“Gentlemen, ideas outlive men; ideas outlive all earthly things. You who fought in the war for the Union fought for immortal ideas, and by their might you crowned the war with victory. [Great applause.] But victory was worth nothing except for the truths that were under it, in it, and above it. We meet to-night as comrades to stand guard around the sacred truths for which we fought. [Loud and prolonged cheers.] And while we have life to meet and grasp the hand of a comrade, we will stand by the great truths of the war. [“Good,” “good,” and loud cheers.] Many convictions have sunk so deep into our hearts that we can never forget them. Think of the elevating spirit of the war itself. We gathered the boys from all our farms and shops and stores and schools and homes, from all over the Republic. They went forth unknown to fame, but returned enrolled on the roster of immortal heroes. [Great applause.] …”
General James A. Garfield
Campaign speech, New York, August 6, 1880
(Sharper Iron)
I think the point that impresses me the most is that such mundane things as loot are not mentioned. The war was fought on principles, on the Union side, of equality and cohesion, which, while seemingly abstract principles of justice, were, and remain in the end, the pillars upon which societal survival are mounted. The citizenry, by the very nature of these principles, are called upon to work together, to sacrifice for the greater good.
For those who would snort and point at the continued racism of both North and South, I must reply that, yes, progress is never instantaneous, and malevolent forces continued to work after the Civil War to thwart justice, originating in the South, as well as the traditional views of many of both Northern and Southern origin.
But, speaking of the South, they worked to defend, directly, the prosperity attained via the institution of slavery. It’s important to remember that such prosperity is not founded on a communal spirit, but on that of competition and violence. There is no valid appeal to principles that lift mankind from its animal origins, merely cries of fear that the prosperity will disappear.
And I think it’s this difference that elevates this speech.
