;
MAY 29, 1908
7
The Blue and the Gray
N. C. Abbott, principal of the Tekamah
(Neb.) public schools, delivered at Tekamah
a Memorial day address from which The Com
moner is permitted to take these extracts:
What, really, is the significance of this day?
What is its purpose? To my mind it serves two
purposes not one. It proves to you veterans
that your noble deeds, your heroic self-sacrifice,
has never been forgotten, will never bo forgotten,
"Till the stars grow old,
And the sun grows cold,
And the leaves of the Judgment Book unfold."
It is a reminder to you that we appreciate
this great union which you, by sweat of hand and
sweat of heart and sweat of brain, have pre
served for us.
The other purpose applies to us of the
younger generation alone, and not to you. I
can best state it in the words of the immortal
Lincoln on the battle-field of Gettysburg: "It
is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great
task remaining before us, that from these hon
ored dead we take increased devotion to that
cause for which they gave the last full measure
of devotion that we hero highly resolve that
these dead shall not have died in Tain that
that nation under God, shall have a new birth
of freedom, and that government of the people,
by the people, for the people, shall not perish
from the earth."
My friends, let us have no feeling of hatred
in our hearts today! In this great and far
spreading union, there still should be no room
for enmity and ill will. It is true that some
loved ones fell perhaps at Gettysburg, per
haps in the wilderness. But long ago, the myrtle
has grown above those dear remains and nature
has kindly wiped out the marks of fiery passion
and dread carnage teaching us a lesson that
we must not fail to understand. We believe
that our southern brethren were mistaken; we
believe that they were wrong; we believe that
they, flew in the face of Providence and of Pro
gress. But we also know that they suffered;
we know that thdy went "back to farms grown
up to weeds; we know that they were heart
broken and in tears. In the light of all these
facts, In the presence of the spirits that here
hover over us, can we have any thought, any
feeling, save a benediction and heartfelt love?
James Ford Rhodes, an eminent historian
is writing a history of the United-States, which
to my mind is one of the most Inspiring books
ever published in English. In the introduction,
Mr. Rhodes says that he expects to treat of the
period from the Missouri compromise up to the
election of Grov'er Cleveland. He declares that
the return to Jpower of the democratic party
under Mr. Cleveland showed that "the great
questions which1 had their origin in that war
had been settled as far as they could bo by
legislation or executive direction." He contin
ues: "Time only, that old common arbitrator
could do the rest." At the time the historian
penned those words he could not peer Into the
future. Had he been able to do so, what visions
must have passed before his sight! A people
ground down beneath the heel of the haughty
Don; a people, aye, even at our very door. Our
sympathies aroused by the foul Injustice. A
battleship in the harbor of Havana. A sharp
explosion that goes echoing and reverberating
round the globe as the Maine and her intrepid
crew are swallowed up in the turgid waves. A
vengeance, quick and dread as the lightning
flash, and Spain goes back to her home across
the water.
The war with Spain was awful! War can
never be anything but awful; yet the war with
Spain was worth all It cost. And why? Be
cause it brought the north and south closer to
gether than, they had ever been since that fatal
day when bombs went hissing and screaming
and wrapping in dunnest smoke of hell the starry
flag above Fort Sumter. Because it showed to
us of the north .that we have one union a
union which we sincerely pray may never again
be rent in fratricidal strife, or drenched in fra
ternal blood. Because the regiments of Massa
chusetts and the regiments of South Carolina
again had a common purpose. Because Joe
Wheeler and Fitzhugh Lee and James Long
street were again in blue uniform, keeping. step
to the drum beat of the Union.
Do not lament the war with Spain! It was
glorious!
.The great leaders of our civil war were
splendid types of American manhood. Nor must
The Commoner.
wo think that all the great leaders wero on ono
side. The north had Lincoln, Seward, Grant,
Logan, Sherman, Sheridan, McClollan, Scott and
a host of others. The south had Robert B. Loo,
the two Johnstons, Jefferson Davis, Alexander H.
