Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-06-01
call from the bugle Of the archangel

call from the bugle OF the archangel
of God.
but you do not need our monu.
They add nothing to your heroism,
They do not repay you for your sacri-
fices. A better reward is yours. But
rather we need them. Our nation
needs these monuments. We of 4
younger generation and our children
and children's children, until the end
OF time, need to gather for these
memorial services to place fresh
laurel wreaths on the graves OF the
nations illustrious dead. For we are
the ones who need the lesson in
patriotism that such occasions con-
vey. For nation that knows not
how to honor it's heroes is not worthy
Of having any heroes and wills not
have any. / have often thought of
the message that day will bring to
us, when we shall gather for memorial
services and not one of you, Grand
Army Men, shall be present. We see
that day coming. 1t is not far dis
tant Then shall. we mourn, and
gather at your graves as we are gath
cred round about your comrades
graves today. and you. being dead,
shall vet speak to us, and we shall
hear
Eyes, We need to learn the lesson of
patriotism which we may learn from
you And why? In order to glorify
war; No! But rather to glorify peace.
feel thit If there Is one thing that
you would say to US today, on this
Memorial day, and In the shadow Of
the awful world cataclysm that threat
ems even to engulf us, 1t Is to keep
the peace that God has hitherto
vouchsafed unto us. You, better than
anyone else, can tell us OF the hor-
rors of war. You know how little
glory there Is in war and how terrible
and degrading its reality is You are
ready to say with me today that II
war has any glory it's glory Is only
borrowed from peace. What Is it that
sheds glory on the battlefield? Is 1t
the brutal lust of carnage? Is it the
wild exhibition of animal courage
Is it the roar of the cannon, the
shrieks Of the dying? Is 1t the after
math of disabled strength of manhood.
the tears of widows. the distress of
orphaned children? All these you say
are the sinister shadows of war.
Where then is it's glory? Is 1t in the
marshaled columns. the waving ban
ners, the music? There isn't much of
that in war today, and even when
there is. there hovers over the scene
the vulture of death Is it not rather
in the virtues that have been learned
In times of peace, and which are not
| forgotten in war? The obedience of
the soldier, HE love of country, his
reverence for the flag, his one pur-
pose to live and die for truth and JUS
tice, his noble attempts to make war
less hellish, more humane, the hand
extended in help to the fallen. help
less enemy | say are not these and
all other virtues of war borrowed from
peace?
Have there been any glorious
wars? Yes, you say, and point with
pride to the wars of this country. Why
have they been glorious? Because
! they have been fought for high and
noble principles. We have fought for
liberty, for Justice. for peace, a lasting
peace on sure foundations. And this
| has shed its lustre on the hundred
great battlefields where the Stars and
Stripes has been victorious 1t has
been and is the glory Of peace that
glorif1es Old Glory"
Continuing, the speaker spoke OF
the tremendous cost Of war. not only
In dollars and cents, but in manhood
, and high ideals, and presented war as
! the great destroyer, the curse OF man.
He said that the worthy ideal is peace
! The cost OF peace is also great. Often
the cost Of peace has been war. Even
so the prize has been worth the price.
But how much better II peace can be
maintained at less cost. No nation
can remain In the enjoyment Of peace
that is not worthy Of 1t and willing
to pay the cost. The cost is measured
in true love Of country. in subordina-