would require from ter
to fifteen days to pass given point
I'VE had 100 regiments that lost more
than so per cent of the number ell
gagged, and in many instances the
losses reached from 60 to 20 pei
+, cent, and even to rs per cent Two
regiments, one southern and one
northern, lost so per cent of the mum
Der engaged. From the side of bloc i
all other wars of modern times dw.r
: die into insignificance. 0, what re
suits for humanity should come fror
4 such sacrificed Let us see whl' 1t al
r has meant to the world:
: "First-It established the tact. a:
was recently read in your hearin:
A from Lincoln's Gettysburg address
A that government of the people, b,
: the people, and for the people, shall
: not perish from the earth
:, "Second-It sounded ne death
! knell of slavery.
e "Third-It demonstrated that in
D ternecire war is not fatal to a rcrub
y lie.
!, "Fourth-It demonstrated that tn
D union of states can never be broken
"Fifth-It set such an example o