Stephens, Toombs and Yancy. Thero woro
giants in those days. Greek was meeting Greek.
It will not, I trust, be considered amiss if
I devote a few words to the typo of men who
opposed each other in that momentous struggle.
Abraham, Lincoln and Jefferson Davis, states
men! Ulysses Simpson Grant and Robert Ed
ward Lee, soldiers!
Lincoln and Davis what memories cluster
about those names! Practically of the same ago
only one year dividing them a single state,
Kentucky, had the honor of beiug tho mother
of both. As tho ono toddled about a log cabin
in Hardin county, the other was being carefully
and tenderly coddled in a substantial home in
Christian county. If you ever take a pilgrim
age to the spot where our beloved Lincoln first
drew tho breath of life, I suggest to you that
when you reach the little station for your return,
you cast your eye upon tho large railroad map
hanging on the dingy wall, and look for Chris
tian county. Notice how close to each other
the two counties are. Less than two hours will
take you from the birth place of one to the birth
place of the other. Only three counties Ohio,
Grayson and Muhlenburgh separato thorn.
What destiny was it that intonded ono of these
babes to bo the hero of tho federals; tho other
the hero of the confederates?
Aside from the accident of birth, however,
thero Is more room for contrast than for com
parison. IVhile Lincoln was toiling on the farm
by day 'and studying Euclid in tho light of fag
gots by night, Davis was pursuing a classical
and military course at Transylvania and West
Point. The one was a grocery clerk in a coun
try store; tho other, in his own words, "followed
under tropical suns and over northern snows
the flag of the union." For ten years, Davis
was a successful planter; while Lincoln was a
struggling lawyer and a member of the Illinois
legislature. Lincoln emerged from obscurity to
serve one brief term In tho United States house
of representatives; Davis had already been pro
moted to the United States senate. During the
twelve years before the fatal blow at Sumter
the former was In retirement; tho latter was
serving in tho United States senate and as secre
tary of war. On February 22, 1861, Jefferson
Davis became president of the confederacy; in
less than two weeks afterward, Abraham Lin
coln became president of the Union.
The rest of their history Is known to you.
Why repeat It?
To him who poured out his life blood for
the preservation of our union, we, pay the tribute
of our warmest love. Yet should we not also
feel intensest sympathy for him whose mistaken
sense of duty caused him to turn his hand
against the government established by Wash
ington, Franklin, Madison, Jefferson and Adams;
a government which was baptised in the blood
of Lexington and Bunker Hill? No one can
read the farewell of Jefferson Davis, spoken in
the United States senate, without being pro
foundly moved by it: "It may be pardoned to me,
sir, who, in my boyhood was given to the mili
tary service, and who have followed under trop
ical suns and over northern snows the flag of
the union, suffering from It as It does not bo
come me to speak It, If I here express the deep
sorrow which always overwhelms me when I
think of taking a last leave of that object of
early affection and proud association, feeling
that henceforth it is not to be the banner which,
by day and by night, I am ready to follow, to
hail with the rising and bless with the setting
sun "
The time for misinterpretation of Jefferson
Davis is gone. He was wrong; but he thought
ho was right.
A southron speaking in tho United SJtates
house of representatives as to whether the names
of northern victories should be erased from cap
tured southern flags voiced the sentiment that
it would do well for both federal and confeder
ate to adopt in the matter of tho great leaders.
It was none other than Lucius Q. C. Lamar who
then declared: "Southerners do not wish the
north to strike the mementos of heroism and
victory from either records, or monuments, or
battle-flags. They would rather that both sec
tions should gather up the glories won by each
section, not envious, but proud of each other,
and regard them as common heritage of Amer
ican valor."
The captains of the contending hosts should
attract our nttontionRobort Edward Leo and
Ulysses Simpson Grant. A most conoorvativo
writer has said of Loo: "In all essential char
acteristics Lee resomblod Washington, and had
tho great work of his Hfo been crowned with
success or had ho chosen the othor side, tbo
world would havo acknowledged that Virginia
could In a century produce two inon who wero
tho embodiment of public and privato virtuo."
