The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-06-03

Antietam, NlckSDurg, AppomdJIoA
and Gettysburg.
1t was a great war, something that
we cannot see close to, as we cannot
see all of a mountain while we are
climbing it. We can only see it
when many miles separate us from
it, Then it towers up and dominates
all the plain. Those who lived in
and through the war could feel it,
but could not see the size of it as we
looking back are able to. We can
now look through the perspective of
history and realize what it means
that out of the four millions of men
who went out only three-quarters of
million came back. Not only be-
cause of it's size but because of its
kind it was a great war. A war be-
tween brother and brother. Men
who had lived together played to-
gether and studied together went
out to fight each other. Those who
had marched side by side at West
Point faced each other over the muz-
! zles of guns and the glancing Of
steel bayonet. There is no war in
history that takes in the size of this
war when we measure the chasm 1t
opened up in human hearts.
No imagination, however vigorous,
can picture the tragedy of that war.
Think of the terrible loss of life, the
tremendous destruction of treasure,
of the firesides ruined, of the hearth
stones desolated, of the families beg
CARED the national wretchedness and
misery, of the individual suffering
and sacrifice and death. Think Of
the faithful husband as he renoun-
ces the sweet and tender associations
of home, the devoted wife, the cher
ished children, and then think Of him
on the bloody field OF battle slowly
dying of a mortal wound-and all
for principal, all for liberty, all to
preserve a united government of in
destructible states one and indissolu-
BILE, then and forever. Think of the
dutiful son, the silent joy of his
mother, the support Of an aged faith
er-think of his farewell to those
parents-a farewell not until to-
morrow, not until next week but
farewell until they all shall stand be-
fore the judgment bar of God E.
Then think of the suitor as he says
farewell to his sweetheart-sudden-
; ly the drums beat, the advance is
sounded, and they must part for a
time, it may be forever. Think OF
| | JndI u6IO dS ne away W Jut
strident music of the fife and the
drum.
"His not to reason why
, His but to do and die"
7 And then think of him at Shiloh OF
r in the wilderness yielding up his
young life that the great Republic
} may remain.
We try to measure all the sorrow
and the sacrifice, and we are stupifi
ed with horror. The eyes grow dim
the lips are silent, the heart is still
There are names we do not know ant
1 graves we cannot find. There are
: messages that never come, anC
= mournful whispers carried in the
: weeping winds to breaking hearts
Z that never cease to break, yet canno
die. There are memories that time
5 will not obliterate, and familiar foot
: steps that will ever echo and re-echt
= in the corridors of the imagination
: And there are strains of music weirC
I and gay and sweet and sad which
transport all the past upon thei
a matchless melody. And even t.
this day there are tears that will no
y dry and sobs that cannot break il
T. tears. Oh, how superb, how mag
nifcent, how glorious, how cruel
= how terrible, how remorseless, is wa
o to the victorious and to the van
s quished.
/ The fortunes of the civil war rest
q ed now with the North and not wit
the South until Abraham Lincol
h heard above the roar of the storr
h that enveloped him, the low, smoth
Vt cred cry that demanded the freedom
g of race. From that time on victor
= perched on the banners of the Mort
n and the army in blue not only re
e pulsed the rebel in the North but me
him in his own territory, drove hir
q out of his strongest Notifications ur
" til there was not one spot left in a.
d the vaunted southland where h
IS dared to hoist the blood red flag c
e- rebellion or fire another shot agains
l. the stars and stripes.
a. The war was an unspeakable ca
"a amity when we measure only the los
Of of life and treasure but when we tT
is to measure the value of the work PEI
S, formed by the members of ths
v, Grand Army of the Republic, it bC
Or comes the greatest of blessings to l
B.. and to all posterity There could t
IS no new birth of freedom so long 6
b. the old institution of slavery existet
le There could not be a perfect union
Of states until the doctrine of stat
lie rights perished by the sword. An
Is out of that conflict there emerged tt
5. regenerated, the reunited, the rel
tn republic, which is now the marvel I
IL all the civilized world. The confli
It, itself has become priceless and in
or perishable memory. It's bloodie
battlefields cherished everywhere I
lg sacred theatres upon which were
n lustrated the sublimest exhibitions
e. American endurance. American bra
e- cry, American patriotism.
of The heroes of that war, wheth
If robed in the blue of victory or Il
he gray of defeat, each battled for
-e- principle which he believed with g
nd cry aspiration of his soul to be rigt
et each rendered to his cause, the fin
ty measure of duty as he saw it, II
of incompatible valor of each is Il