Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-05-31

gether
Everywhere 1T was the force of arms
that prevailed over the powers of dark
ness and the forces that make for evil.
But not 10 early history alone need we
turn for evidence of higher power than
that of man in the direction of human
affairs. Down through the procession
of the years to our own land and time
the pen of the historian bears silent wit
ness to this truth The war of the Revo-
luton was the diVinely ordered outcome
of the efforts Of few English coIensts
to find i'm another land greater political
and religious freedom. with no thought,
whatever, of esrangement or separation
from the mother country But when the
sun set upon the battlefield of Saratoga
where Burgoyne surrendered the shat
tered remnants of his army to the
Americans. it set TO rise upon the dawn
of a new nation that was yet to hold in
it's keeping the welfare Of millions of
people, and to exert a powerful influence
upon the political destines of the world.
South Forced the Civil War.
The issue of the Civil war was forced
by the South to perpetuate the institu-
ton of human slavery, but. by the Will
OF God it resulted in lifting four millions
of people from bondage and forever ex-
terminating the curse of slavery from
our soil.
He would be blind student of history
indeed. who should laiI to trace in these
events the hand of providence leading
MANKIND forward and upward He would
be blind, too, TO the lesson of history II
SIC should fail to see in this a manifesto
'.ion of the same inscrutable wisdom
End power that sends the earthquake
end the lightning and the tempest TO
purify and re-create the earth. From
our human viewpoint we cannot more
clearly discern why violence and pain
and destruction are Gods chosen nstru-
ments i'm bringing mankind to its high
est estate, than that the great eonYul-
siye forces of nature should be the APP
pointed means of bringing the earth to
the beauty and perfection of complete
ness In our blindness we cannot pene-
trate the wisdom OF Gods purposes: but
we must accept the fact that. in the dl-
vine order of things, war has existed for
benefcient purposes in the past. out of
the agony and travail of war great ma
TONS have had their birth. In the clash
ever been lifted 10 higher level
The great dream of the world has been
to see the end of war. and thousands of
hearts are everywhere beating high with
hope of the fulhlment of that cherished
dream. Christian men and Christian ma
tions are striving to bring in the reign
of universal peace through universal ar
bitration. But there is point in this
81. "a 8 u.
dom and human effort have. SO far.
failed, and an imaginary dead line at
which all peace tribunals have halted
Who shall say that this bound has not
been set by a wisdom higher than mans
wisdom? For, as the civilization of the
world has been slowly evolved from bar
barism through ages of strife and revo-
luton, We can only believe that the
Divine plan is being gradually worked
out, and that the dawn of universal
peace viii come in Gods own good time
and way.
l have nowhere. ! here. attempted. on
any ground of human reasoning, to JUS
tify war. But if. in the providence of
God. war is its own justification, it is
our duty to recognize that fact, and to
cultivate those virtues that make us
strong and efficient in war
The Verdict of History.
Mr.. Roosevelt In speaking of tine ethics
of war in his notable lecture in Paris on
citizenship in a Republic" said, THE
question must not be merely, Is there to
De peace or war? The question must be,
Is the right TO prevail? Are the great
laws of righteousness once more to be
f,,l
and virile people must be. Yes what
ever the cost" This was the question
with the north in '6Il 1t was not
whether there was to be peace or war.
but whether or not right was to prevail,
land right nobly was it answered
Comrades of the Grand Army of the
Republic, history long ago recorded its
verdict on your deeds. You marched in
rhythmic step with the march of progress.
You fought in harmony with the stars
In their course. Your final triumph lifted
down-trodden race from the darkness
of bondage into the light of freedom. IT
made a nation free in deed which had
been free only in name. 1t welded the
states of the Union into a strong and
unified nation and gave it national
vigor which has lifted it to a command
ing place among the highest nations OF
the earth. 1t made 1t plain that there
was a right side and a wrong side to the
great controversy which had been so
long in progress, and that the right side
had triumphed and been indicated. And
that is as true today, and will be forever
as it was then. only the shortcomings
of ourselves or those who come after us
can bring this work to naught. Our
presence here today is a pledge that it
shall not fail through any fault of ours.
May we have the wisdom and the cour-
age to do our duty as well as you did
yours. If so the Union will endure for
long ages to come and. with the passing
years, bear ever increasing blessings to
humanity.
Audience Sings America.
America was sung by the audi
enee, the Band playing the tune, and