The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1908-05-26
VETERANS
Continued from Page One).

than these venerable heroes of the
great conflict. Personally | hold them
in high esteem and always feel like
uncovering in their presence. And
when l hear them tell their military
adventures their fascinating stories of
camp and field, some of them humor-
Gus and some pathetic, l envy them
their experience and wish that l too
had been soldier so as to possess
such an interesting store of remin-
iscence and of anecdote UnfOrtu-
nately or possibly fortunately for me
I was too young to take part in the
war, yet l have a distinct recollection
of it all. l was but FIVE years old
when the first shot was fired on Fort
Sumpter, "the shot that was heard
around the world" The sound of it
reached Canton also and produced it's
effect. l have vivid recollection of
some of the. stirring scenes that trans
pired here at that time. Among the
first was the organizing and drilling of
the Canton Zouaves, and their march,
ing through the streets under the COM
mand of their handsome young cap
tain, James Wallace, who was des-
tined to fall early in the conflict. Af-
terwards came the exciting days Of
Morgan's raid, when it was reported
that that dashing calvary leader was
heading this way with a band of sew
eral hundred rebel guerillas. The in-
tense nervous strains, the feverish
haste in preparing means of defense,
the rude and grotesque character of
the military equipment of some of
our old and dignifed citizens is still
remembered. The sight also of the
first dead soldier lying in a pine box
in an East Tuscarawas street under
taking establishment will not soon be
forgotten. Later came the depressing
effect of the news of Lincoln's assas-
sination, and finally the close of the
war and the return of the surviving
soldiers. Great as was our admira-
ton for the boys when they departed
it was greater still when they re-
turned They had in the meanwhile
shown their ability to achieve and
their Willingness to suffer. They came
back very much the worse for wear
but very much exalted in the estima-
ton of their fellow citizens
The war has been over now for
more than forty years. The ranks
of the. veterans are being rapidly re-
duced But as their number decreases
there is a corresponding increase of
affection and gratitude toward those
that remain. On the coming Saturday
a grateful nation will pause in its
business to think of the dead soldiers
and to strew flowers in their graves,
befitting mark of respect to the
sleeping dust of an army Of heroes
Those flowers will fade but the mem
ory of the dead veterans will not
They will be held in everlasting re-
membrance by the citizens Of the re-
public. Along with you who survive
they fought in a holy war, war for
righteousness, a war which in the
progress of the race was simply ine-
vitable. In all history there has not
been another war so thoroughly JUS
tilted, so free from spirit of revenge
or conquest We honor you for your
participation in it an dappreciate more
than ever the part which you, your
wives and your mothers bore in the
great sacrifice Of those days when the
shadow of the sword rested heavy in
the land.
We shall devote few moments to
the answering of questions suggested
by your presence here this morning,
The question is not an easy one and
the answer may not be entirely salts
factory. But we are sure that all alike
are interesting in knowing what
should be the Christians attitude to-
ward war. We all are Christians and
are eager to find our proper relation
to this great question.
Mr.. Herbruck spoke at some length
centroverting the assertion Of some
Christians that war is a blessing, a
desirable episode in the life of ma
tion; that it acts like thunderstorm,
clears Up the atmosphere and gives
new impetus to a nations activity He
showed that while there are blessings
following in the wake of war there
are also dreful and immeasurable
curses, and that thoughtful men
should stop to inquire whether the
curses do not outnumber the blessings
and whether the blessings might not
have been secured at less frightful
cost than the gigantic misery of war.
The speaker also combated the 9TH
er extreme that war is an evil SIways
and everywhere, that it is never un-
der any circumstances justihable or
exeusable. His position as to the
Christians attitude was this: He
should look upon 1t as great evil Jus
tihable only IN the rarest instances
and when every effort at adjudication
has proven utterly futile At the pres
| ent stage it may not be possible to
J avoid 1t entirely. Until we-have uni
versal arbitration there viii still re-
main the danger of war and until we
have the International congress COM
plete disarmament win be out of the
question. But this is a goal which is
not far away. The leaders of the
great peace movement are earnestly
pushing toward it and with good ef-
feet. In tie meanwhile itis the Chris
~