The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-06-06
Honor Paid Veterans,
Both Living and Dead;
Garlands on Graves
From Fridays Daily.

OTllfS .. tuSH brave Iu0H WIZ Iiohcu
their dearest treasure, their lives,
for the sake of their country. AS is |
fitting fors such time a program was
given by the people who are interest
ed in the welfare of this country to
commemorate the noble service which
the men who fought in the Civil war,
living and dead.
At ten O'Clock this morning the
veterans gathered at their hall and
were escorted to sSibley Park where
a patriotic, program was given. The
ladies of the relief corps had made
the arrangements for the program
and for the transportation of the old
soldiers to and from the park. The
citizens of the. town and the school
children gathered to pay homage to
the brave men. for whom the day.
is set aside.
The program at the park opened
with song by the children OF
the sixth grade of the Union school
and Rev. w. R. Keesey gave the IN
vocation. A male quartet composed
of Evan Hughes, Clement Schroeder,
II. N. Jones and l. N. Griffith sang
two selections which were particular
ly fitting for the day. Mrs Eva
Vance hung. the wreath for the de-
parted Civil war heroes with an ap-
proprate address and Mrs. Mary Ply
mat paid honor to the Spanish Amer
lean war heroes by hanging, a wreath
for them.
Lincolns Gettysburg address, which
becomes mightier to true patriots
each time it is heard, was delivered
by Howard Johnson in a manner.
most acceptable to the large audi
ence.
Address of Rev. Kelsey.
The address of the day was de-
Aivered by Rev. w. R. Keesey, pas
tor of the Centenary Methodist
church. who spoke on 'The Irrepres-
sible Conflict, and Its Lessons For
Today" He spoke in part as fol
lows:
God deals with nations as he
does with men. He is no. respecter
of persons or nationalities. Every
man has an equal chance with God ;
but no nation can hope to escape
the just penalty for it's crimes. In
dividuals often are compelled to wait
till the hereafter for their just
deserts; but every nation pays the
penalty for it's crime here in this
life. IT was so with ancient Israel,
and Babylon, and Rome And there
is no good reason why righteous
God should withhold his wrath from
America, if he finds her worthy of
condemnation.
'1n 1S61-1S65 this nation had its
bitter lesson, when this so-called
free republic was compelled to wade
a river of her own blood, to wash
from her garments the foul stains OF
tyranny and oppression. And only by
the blessings of the Mighty Jehovah
and the heroic service of the boys
in blue, did this American nation
survive 'one and inseparable'.
"It was General Sherman who said
a
fairly descriptive. Those who have
gazed upon that masterpiece of art
The Battle of Gettysburg, must have
some slight conception of the horrors
of war. That painting is no exag
geTation; for no effort of the arts
can ever approach the reality. There
have been times when it has seemed
from our human point of view that wa
was necessary to the social, political
and religious progress of the world
But l trust the day has come whel
it will be no longer necessary; whel
swords shall be turned into plough
shares and spears into pruning hooks
when nations shall know no NOR
war
"The causes for war have not al
ways been just. War has all too fire
quently sprung from the nationa
passion for superiority, for triumph
for power. This was the motive 0
Caesar and Alexander and Napoleon
But this passion is not confined t
rulers; it also burns in the heart
Of the subjects; and it has been tn
cause for many cruel war.
WAR is also due to the popula
admiration of the brilliant qualitie
displayed in war. Many have dc
lighted in war, not for its carnage
but for it's valor, for the self-com
mand of the hero for the fortitud
that despises suffering and court
danger And so when men hear c
battles, their chief thought turn
from the heaps of wounded and d!
ing to the victorious chiefs. VIII
wears the garlands? In whose homo
is the triumphal arch erected? Fo
whom is the banquet spread? Fo
the successful warrior. But tn
peaceful sovereign, is too often re
ceived with but faint applause.
has been a recognized fact that tn
most popular candidate for politics
honors in this country, other thing
being equal is the man with mil
tary record. And SO long as tn
field of battle is the field of glor,
and the brightest laurels grow fror
a root nourished in blood, war wi
not cease.
".War also arises from a false ps
triotism. 1t is natural impulse t