The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1922-05-31

! the meaning "of tho horrors of war"
And As We look back today over thu
pages OF history and learn OF the hun
! dredS OF thousands who were slain. th'
awful hardships and privations you en-
! dured with matchleSs hcroism, not alone
! the Blue, but the grey as we'll. th'
mighty questions you settled forever D,
| the grim arbitrament Of war, l fee
| that this great nation must never bt
found wanting in respect and love FOL
/ It's soldier dead. and, with profound
! gratitude. make the last days OF these
old veterans OF '61--the surviving rem
! nant OF this army OF glorious achieve
ments. who in the midst OF the intlrmI
! ties OF age are still lighting the battles
and contending with the difficulties o
! life-days OF pleasantness and thei'
/; pathways paths Of peace.
| It Is not my intention or purpose to
day TO revive tho bitter memories an'
| rccollections Of the war for the Union
! God forbid! The loyalty and God-likC
! charity OF this Grand Army Of the Re
public and tho brave soldiers of the
Southern Confederacy. treasurinS only
as historic memories the four Ions
years YOU faced each other upon Tho
! bloody fields OF battle. have Ions
since buried these memories benath tht
clasped hands that spanned the chasu
that divided the North from the South
! and today whatever the God OF nations
may have IN store for us. we Will mcc
/ II united natlon--one nation, ono poo
! pie. marching 10 our destiny, under on'
J flag.
! The Great Principle
! Can we not. however, on this Memo
! rial day. In memory OF our dead who are
sleeping their last sleep. In tho liEh'
! OF reason and the Intelligence that has
! como TO us. look back over the inter
| venIng years. look back 70 tho grea'
! civil war. look back n that war fo'
humanity that drove from tho hmer'
! can continent that nation that for Sol
! years OUTRAGED humanity and Justice n
their treatment Of the people OF the
! Islands OF tho sea: aye look back but
| Yesterday. 20 that greatest OF all wars
! IN the history Of the world. and ask our
! selves the question. For what great
principle wero these heroic sacrifices
| made. and have these men died In
vain?'
What was the real issue IN tho civil
war; Was Il the abolition or extension
question OF the right of n state 10 Sc
cede or withdraw from Union OF States?
No, not that. Was It jealousy between
the North and South. eliminating In
n desire to test the military proves
Of the North? No. not that: for we'll
thew knew that when Greek met Greek
there would come a tug OF war the Ike
Of which the world had never known.
Il was given. however. to the prophetic
vision Of Abraham Lincoln, looking out
over the heads OF all the great states
men Of his day. to see and realize that
the true overshadowinC Issue 10 he de-
termined was: Whether the United
States Of America-this nation that had
been torn from the breast OF an unwiIl-
Ing monarchy by washington and his
CO. patriots and dedicated To the prin-
clples Of liberty and equality'-"coulh
long endure. Ays, Whether this grea {
government "of the people and for the
neonle" would go down In the darkness
and gloom of n never-cnd!ng night. only
70 Re remembered among the failures
OF men. or whether II would live and
be .kamemNered In benedlction by gene
ratlons yet unborn.
The Great Test
In the cruCihle Of civil war, the awful
test was made: and into that hell
bubbling cauldron was poured Woe sor-
row, desolation. and the blood OF hair
n million men as brave "a ever trod the
earth, the Blue rs we'll and the Grey as
we'll an awful sacrifice. But when
YOUR great commander. General Grant,
ouenched the rebellion at AppomattoS'
there arose. Phoenix-like, from the ashes
n nation. purified from the foul blot or
slavery; n nation that said to the world,
UNTIL THE END OF TIME this land
offers liberty. not only refuge. hut an
eternal abiding place
For many years after III" CONNECT
The wounds that tho war had made
healed slowly. hut the sentiment mat
had como from the very soul OF Lincoln.
with malice toward none and charity
for all" was eating It's way into the
wary hearts or mon. both North and
South. while the prophecy that he ut
tered. that came almost rs bencdic-
ton to his life, that
Tho mystic chords o' memory
stretching from every battlefield
and patriots grave. tn every Nv
Ing hearth and hearthstone. all over
this broad land. will yet swell the
chorus Of the Union. when again
touched. as they surely will be nv
the angels of our better nature,
seemed 10 hc growing nearer 10 fuIti!l-
ment. and Il only required THE Call TO
Arms" to break down every barrier and
bring US together a united nation. We
know the response that came 70 Co
rrmhin's Call to Arms" for the war with
Spain, From every section Of our land
north. south. east and west-came
"a Mo volunteers not for war OF con-
nunSt. but to raise down-trodden peo-
ME from serfdom to the majestic
heights OF a free and independent peo-
nile, with the glorious sunlight OF hope
permeatlng and radlatlng from every
life and home
Yes. friends, reconciliation came and
was complete. when the citizen soldiers
Of the republic--the Blue and the GREY
charged up the heights of FL Canay.
cheered on and inspired by that great
est American since the days OF Lincoln.
our own Roosevelt. and that grizzled
old Confederate veteran. General Joe
Wheeler. OF Alabama sweeping every
thing before them. IN that glorious hour
there arose from every section or our
land q Song OF gladness so rich In har-
MANY that even the very angels or
heaven. bending from their thrones
STONED the music OF their harps 10 u.s.
ten 10 the refrain. Let There Be Peace
Between Us Forever more"
Again the war Clouds
But again thAvwar clouds gather over