Battle Flags of Ohio. 249
If you will incorporate this letter I
will be much obliged.
It will explain why I was not there, and
will also show that I
appreciated the patriotic and
significant character of the oc-
casion.
Trusting that this will meet with your
approval, and again
thanking you for the kindness you have
shown me in this matter,
which I assure you is highly
appreciated, I remain
Very truly your, etc.
(Signed) J. B. FORAKER.
HON. D. A. LIGGITT,
Rushsylvania, Ohio.
TRIBUTE OF EX-GOV. MYRON T. HERRICK.
Grant, the two Shermans, Sheridan,
Garfield, Thomas,
Hayes, Harrison, McKinley, Foraker,
Edwin M. Stanton, Sal-
mon P. Chase-what a host of brilliant
soldiers and statesmen
Ohio gave to the nation for the winning
of the Civil War and
for the work of reconstruction and civil
administration in the
years that followed. Men born in Ohio
occupied the White
House for half of the last fifty years
during which the United
States grew out of its provincial
isolation into a world power.
Their policies set the standards to
which nations conformed;
they determined the course of national
and international history.
Officers are an index of the type of men
that they command.
These courageous and skilful leaders of
the armies were not
more devoted to the noble cause for
which they fought or more
arduous to advance it than the legions
of men from this state
who served in the ranks or in minor
posts during the Civil War.
Almost 350,000 they were in number, and
25,000 of them gave
their lives while thousands more came
back to bear through life
the scars of battle and the impairments
of exposure and disease.
To the valiant officers of Ohio who
filled high places to the
honor of their State and Nation; to
those who went and did not
return but "gave the last full
measure of devotion" that the
Union might live, and live free from the
shame of slavery; to
those who served until peace was won and
then came back to live
250 Ohio Arch. and Hist.
Society Publications.
out their years of useful activity in
civil life, Ohio gives grateful
tribute.
The Civil War, like all the wars in
which the American
nation has been engaged, was a war for
ideals. Not conquest or
revenge, not indemnities or markets, but
the ending of human
slavery and the integrity of the state
were the principles vin-
dicated. As all Americans, north and
south, now agree, it was
the eternal right against the eternal
wrong. All honor to those
men, officers, privates, civilians, who
had the vision to see these
issues clearly and to fight the war
through without compromise
to the complete victory of the right and
to a peace that has en-
dured and will endure because it was
founded in justice and
honor.
Once more after many years the country
is at war in defense
of great principles, for the vindication
of truth and justice and
fair dealing between nations and to
secure for peoples every-
where in large countries and small that
freedom of thought and
action which America has long enjoyed,
for which America
stands sponsor to the world. In
Voltaire's time the cause of
liberty stirred the multitudes. Why is
liberty so rare? was asked.
"Because it is the most valuable
possession," Voltaire answered.
Since then that "most valuable
possession" had spread through-
out the world until August, 1914, when
the vast armies of Ger-
many marched out to narrow and restrict
and destroy it every-
where. Through the terrible years that
ensued Germany's ruth-
less invasion of neighboring countries,
her disregard of treaties,
her enslavement of helpless civilians,
have shown that we must
fight again for liberty.
The war in Europe is entering on its
decisive stage. Re-
membering with what bravery and
endurance the men of '61
fought for and achieved the victory of
the right, so may the
Americans of this day and generation,
north and south, east and
west alike, take fresh inspiration to
carry this war on through
whatever sacrifice and hardship it may
bring to final victory
and a peace that will endure because
founded in the right.
MYRON T. HERRICK.
Cleveland, March 4th, 1918.