The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1915-05-29

and appreciation of the vast bestow-
ment that the blood of the fallen
contributed to the nation and to the
world. Freedom unfurled her banner
once more, and this time it was over
the CORY fields of fratricidal warfare;
this time 1t was not to the trumpeting
Of a declaration of independence, but
nation of freedom for the servile
classes Of the population. The South
was freed from it's trammels and
blossomed out as the section of the
country most American and endowed
with the greatest wealth of unreaIized
resources. The country bIossomed
out in the new power and influence of
union indissoluble, of a house 60
longer divided against itself The
world paid tribute to the heroes of
battlefie1ds 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 a new content and civili-
cation had bestowed upon it new
dignity, and life, and vaIor 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
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-affiicted land Of Russia, from the
life-burdened 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 it 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 from 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 to 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; $4,000 at Antietam
and Is 600 more at Fredericksb burg
1900 killed or crippled at Chancei
Iorsville; $4,000 lives sacrificed on the
field at Gettysburg; 10000 at Chicka
manga; $4,000 at SpottsyIvania. while
1900 fell in the Battle of the Wilder
ness.
In those four years of blood and
carnage, $4,000 men persisted by the
bullet, 1S6,UO0 by disease, and $4,000
died from other causes-a total OF