The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-07-01

was proceeding with the regularity of
clockwork today and that less than a
dozen trains are yet to arrive When
these are in all of the veterans will
have arrived. The rush of veterans
who are leaving after an experience
of several hours in camp is so great
that special trains are being made up
for their accommodation. Some of
these are men who have become i'll be-
cause of the heat and lack of accom-
modations in the great camp. Others
are Pennsylvanians who had been here
since last week attending the annual
encampment OF the Pennsylvania de-
partment of the G. A. r. Less than
500 men are in the hospital camp.
most of them suffering from intestinal
complaints due to uncautious eating.
Lindley NJ. Garrison, secretary of
war, said:
I'm the name of the nation, I bid
you welcome. In the name of the
whole people of a united country,
bid you twice welcome. In the name
of it's people who recognize the high
import of this fraternal gathering, you
are thrice welcome.
Enmity Changed to Amity.
"Once again is Gettysburg the CEN
ter of the worlds attention. Once
again does this field tremble under |
in fear, however, but in joy. The !
field of enmity has become the field
of arnity. You have trodden under |
your feet the bitter weeds of hate and |
up the pure flowers of friendship and !
love. -.
Gettysburg seems destined to be |
the stage upon which shall be unfold |
ed the scenes of a great historic |
drama. Within the short span of fifty |
years, its gentle slopes and placid |
plains have witnessed three scenes of
great historic import, running the
whole gamut of mans threefold ma |
ture. Each scene has been unique |
and typical OF its kind: First the bat |
Wit - 81, a1o.I 1is--i
play of the physical powers of man; !
then the great heart and mind of
Abraham Lincoln, bodied forth in his
wonderful address delivered here; |
and last. this assem- blage. the deep
spiritual significance of which can
scarcely be exaggerated. So we have
body, mind and spirit, each displaying
its distinctive characteristics to their
fullest extent upon this small stage of
the worlds great theater.
Equal Met Equal.
FIFTY years ago today, there began
here one of those conflicts between
man and man, marked by such ex-
hibitions of valor, courage and almost
superhuman endurance as to engrave
itself upon the tablet of history, there
to remain ever memorable. Equal
met equal; and in the domain of phys
1cal prowess all were worthy of medals
of honor The superiority was that of
resources, not of individual strength
or courage. So long as men love valor
and worship heroes, the name of
Gettysburg, and of those who fought
there, will be ever on their lips. Four
months afterwards, the field of Gettys-
burg inspired in the great mind and
heart of Abraham Lincoln the most
wonderful prose poem ever written
world and sang in the hearts of men,
and will continue to sing in the blood
of the sons of men until Time itself
shall be no more.
In Brotherly Union.
M lac ~ hut Nv |
this gathering here upon the field of
Gettysburg today. Thousands and tens
of thousands of former foes are here
gathered together in brotherly union.
You who first met upon this field to
vie with each other in doing hurt the I
one to the other. now meet here to
outvie each other in deeds of kind
ness and friendship and love. History
holds no parallel. This meeting is the
final demonstration that the last en-
bers of the former time have been
stamped out; and the great conflagra-
ton, which 1t was feared would con- ;
sumo our country, merely served to
weld the different parts of it so firmly I
together and into such a perfect whole ]
that no power can ever break it. The
Civil war was battle for ideals; and {
If our beloved country could with
stand war waged for ideals. one
waged for any lower, baser purpose ,
can never overthrow 1t.
Looking Back With Unbiased Eye. 7
Time has enabled us to attain a {
truer perspective than was possible
while nearneSs to the conflict obscured I
the fact Looking back with an I'M l
biased eye, we can see the truth; we Y
can see that in the very nature of :
things some such conflict was neces-
sary to settle great questions for which
there was no peaceful tribunal; we
can see that the war of '61 was fought
by men upon each side for the right
as each saw it; we can acclaim, with
a viz y lob me-
may hold. that the men on each side
were actuated by high, pure purposes, :
and were compelled by their con- I
sciences to do what they did. Before \
the wer we were a loosely connected \
band of communities; we emerged \
from 1t a firmly welded together ma I
ton. S
Constitution Without Model.
I'VE must recall that the settlers of :
our country came from all parts of
the world, actuated by no common
impulse, and associated for no COM
mon purpose; that the constitution z
was without a model, and at the in c
ception it loosely bound together thir- c
teen ommonwealths that had little in c
common excepting the necessity of
combinations against an outer enemy
Each state or community, almost of
necessity, became seIf-centered; and
communication and commerce in those
days was 50 slight that there was little y
of any sort between
the people of the different sections of
the land.
"At the time of the Civil war this
great, wonderful experiment in self F
government was only ~ years old, F
and up to that time each community n
had busted itself with great energy to
develop it's own resources and increase :
it's own strength and means. So busy !,
was each community in those pioneer
ing days that, whatever, the inclina- q
ton might have been, there was little :
time opportunity for mutual con-
and