Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1915-06-25

erection that VIII be Tor Cne welfare
of the nation regarding the peace
problem.
MEMORIAL DAY ADDRESS
Continued from page /.
will have opportunity for such he
roic service to mankind as coming
was repealed by some one who there
in lost the immortal part of himself.
Somewhere amid the statements and
misstatements which veil the record
of events there was an hour when
some man being wise enough of
mind and strong enough of will and
gentle enough of heart could have
used that earthly power which then
was likest Gods and checked all this
savagery and sorrow and Oscillation
and defilement. He might have
gained no personal glory or award
of any kind. In history he might
have been misjudged or forgotten.
The world could never have imagined
the scope of his service and the act
would doubtless have passed as Incl
dental. But all that would have
made up the sublimest elements OF
his heroic service. Men of such a
nature have lived and died unknown
to history. Men with souls great
enough to gladly die unknown for
opportunity for such service have
lived among us here and others there
are like them living among us still.
Of such a nature was one whose
name recurs among the wisest and
| strongest and gentlest of earth's
rulers as we assemble on this day.
Did we not believe him to have been
great enough, had it been required,
| to have surrendered all the renown
that so justly and generously came
to him that he might perform his
sublime duty to mankind did we not
feel that he would cheerfully have
met such requirement, we could no
longer cherish as we do the name of
Abraham Lincoln. If it were pos
sible for Abraham Lincoln to have
kept this country at peace till states
rights and slavery could have been
settled by diplomacy and legislation
rather than by the death of five
hundred thousand of the nations
youth andmanhoodhad it been-pos
sible for him to have done that
though at the cost of all his fame
we doubt not that his great sou
would have welcomed the oppor
tunity. Now then after fifty year
when this country faces issues o
'. lesser consequence which may in
volve us in the most widespread an,
! desolating warfare known to history
if it is possible for the chief execu
tive of this nation to keep us a
peace till the hour of madness sha
, have passed, rather than sen
l hundreds of thousands of our yout
and manhood to the death tina
would await them on sea and lane
in the waters beneath them an
through the air above them--if it
possible for him to do this at an
sacrifice to himself, you and | b.
lieve him yet free from o'ermaste
ing ambition and great enough G
soul to do it; and ignoring all petit
! chance for partisan advantage, / fe'
! your unqualified command to an.
one representing you in any place {
influence to be, Help him to do it.
There are men in this country tt
: day who tell us that there are limi
. beyond which the preservation {
our national honor will not allow |
to go. Well, let us remember thu
a nations honor dies only by slo
/, degradation and there are time
It when to accept humiliation is tn
= strongest possible reinforcement fe
It future victory. Many years Of fo
bearance are soon forgotten If the
d lead at last to triumph. All tn
L patriotism and courage Of the Civ
Ell War could not prevent the perpetu,