The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1912-06-07

, to the world forever. AS a people
we were then in a formative period.
The century's aloe was just begin.
ming to flower with unusual promise
both Of beauty and fragrance. We
had not yet begun to run our legs off
after money, for the worship Of the
golden calf had not been invented.
The simplicity of the national heart
may be understood from this fact. to-
wit: At the breaking out of the civil
war there were not ten men in the
|country who we're worth ten millions
of dollars apiece. We had ideals in
letters, in music, and in art. We
thought there was something in elo-
quence, in posey, in painting, and in
sculpture, and under normal condi-
lions we should have fulfilled our
destiny, adding names to the roster
of genius which would have been re-
membered as long as the English
language endures, which will be as
long as the earth retains atmosphere
and water. If there is any way in
which to estimate the loss, IL there
is any way IN which to measure the
totality of the nations sacrifice, do
not know what it is. | know that we
are still free, and that we believe
ourselves to be great; but | believe
that we might have been much great
err, and the possessors of immeasur-
able riches-artistic, literary, men,
tai and moral-if no war had been,
which leaves 1t open to the thought
full to try to- measure the astonishing
depravity of the men who were direct
ly responsible for that bloody con-
flict.
! spoke few minutes ago of the
jubilant songs which characterized
those stirring times, but it was not
always so. There we're times when
the beligerent music of such songs as
when Johnny Comes Marching
Home Again" was permitted to fade
away; times when the thoughts of
men and women turned mournfully
to the fields on which their loved
ones had died. When the wounded
volunteer had returned to his home
in the peaceful Alleghanies he would
hunt up some crippled comrade. and
in the evening when half dozen
broken soldiers had got together they
would softly sing, Were Tenting
Tonight on the Old Camp Ground"
while the citizens of both sexes lis
tened in silence; and when they came
to the last verse, Dying tonight, dy-
ing on the Old Camp Ground" there
would be audible tears, and agonized
sobs would bear testimony to the
fact that hearts were breaking back
there in the summer darkness. Some-
time Gods books will be opened and
the great ledger will show how the
account of suffering and sacrifice
stands. But until that time comes,
we can know little or nothing about
it, and unless 1t be veracious and
unquestionable fact that there is a fu-
ture life, and that 1t holds in trust
and will bestow some adequate re-
ward and compensation on souls that
sorrowed and were made sick INTO
death, the scheme of things il wrong,
and we are justified in feeling, with
old Omar the Persian, that we would
like to shatter it to bits. and remoh
1t something nearer to the hearts
desire. H. a.a.
Perhaps / begin to weary you with
these "reminiscences and interjected
reflections. But IL you can bear
with me a few minutes longer. then
there is another picture which wish
to refer to. / spoke of the fierce
joyousness and the hues Of health
that characterized the vast masses Of
the northern volunteers. But twas
quite different when the battle
bronzed veteran came home after
serving his three years, after his in
marches and counter
marches, and his repeated participa-
tion in pitched fields. Generally he
came home in flat car, but as q
volunteer he always went to the front
in coach. His uniform would be
dirty and faded. and he nearly al
ways wore an. old slouched hat. As
a rule he held a carbine, or q mus
ket. or a cavalry sabre between his
knees, and he never looked either 70
the left or to the right when his train
stopped at Corning station. He Wa
busy with his own thoughts. OF
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