The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1913-06-05

down as heroes, often times in a
cause that only succeeded in enslav-
ing their subjects. These honors
were paid not by the people, but by
themselves and always to those who
survived the ordeal Of war and re-
turned wearing the laurel wreath of
conquerers. No honor, no thought,
no attention was paid to those who
lost their lives, perhaps in just as
heroic a manner and possibly in a
more courageous way. But here in
this fair land of ours we have found
out better way.
"Once year the dear little chill
dren and their loyal mothers and
sisters bring bright beautiful flowers,
and with tender, loving hands, strew
them upon the mounds where rest
the sacred dust of their soldier boys.
From time immemOrial flowers have
been mathematical Of all that is
sweet and pure and good. No offer
ing could be so appropriate from liv-
ing, loving hearts, still pulsing with
life and vigor, to the sacred memory
of one who gave up his life for the
land he loved. The grave of our
great martyred president, the i'm
mortal Lincoln, is marked with a
costly monument, reared by the low
ing hands and hearts Of a grief
stricken nation, and we, one and
all, say it is we'll.
"You whose eyes had not yet
opened on this beautiful but sin
cursed world in 1861 can have but
the faintest conception Of those ter
rible years of war and carnage which
we old veterans endured in the war
of the rebellion. How we'll remem-
Der the night of April II, 1861. Fol-
lowing the election of Abraham Lin
coin to the presidency in 1860 loud
and vehement threats were made by
the Shareholders of the south that he
should never occupy that honored
chair, or, that if he did, it would be
over a divided country, because the
southern states would secede and or
ganize a confederacy Of it's own, the
cornerstone of which should be
human slavery. Little attention Or
heed was given this buster, for it
had been heard before, and the
people of the northern states did not
for moment believe it was earnestly
spoken. But on April II, 1861, Fort
Sumpter in Charleston harbor, gar
risoned by only a small company of
the regular army, and floating high
in the air the beautiful Star
Spangled banner, was fired upon,
and the bombardment was so fast
and SO furious that Major Robert
Anderson, the commandment, at last
struck his flag and surrendered the
fort to those who had sworn to sup
port and defend that flag, and we're
therefore rebels and traitors:
1.-THE news was flashed all over the
country, and at once there was such
a blaze of excitement as was never
seen before even in the days of the
revolution.
II speak to some, [ know, who
gladly, willingly and promptly re-
sponded to that call, and they with
me will recall those four terrible
years which followed.
''They will remember the sad, sad
parting with dear old father and
mother, loving brothers and sisters
and those other dearer ones, who if
not then, possibly at some future
time they loved as their sweethearts
and wives.
''Some of you, with broken heart
strings left behind you wives and
children and many who made This
sacrifice for the land they loved
never came back to see those little
families but were shot to death on
bloody battlefelds.
"You may glory that you live in
this year of our Lord 1913, but we old
'OOOA 1llS VI UAlC ~. n. L. SlOIy
we lived in 1861 and were able to
have hand in crushing the slave
holders rebellion, and in saving to
you a nation, one and inseparab]e,
the Old Glory without star gone. -
Here the speaker paid a tribute to
the mothers and wives of the old
soldiers.
"All honor to the boys here OF
1898, who responded to the call of
our president, when Spain in all he1
arrogance blew up the Maine in
Havana harbor, sending more than
200 of our brave boys to watery
graves without a moments warming,
and her inhuman treatment of the
Cubans. L sincerely trust, if there
should be a grave hereabouts that
holds the ashes of a Spanish war vet
eran that it has not beer forgotten
"These graves that you have