AMERICAN CIVIL WAR.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13678, 21 August 1908, Page 6

AMERICAN CIVIL WAR.

LECTURE BY Mil T. D. YOUXG. Among 111': K;rits of lecturer given iu Trinity Hall this winter, that given Isibt night by Ml- T. D. Yoting, on the Aiiurii.'iiu Civil War. will bo remembered by those- present U5 it Liil't'fljlli" Jjtepared sketch of un ililillense conflict, made, the more interesting by judicious reflections, well delivered, and admirably enlivened by ill': singing of Bcngs, that, in their setting, twined hot from tin: battkiield. There was a good attclidallee; the lecture, was Jistened to with rapt attention, and the music iu every case evoked applause. His Worship the .Mayor presided, and made some references to the visit of the American fleet, which he had the pleasure and privilege of seeing; and to the value of the exchange of courtesies as cementing, as Admiral .Sperry said, the ties of friendship between the British and American nation*;.

Mr Young's lecture, with its musical illustrations. occupied a couple of horns, and was so compact of matter ;»> to be impoMsiblo of condensation. He remarked at the outlet thafc the American Civil War occurred so long; ago, and other great wais had since been fought, that people now felt little interest in it. He however, revived that interest iu his heaveis by his treatment of tile lending applets of the struggle. He bpoke first of the causes of the war, and the changed which took place in the motives for its continuance, bcginliitig ill Kol)le> piuvjy political disputes, and terminating in the demands for the- abolition of slavery and maintenance of the Union on tho one hand, and the retention of slavery and secession 011 the part of eleven States 011 the other. Looking at the war as a whole, he tspeke of nhe va.stncss of the military operations, in the marvellous marches of great arm/its, the appalling slaughter, the great engineering fcate, the rapid construction of a. navy of 670 vttc-efe, the first. use of arm-our-clads and turret ships, the bringing to the frout 'of great general)-, and great writers and great orators, lioth sides, he tiaid, sincerely believed' they were lighting for a good cause; the iside now seen 'to bo in the wrong being influenced by prejudices which liad died hard in England. Front tin: first shot tired by the Southerners Mr Young sketched ille chief lines. of operiftionii 011 both sides,- and briefly described some of the great marclus auel more important battles on land and on water, to (in" close of the great war that lasted from April 1861 till May 1865, in which from tirst to last over two millions of men were engaged, 575,C00 lives were lost, and 4,000,000,000 dollars spent, to secure a united Ti3ti'jn of politically free people black and ivhit-e.

A feature of the lecture was tiie illustrative songs, meaning as well as music being appreciated, as they were givtn ul intervale in connection with pa-aiagtrs of the lecture to which 11kv were appropriate. The soloists were Mrs Kerr, "Mas->-.a\s in cle cold Ground." and "John Browns- Body" (a "Hymn" in America, not a picnic »ong, with. us, Mr Young said); Mii=s Anderson "Star Spangled Banner," and " We're Tenting on tin; okl Cainp Ground"; Mr P. Milkr, "Tramp, Irani)). Tramp," and "Marching through Georgia"; Mrs Uennie, " Garry me back to old Tennessee and Mr J. Miller and the ehcir (who had sung the chorus to most of the songs! closed the war songs with the cheerful one isung by children at the celebration of peace, "When Johnny comes Marching Home." A comprehensive vote of thanks w;is moved by Mr J. MundtU, arid carried by acclamation, thrice over.