The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1917-06-02

e viving the passions and prejudice
1 that prevailed during that trying
: epoch, and that followed in the train
I of the conflict after the arbitramen
e of the sword had awarded victory tt
the Union hosts. Our only object il
t that we may derive wisdom and IN
2 spiration for the future from the les
: sons of the past; that the rocks anc
F., shoals which then beset the ship Of
state may be henceforth avoided, anc
that we may move forward IN unity
{ and concord to the fruition of oul
/ magnificent manifest destiny as re.
, habilitated nation and a reunited PEG.
pie.
If we come together to recount the
heroic deeds and glorify the sacred
memories of the dauntless boys in
blue who bore the stars and stripes
aloft throughout four long years Of
deadly strife and carnage to ultimate
triumph, we do so without tinge of
bitterness against the equally valiant
boys in gray, who with heroism and
devotion unsurpassed, upheld the
banner of the Lost Cause until it went
down in honorable defeat at APP
pomatox.
The gentle and beneficent hand of
| time has healed the wounds and
tempered the acerbities Of the mighty
combat that filled these quiet graves
dotting the landscape around US, and
while we give thanks that the out
come Of the struggle was in accord
with what we believe was just and
right and best, we can feel sense
| of pride in the valor of victors and
vanquished alike, for they were Amer
leans all, and the honor and glory of
their achievements is the common
heritage of all Americans.
The preservation of the union of
states and the failure, of the attempt
to divide these colaces apwealths into
two distinct and es Is rate govern
ments, is a result nopT regarded with
willing assent and approval by virtu-
ally al ! SURVEYS the var s1 Whp
karaa9by the descaasF az .Hla nsaraa.s
have passed to their reward during
the fifty-two years that have elapsed
since chivalrous Lee surrendered his
sword to magnanimous Grant in the
spring of 1865. Let it be said with
pride and joy that nowhere in the
country is there manifested today
greater loyalty to the republic, more
sincere admiration of the star
spangled banner, or. deeper spirit |
of patriotism than prevail in the
southern states of the Union. No |
reader response was anywhere made
to President McKinley's call for
troops at the outbreak Of the war with |
Spain than that which came from the
south, and it should ever be source
of proud satisfaction to Louisianians
that none of the states led our own
in the promptness of this response,
or in the number and quality of the
troops, both white and black, that
eagerly enlisted for the fray, ami
mated with a desire to vindicate the
honor of the American flag, to avenge
the murderous destruction of the
Maine in the harbor of Havana, and
to carry the blessings of liberty and
free government to the long Cypress
ed people of Cuba
Let us hope that like spirit of
patriotism-love of country and will
lngness to perish if need be in her
defense-will animate the people of
Louisiana and all our sister states in
the great world crisis now upon us,
and that the summons from Presi
dent Wilson for defenders Of the flag
and champions Of the principles of
human rights and human liberty will
meet with the same ready and eff
.ectlve response in 1917 that Presi-
lent McKinley's call elected in 1898.
AS the chief magistrate of our
government and the chosen spokes-
nan OF the American people has said,
he autocracy of Germany is waging
warfare against mankind, and the
lending campaign of ruthlessness
nd barbaric methods, employed
gainst combatants and non-com-
atants, women and children as we'll
$ men, without discrimination, is
hallenge to all mankind which the
eople of this nation-dedicated as it
to the principles of freedom and
quality on land and sea-cannot af-
ord to evade or disregard There is
ne choice" to quote the words Of
resident Wilson, 1--WE cannot make,
re are incapable of making: We will
OF choose the path of submission
nd suffer the most sacred rights of
ur nation and our people to be ig-
ored or violated. The wrongs
sainst which we now array ourselves
re no common wrongs; they cut to
lie very roots of human life.
ur object is to vindicate the prin-
pies OF peace and Justice in the life
the world as against selfish and
ltocratlc power, and to set up
nongst the really free and self
'Verned peoples of the world such a
ncert of purpose and action as will
insure the observance of
ose principles. Z We de
'e no conquest, no dominion. We
Elk no indemnities for ourselves, no
aterial compensation for the sacri-
es we shall freely make. The
'rld must be made safe for democ-
cy. Its peace must be planted up
the trusted foundations Of po-
zeal liberty. To such a task we can
dictate our lives and our fortunes,
erything that we are and everything
at we have, with the pride of those
10 know that the day has come
zen America is privileged to spend
: blood and her might for the prin-
les that uava how ksr+h ord hsnni.