The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-06-04

tonight is for every man and woman,
not only for those sepulchred in gran
tie, but to those lying in lowly graves,
we raise our memorial. Let us recall
the purpose of the Civil war: in the
south it was to secure sovereignty of
state over national government, and to
perpetrate slavery, while in the north
the purpose was to protect national
sovereignty and abolition of slavery.
The first asset of Civil war is a
united government. Already we have
an intimation of what this nation must
assume in the adjustment of interna-
tional affairs, but it is only the begin
ming Our resources are many and
because of them, we are entitled to
the largest place in the administra-
ton of the worlds affairs. Any division
at the time of the war would have
meant weakness. Instead of one whole,
we would have been two, lying on
each others borders and would have
taken all our time in the care of each
other We are just beginning to know
what it means to have kept this ma
ton together as one mighty, undivid-
ed power.
''How could we have divided the Dec
laration of independence, the Missis
sippi river, or the Star Spangled Ban
ner?' 1t was a great victory to keep
the nation together, the saving of a
nation and the greatest asset, is the
| I'LL 4 L i l.
human liberty and the destruction of
slavery. There is more to- it than YOU
think. Every nation that has come
into power, has done SO through the
adoption of pure religious principles.
The Christian nations are the greatest
because in partnership with Almighty
God. They have learned the meaning
of the Golden Rule, the great char
ter of human obligation, binding men
to each other, the death knell of slav-
cry and all human ills. A founda-
ton for principle is laid in the Golden
| Rule. Great acts of wrong always
carry not only seeds of retribution,
but of W.T. wretchedness
Wrong has in it the germs of retri-
button. This nation tacitly sanctioned
slavery, then tolerated, next compro-
| missed and then had to kill it or be
killed by it. 1t was a small thing
| when few people were landed from
Africa, but the seeds of the Civil
war were in that cargo of blacks.
evil spreads and retribution comes
with tremendous force. 1t cost the
Son of Man his own life blood to
| bring the redemption for sin into this
world. 1t cost the United States three
million men to abolish slavery and
| four billions of dollars, with pen
sion bill of hundred and forty mil
| lions.
"The price of redemption for slay-
cry was a high price. Thank God we
have something to show for it. but
what we see today is not what you
saw when YOU were fighting. The
stars are all here-we have an un-
divided flag; an unmutilated flag flying
over this land and we know that in
| this magnificent family of states there
is this unmutlated flag at the head of
a hundred million people. who are the
best housed. the best schooled and the
best churched on the face of the earth
A great family of free people, with
not leoalized slave from Canada
| TO the gulf or from the Atlantic to
the Pacific
''The tremendous struggle of the
| Civil war never can be estimated. and
the great battles of the old world sink
into insignifcance with the bloody
battles of the Civil war. At Gettys-
burg the First Minnesota. already de-
pleted to 262 men, were ordered into
that death gap at critical moment
and turned the tide. Gettysburg was
the high tide of the rebellion, and of
| the First Minnesota it has been said
at that time the most precious blood
| since Calvary.
''What we can catalogue and enumer-
| ate is small part, for there were
the heart aches and suspense in
homes and hospitals. with the mental
rangs and suffering, that never can
| be tabuated.
ours is great nation. with assets
of free men. with the test of its
union in the Spanish war: test that
| it was said could not stand. Our ma
ton was said to be only patched up
| affair, but when the Spanish war came.
thank God history has told, nobody
sulked or pouted or refused Every
where over the land came those who
had fought each other, to fight again.
but instead shoulder to shoulder. IT
was a great moment when Grant and
Lee clasped hands at Appomatox. but
the link came together and was weld
ed when they went forth on foreign
lands.
"And in conclusion. to the .young men
of the NJ. n. G. and men like you. to
whom is committed to finish the work
that these veterans, have begun, it is
in your hands. and on so much larger
! scale that it will take your utmost
ability. While there is no legalized
slavery there are subtle forms on
every side, that will require your best
patriotism. courage, faith and service,
to save the nation in years to come.
You have a heritage in this nation,