Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-06-01

| slavery They had at first regarded
it as a lamentable imposition to be
| rid of at the first opportunity. But
by fostering it they had learned to
| love it. Southern gentlemen con-
founded labor with servitude, and
| thought it derogatory to labor with
their hands. TO promote their pecu-
liar institution when the opinion OF
the civilized world condemned it, it
involved upon them to preserve the
| equilibrium Of the states for it had
! now become a national matter. This
brought out great measures and small
promise, delay followed delay, all
| tionists at the north did many foolish
and fanatic things and advocated
many pernicious doctrines. They
were ready to rend the constitution
and withdraw from the union, and ad-
vocated both from rostrum and press.
The south became naughty and inso-
lent beyond endurance. They welded
the constitutional lash until states
men were weary of it. They demand
ed that the abolitionists be sent south
to be hanged They introduced gag
law in congress forbidding any petit
ton on the subject of slavery to be
considered They held that congress
had no right to interfere with slavery
in the states. 1t was the venerable
John Quincy Adams who advocated
the doctrine that the war power of the
government had a right in cases OF
civil disorder to interfere and control
it. And it was upon the basis OF this
assertion that the government did in
terfere twenty-five years later.
South Fired First Shot.
Failing in it's many attempts to |
maintain hhe equilibrium of the states
and feeling most keenly the odium
cast upon it by the north, the south
determined to secede from the union
in order to preserve and foster slav-
cry. Convinced that there could be
no agreement on the part of those In
terested, the south decided to &C
,complish her ends by force. She de-
cided to bring on war to support
wrong, moulding it's policy in it's own
supposed interests upon the fragments
Of a broken moral law. So the great
question whether this nation was to
be half slave and half free, whether
1t was to be composed of number OF
wrangling, factional states with many
banners and multiplicity of aims, or
whether it was to be union of states
with one banner and one hope and
one destiny was submitted to arbitra-
ment of the sword. The challenge to
battle must always rest with the
south. Their orators threatened 1t in
congress. They fired the first shot.
From the hour that Sumter was fred
upon until the last shot was fired on
the Rio Grande the union waged a
defensive warfare.
Take Down Flag.
The election of Lincoln cast a shad-
ow over all the southland. The pei
pie there took 1T as protest against
the further extension of slavery. In
December following, South Carolina
lowered the flag of the union and un-
furled the Palmetto flag of the state
in its stead Their papers headed
their dispatches from the northern
states, Foreign News" Commission
ers were sent to Washington and they
demanded to be recognized as repre-
sentatives of an independent country.
They assured the president that unless
Anderson was removed from Sumter
they would remove him by force OF
arms. When the "Star of the West
was sent to reinforce Sumter it was
fired upon by the batteries OF Charles
ton. In the meantime six seeding
states met and made a constitution for
the provisional government of the
states Of America. Lin
coin wrote to Alexander Stephens I'M
der date of December %, that the
republican administration would not
interfere with the slaves. When he
came to the presidency it was too late
for argument or reconciliation. The
pulse of war had begun to beat in the
veins of the people on both sides, and
they wanted no further parley. Lin
coin was patient beyond measure. He
held the union in his heart He hates.
war Driven to it he carried to it's
success a genius not surpassed by any
man born of the race and heart big
ger than his brain.
Hard to Realize. I
It is doubtful if we realize to this
day the meaning of that war; and what !
it's terrific battles involved in loss OF I
human life. There is foot note in
Barnes American history which will
help us to realize the Importance and .
of this war The foot note
says, "In twenty minutes at the battle "
of Cold Harbor ten thousand men were II
still and cold in death" This is one g
OF the most appalling 1dCtS WIlIleH oii =,
the pages of history And practically b
every man who marched away to the o
war, whether from the Palmetto or the b
pine, who answered the bugle call OF b
duty was animated by the same her
oism which called half million to "
the supreme sacrifice of patriotic II
el
Ranks Thinning. fe
In commemoration of the men who d.
fought and the principles for which te
they fought are we met today. All W
over our land the lovers of liberty W
and union are gathered to scatter up as
on the graves of our soldier dead the to
lowers of springtime crimson with sun T
and pale with showers. Those who s,
sleep were the same who bivouacked
with these that remain and drank
from the same canteen. Some of them in
fell in the whirlwind of the charge. 10
others dropped from the thinning W
.anks as the years have rolled by. b.
They are quiet now. The bugle calls pl
hem no more to battle. They are &C