Excerpt from The Citizen Soldier Ladies and Gentlemen: Amid the commemorative services of this day we may well pause to consider the character and deeds of the Citizen Soldier. In the history of the world the soldier has performed the largest part. From the primitive ages until the present day he has been the most powerful single factor among the forces which have contributed to the civilization of mankind. We have to reflect, in this connection, that the history of civilization has been the history of violence. The present refinement and progress of the human race did not begin in peaceful and beautiful gardens; in happy spots by the river banks; in flower-decked islands where golden apples grow; but in cruel savagery and the bloody jungles of barbarism. Out of such a condition it was impossible for man to emerge except by force. In his rudest estate he had to make his way by sword and spear and battleaxe. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.