Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1915-05-28

and appreciation of the vast bestow-
ment that the blood of the fallen
contributed to the nation and to the
world. Freedom unfurlel her banner
once more, and this time it was over
the CORY fields of fratricidal warfare;
this time it was not to the trumpeting
OF declaration of independence, but
to the sonorous sound of the procla-
nation of freedom for the serviie
classes of the population. The South
was freed from its trammels and
blossomed out as the section of the
country most American and endowed
with the greatest wealth of unrealized
resources. The country blossomed
out in the new power and influence of
a union indissoluble, of a house no
longer divided against itself The
world paid tribute to the heroes of
battlefelds as sacred as any of those
which, in Holy Writ, set forth the
epochs in the progress of mankind in
the theocracies of the past Freedom
had given it new content and civili-
zation had bestowed upon it new
dignity, and life, and valor were given
fresh glory in the tremendous strug-
gle which is commemorated on Deco
ration day-the day of solemn hush,
yet of glorious recollection, the day
when the tears of sad recollection are
shot through with the rainbows OF a
perennial rejoicing
The commission of liberty cannot
be laid aside, even If the nation that
has set up the standard of freedom
for mankind could discharge its obli-
cations to the world otherwise.
Wherever there are oppressed there
is felt the magnet of the influence of
American freedom; and so from the
serf-afiicted land of Russia, from the
| life-hurdened lands of Europe, come
the slaves of oppression and of harsh
discrimination. the subjects of the
curse Of inequality, that they may
| join in the song of those redeemed
| from such conditions or those whose
| birthright 1t is to enjoy life. liberty
| and the pursuit of happiness. No
wonder that the country is virtually
| at pause as the observation OF the
sacred day of reverence for the ma
TONS slain uplifts to the view OF
mankind the dignity and power Of
| ideals that are woven into the life
and character of a free people. No
| wonder that from the highest to the
lowliest the officers of state and the
citizens pay tribute to the men who
remade the nation. Animosity, re-
sentiment, schism are all in the past
and united people rejoice in the out
come of a fiercely dividing struggle.
To the world of today, this great
tragedy of half century ago is but
tradition and not a living memory, but
the passing years can never efface
that record fvom the very souls OF
| those who went through that fiery
furnace in the great struggle for the
nations life with its frightful toll OF
precious young lives sacrificed 20 the
Moloch of one of the worlds greatest
| wars. Costly indeed was the price with
(which the dawning peace was bought:
Fourteen thousand men killed and
wounded at Shiloh; $4,000 went down
at Chickahominy: 10000 at Antietam
and $4,000 more at Fredericksburg
$1,000 killed or crippled at Chancel
lorsville; $4,000 lives sacrificed on the
field at Gettysburg: 10000 at Chicka
manga: $4,000 at Spottsylvania. while
1000 fell in the Battle of the Wilder
ness
In those four years of blood and
carnage, $4,000 men persisted by the
bullet, 1S6,U00 by disease, and 25,0OC
died from other causes--a total OF