Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1915-06-02

4
the great questions leading up to
the war 1t was not foreseen that
the war could possibly blot it out.
President Lincoln was elected upon
the platform that, while slavery
must be protected where it was, it
ought not to be carried into any
free territory
The war was commenced in April.
1861. 1t was not until September,
1862, that the Emancipation Proc
lamation was issued, and only de-
clared freedom to all slaves in ce-
coded states. The war was not end
ed until April, 1865, and it was not
until December, 1865, that the 18Th
Amendment to the United States
constitution was adopted abolishlng
slavery in the whole United States.
Did / say that that first shot that
was fired upon the American flag at
FIT. Sumpter carried with it more of
good than any shot that had been fir
ed in the history of the world to
that time? Yes, but at what cost?
1t electrified our country. President
Lincoln called Cor 5000 volunteers,
and he got 100000. The south mo-
bilized their forces and seized all
supplies within their reach. The
shot Mortified the countries of the
world. 1t meant that a great civil
war was in progress where neighbor
would fight against neighbor, father
against son, aye, brother against
brother.
In that war each side lost 800, 900
in killed and 100000 crippled FOR
life. The country lost million Of
it's best men. One out of every six
families in the whole United States
AS many men were killed as there
was at that time of human beings in
the whole state of Iowa.
Winneshiek county is great big
county and is just full of human be-
ings of all ages and sexes. At Cold
Harbor the number of men killed IN
twenty minutes equaled half the
number of human beings there are
in Winneshiek county today.
At Murfreesboro both sides fought
until one out of every four OF all
men engaged were dead At Antietem
both sides fought until when they
fell back they left windows of dead
men which showed where they had
stood.
All the human beings in Winnie
shiek county today, men, women and
children, only number one third OF
the killed at Gettysburg.
The civil war came to that proNor-
tions that in one engagement 400
more men were killed on the union
side than there are human beings IN
DEBORAH today, and yet that engage
ment was not thought of enough i'm
portance to even make mention of It
in the Commanding Generals mill
tary report to his superiors at Wash
ington.
Some were killed in great battles,
Some in lessor ones,-Some in
skirmish,-Some on the march,
Some while on picket duty in the
dead of night, watching while the
others slept,-Some died in prisons,
Some by disease in the camp and
in the hospital,-Some were in the
navy and went to their graves on the
ships on which they served,-And
some returned home and few are
here today.
Each did and suffered his Part as
laid down for him by the fates and
his superior officers. Each for his
part is entitled to the kindly thought
the kindly word spoken, and the
placing of the beautiful flowers.
"Give your sunshine to the living,
Scatter flowers with eager hands,
You may make the chord responsive,
That will vibrate in the land.
Lavish smiles upon the aged,
Cheer the sad ones on their way,
You may make this world an Eden,
By the kindness of today"