Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-05-30

lofty principle of justice and liberty
But the Civil war was a war for hui
man rights, for national honor and
life. For the first time in the history
Of the world a nation waged war for
the emancipation of another race. Let
II be said as a shameful and warning
fact, that the 18th century saw an at
tempt TO found a nation upon slavery
as corner stone. There grew up in
our country under the same flag two
kinds OF civilization. The corner stone
of one was slavery; Of the other, free
dom. Between the two there was an
irrepressible conflict AS Lincoln put
II, mo nation can exist half slave and
half free" The slave power was with
out a conscience. The north-deter-
mined. 1t was impossible to avoid
conflict.
Let us call your attention to the fact
that the results involved the existence
Of free institutions everywhere. For
the shots that destroyed American
slave ships also destroyed those on the
Mediterranean, even if they we're long
range shots. And who can tell the
influences that came into Cuba, the
Philippines, and passed over the high
seas to Japan. and nerved its soldiery
for a glorious conquest? The world
has been freer world ever since those
days.
This day ought to mean more than
flower casting. II ought to furnish
lessons to us of our responsibility.
These men are our teachers.
l. They have taught US the value
/ Of the flag
/ The hand Of treason, like a mighty
octopus, was reaching out and grasp
ing out the stars of the union. The
north said, There shall be star for
, every state and a state for every
| star"-that the
/ Union OF lakes, the union of lands,
/ The union Of states none can sever:
| The union Of hearts, the union of
hands,
And the flag Of our union forever"
2. They taught US to properly value
liberty.
A race OF freemen was in slavery
God called Abraham Lincoln to be a
Moses and the private soldier to be an
Aaron. Today we are exulting in our
freedom, in our indissoluble union. in
our unprecedented prosperity, in our
proud position among the world pow,
ers, and in the bright prophecies of fu
ture national influence and usefulness
Tho Cd 1;ha-+,, g.,
every nation and democracy to all PEG
pie on the earth.
g. They have bequeathed to us a
land greater and more glorious than
any the world ever saw.
Money is no equivalent to the ser
vice they rendered and the sacrifices
they made. Palsied be the tongue that
dares TO wag against the fullest recog
milton of the soldiers claim. Yet g
currency purer and richer than silver
and gold is required. Neither will com
pliments or words Of praise be a suffi
cient return. We can reward then
only by bestowing upon them the hon
ors which they have so heroically won
!. Perhaps among the creates
blessings which we have received as
} an Inheritance from them is that they
have bequcathed TO us great names.
There comes to us the music o
. glorious names as we think of thOs,
o. days that tried mems souls. Names
that stand for principles, convictions
revolutions. refOrmations and civiliza
p tons The Hebrews are Represented
b by a name-Abraham, Moses and Da
] yid. The Greesk interpret themselve
p 10 the future through such a name a
Plato Homer or Scion The Roman
! gull live in the immortality of Caesar
1 Virgil or Marcus Aurelius. Whateve
r. may become of England. she will foI
/ ever be known by her Shakespeare
= her Gladstone and her Victoria. We
e too, have contributed glorious name