The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1909-06-03

The lllOSl Dtdulllul GNCl WlllISSSSu
in the city of Plymouth. The pa
rade led by the Plymouth band,
followed by Company |, under
Captain johnson, the Miles H.
Tibbitts post OF the G. A. r. and
Womens' Relief Corps, and final
ly the school children from the
lower grades OF the public schovl.
The services were held at the
Methodist church after which the
column reformed and marched to
Oak Hill. After the serv ces at
Oak Hill, a salute of three yol-
lcvs was fired by Company |, and
the graves of the departed ones
were decorated. The address OF
.fe day was delivered by Her
bert +. Hess, at the Methodist
church who spoke as follows:
During the eightv-four years
from Washington TO Lincoln the
black man had rot been con5ld-
cred as OF the people, for, OF, and
by whom the government had
been established with the immo--
tai Declaration of independence
as its Magma Charta OF sove- :
eighty declaring in its preamble
that ''all men are created equal
with inalicnable rights TO life, hb
erty and the pursuit OF happi-
ness" During these years the
federal armies had been c-lled to
face, with but an occasional To-
cal ana tran kent exception, on y
external or savagc foes. Party
spirit, it is true, had frequently
ran high, and hurled defiance at
law and its a1rnin strators, and AZ
times the strain upon the ship OF
state seemed near to proving it,;
destruction but forbearancc
compromise, fraternity and patri-
otism smoothed the rough waves
of contention and peace reigned
her benign sway. But at last, the
long existing and bitter antagon-
ism OF opinion between the North
and the South on the subject OF
the black man and his condition
in slavery, eliminated on the in
auguration of Abraham Lincoln
as president in 1861. In vain did
President Lincoln declare in his
inaugural his opposition TO any
interference with slavery in the
states where il existed. In vain
were assurances to the same ef-
feet proffered by the party that
had just triumphed in the presi-
Dental contest, in vain were con
ferences and consultations held
by leading statesmen and politi-
clans OF different sections, with a
view to avert the calamity OF a
civil war. Intent on a separate
national existence, under which
they might maintain unrlolested
as well as extend the institution
of slavery, the Southern states
recalled their senators and repre-
sentatives from Congress, anC
flung out the banner of sec cession
Lincoln said, "Our popular
government has often been called
an experiment. Two points in i
our people have already settled
The successful establishing ant
the successful administering of it
One still remains its successful
maintenance against d formidable
internal attempt to overthrow it
1t is now for them to demon,
strate to the world that those
who can fairly carry an election
can also suppress a rebellion
that ballots are the rightful anC
peaceful successors of bullets
and that when ballots have fairly
and constitutionally decided
there can be no successful appea
back of bullets; that there can bt
no successful appeal except tC
ballots themselves at succeeding
elections. Such will be the grea
lesson of peace, teaching mer
that what they cannot take by al
election neither can they take i
by war, teaching all the folly
of being the beginners of war.
These words OF Lincoln were un
needed and the contest for tn,
successful maintenance of on
government was begun on ;
beautiful spring morning in Apri
1861. in a civil war the extent
duration and horrors OF which
have never been paralleled il
any age or among any people
since the world began.
I know that complaint is made
that the minds of children and o
men is saturated with the talk o
war. Yes that is true, but it i!
the war of the bread line, the wa
to keep body ard soul together
the war for social prestige, tht
war for industrial and politica
power, it is the war of the whea
kings, the steel kings, the bee
kings or other kings of the indus
trial world wagine bloodless be
cause they are heartless battle.
to pile their gold as high as Os
ian on Pellion and to keep en-
throned the tyrannical, bruta
and inhuman god of Manmon
Surely it is well that on thi.
Memorial day we divert tn,
minds of children and men from