The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-05-30
THE LESSONS OF TO-DAY.

Today a nation lays its tribute IF
love ON the grave of its hero dead.
Today the bitterness and strife of half
y century are Softened 10y the mellow
ZIG touch of time. and a united ~
try mourns alike for those who fell
on either side in that great struggle
which established forever the doc
trine that a nation conceived i'm lih-
erty and dedicated to the principle
that all men are created equal" was
greater than its component parts.
This generation is measurins with
calm accuracy and clear Judgment
the merits OF the confess of the six
ties. There are one not even among
those who upheld the south with their
swords. who now resrct that the is.
sue of war was as it was. The south
will ever be tn them a cherished land
of nome and romance me chivalry
and gallantry. Its heroes will ever
le their idols: its battletields the hall
lowed resting place of their beloved
dead: its sacrifices a eno sweet
with it's bitterness. Yet to them the
things for which they fought are no
more. They live only in song and
story round the reunion campfire.
The victor no longer Views the van
quished as the traitor of his coun-
try. no longer believes hat the glib
bet is his by right. and that the south
fought to destroy the government thai
had been purchased with the blood
If patriots. The great general who
led a victorious army against the
'rnvery and valor of the south ave
he world the s%uhlinest proof of ma
tional charity and imperisha BILE union
II had ever witnessed when he stip-
llated in the terms of surrender at
A~ppomattoX that the soldiers should
retain their horses for use on their
farms when they returned TO civil
life. That spirit has grown until to-
day the laurel no longer marks the
graves of the north and the willow
those Of the south. but the tokens of
love are laid alike on both.
Across the chasln of n once divided
nation we have grasped hands as
brothers. and the hugle call would
rouse the north n south alike did a
national danger threaten, Thus have
we of this generation grasped the
truths that lay beneath the impulses
of the me who wore the gray as
we'll as those who Wore the blue. The
principle at stake was whether or
not the states individually had the
right under the igina constitution
to withdraw from the union. The
south believed they had. The norm
believed they had not. The question
was left to the arbitrament of wal
and the decision was final.
They whose graves a nation covers
with flowers today offered their lives
to establish the principle Of an in
dissoluable nation. They fought for
hat principle. They loved their coun-
Try and proved that love by the offer
of their lives. Thousands fell on the
bloody fields of Shiloh, Anteitam,
Chickamauga, Fredericksburg, Get
fysburg. Cold Harbor, Petersburg and
V~icksburg. Many died in the tor
lures Of wounds unstanched and
thirst unslaked. No loving hand
smoothed the pillow of death: no
gentle voice soothed the departing
soul. Unnamed they We're laid In un-
marked graves to await the trumpet
call Of the Eternal Commander. And
they did this that a nation might live,
lone and i~nseparable."
oman HoI "o ~ nave D0on me
rich heritors OF their legacy SO dearly
bought pay them tribute in thought
as we'll as deed? Shall not the decor
ating of the graves of those who sur
the carnage of death on battle
field and in camp. Vet lived to be a
part Of tina great army who In IS
passed in review before the nations
beloved leader the last time and with
stride crossed over the lons
bridge IL Of the nations capitol to
blend into the great army Of citi-
Zenry, be more than A formal service? |
Shall not the lessons for which they
offered their lives be re-taught and
IN our hearts? Shall
not. the stars and stripes to us have
deeper meaning than before? Shall
not love our country more as taps
are sounded for the dead in thou-l
sands of tented cities of the dead to-
day? If SO. these W. honor shall not
have died in vain.