The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1908-06-02
PAID HIGH TRIBUTE
TO The old ''VETS'
Hon. B. f. Wright Of Park Rapids
Gave Splendid Address on
Memorial Day.

l
follows:
After addressing the commander,
the members of the Circle and crowd
present, Mr.. Wright told of his earliest
objections of the circumstances in
connection with the civil, war. His
first vivid recollection was obtained
in a small city in the state of Maine.
When he was but a lad OF 4 years old.
he witnessed the riding on a rail of a
''copperhead, who had openly declared
that President LincoIn's assassin a.
ton was the best thing that had ever
happened for the country. The afore-
said copperhead was roughly treated
ard would probably have been killed
but for the intervention of cooler
heads.
''This, I say, is the only recollec-
ton OF the war of which am con-
scious," said Mr.. Wright, ''to me, all
else is history, and venture to say
that the same is true of at least three
quarters of this AUDIENCE
X X X
"The generation Of actors in tn at
great drama is fast passing away.
Every year the ranks of our veterans
are thinning out, the roll call is be-
coming shorter, the war SCARED
batallions of this soldier host that
can have no recruits, are growing less.
They are moving on 10 the shadow
land, spreading their tents and taking
their places on ;Fame's Eternal Camp
ing Ground
X ***
eyes, repeat it, the record of this
great war, the vital period of the
nations existance, the solving of the
great problem of the success and per-
manence of a government of the
people, by the people aud for the
people, is matter of history to most
of us and will be a matter of history
to all the rising generation OF children,
upon whom will rest the future fate of
the country. To history alone nust
they go for their knowledge and their
inspira alton. =
The speaker said that history alone
would record the heroism of the boys
OF 81 in times to come and but few Of
the noble band which so bravely
fought for the Stars and Stripes will
long be left to tell of their experiences.
Mr.. Wright said the people of the
south were as determined, as brave
and as loyal to their principals,
wrong though they were, as were the
people of the north.
Historians, said the speaker, have
pictured in faithful colors, the historic
battles of the war. They have made
page after page of absorbing interest
of those terrible fights, where the loss
OF life was appalling.
''The real history OF the war has
never been written and never will be, -
said Mr.. Wright. sThe story of the
common soldier, the man behind the
rifle, whose deeds of valor, of heroism
and sacrifice no pen has recorded, but
which come down to us as matters of
tradition, constitute the true history.
"If to the victor belong the spoils of
glory, honor and renown, then do
these spoils belong as much to the
private soldier. whose grave we have
this day decorated with wreaths of
flowers and the little flag so dear to
his heart, as to the great generals who
so ably and honorabIY led the way to
victory .
| The justice of the division of honors
of the war is more evident in this
country than any other country in the
world, and the army of the United
States have been unlike those of
any other nation in history. The
army of the old world are mostly
machines, the men make war profess
sion as it we're.
ssOn the other hand, said Mr..
Wright, sour armies are and always
have been composed of intelligent,
thinking men, able to read and under
stand what they are fighting for; men
who could not be induced to serve as
soldiers except in an emergency, when
the safety or honor of the country was
involved. -
Such soldiers as these, have. and
always will astound the world.
The battle of Lookout Mountain was
taken by the speaker as an example of
the independence of the American
soldier, where the soldiers disobeyed
the orders of the officers, and the men
in the ranks took the matter into their
own hands, climbing the mountain
side and did not stop until they
reached the very summit. No finer
spectacle could be imagined.
/ 1T is but one instance of many SINH
lar ones. The whole four years OF
civil strife were full of them:''
Mr.. Wright referred feelingly to the
prisons Of the south, where one thous-
and or more brave men had suffered
and died,
mo doubt exists today of the sin.
eerity Of the mass of the southern
Continued on last page.