This eulogy, in my opinion, is not too high
ly colored. General Leo stands out in bold ro
liof a typo of thoso magnificent men whoso
purity in public and privato life has reached
tho ideals of philosophers. Of a kingly linoago,
he seemod to Inherit all tho .virtues marred by
none of tho vices of his ancestors. During his
whole life ho had been a soldier; yet ho hid
been through It all untouched by tho vices that
rogular soldiers aro so apt to acquire. Wo re
gret that Robert Edward Lee, ono of nature's
noblemen, did not espouse tho cause of tho north.
Duty seemed to call him olsewhoro and ho
resolutely followed.
Tho biography of Ulysses S. Grant shows
tho lights and shadows of American Hfo in
greatest contrast. In boyhood quiet and unas
suming, no earnest was givon of tho man
destined to become tho groat captain of tho
American civil conflict. At West Point ho was
undistinguished, savo for his splendid horse
manship, graduating twenty-first in a class of
thirty-nine. Ho himself has told us, In thoso de
lightful reminiscences which will doubtless, two
thousand years hence, bo studied in tho school
room as Caesar is studied today I say Grant
has told us how ho became interested in novels
and romances during his cadet Hfo and wasted
his time in reading them instoad of studylnr
Tactics. After leaving West Point the young
officer remained with tho army, serving In tho
Mexican war with distinction. In 1854, tho year
in which Lincoln was born again Grant rotlred
from the army. Ho attempted to go into busi
ness; but he only managed to go into debt. The
black word "failure" must bo written over his
sad experience at Galena, Illinois. Whon war
came on, tho unsuccessful tanner of Illinois be
came the most successful general in our civil
conflict.
So simple, so direct, so honorable, so for
giving was he that not only tho north loved
him, but tho south soon joinod in admiration.
When Grant handed back the sword to Leo at
Appomatox ho touched tho hearts of southern
chivalry. When he said to tho privato soldiers,
"Tako back your horses; you will need them
to plow your fields," he wrote his name large
and fair and enduring in tho souls of tho south
ern people. Only a day or two ago I picked
up a metropolitan newspaper and noticed a
tribute to Grant by Mrs. Jefferson Davis. I
should like to read tho whole article but timo
forbids; a paragraph will show the substance:
"I hope there arc people, both north and south,
who aro already looking above and through tho
smoke of battle to tako tho just measure of the
statesmen and commanders who havo left their
fame unclouded by atrocities committed upon
tho helpless who fell Into their power, and fn
this galaxy I think General Grant will tako his
place unquestioned by his former antagonists."
Nor is Mrs. Davis the only ono of southern
bloodwho recognizes tho nobility and grandeur
of Grant's splendid .character. At almost tho
same time that tho wife of the confederate
president wrote what I havo just read to you,
Clark Howell of Georgia poured forth wofOs
which show tho abiding unity and good will of
tho once warring and belligerent states: "Thoso
who offered their bullet ridden bodies In tho
vain effort to stem tho conquering tide of his
cohorts bore testimony to his genius and his
courage. Thero Is not today in tho fragmentary
ranks of the beaten heroes who onco wore tho
gray a single soldier who would raise his arm
to still tho cheers those victories won. But
above tho din of successful arms, beneath tho
garlands of glorious victory, beyond tho glad
huzzas of a preserved nation welcoming Its
martial heroes home, the dirge of those home
less heroes who, after surrender, buried their
abandoned hopes with a cause forever lost, bids
mo turn from this phase of that momentous lifo
to another that is not trumpeted by the raucous
blast of war, but which is sounded in tho sweet
and soothing songs of peace
"'Let us have peace!' A happy and con
tented people repeat the benediction and cry
back to the great heart that now Is still in tho
peace that passeth all understanding, 'Thy peace
is come!' "
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