Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1848-08-16

Ply vi C"P'' NSNroN IiARPER, delivered ON the &c
caslon Of the Public Dinner given by the citizens Of
the town and county to Capt. Harper and the Vol
untcers under his late command in Mexico, which,
by the request ofthe Committed ofecneral Arrange
ments have been furnished us fer publications We
omit the correspondence between the Committee
and the Speakers for want OF rcom
MI. WADDELL'S ADDRESS
fclumteers of augusta returned from .ue1ieo-
Officers and prieatcs.
Many Of your fellow citizens have already ex-
changed salutations with You, when upon the high
way, where they met your return, and the streets
of our village through which you were conducted,
they gave way TO a tumul,uous JOY altogether nat
ura and repressible upon first meeting of friends
after a long absence.
They have met together again TO entertain you
by public dinner, and to commune with you-to
minge their congratulations with your good for
tune IN being returned from foreign land and an
enemy's country, tn your friends and families and
homes. They have made inc their organ to com
muncate 10 you their sentimen,s,and feelings up
on the pleasing occasion, aud in doing So have hon
ored and tlattered me.
find myself, however. embarrassed by the very
sympaihles which have drawn together so large an
assembage, and realize, when too late for any ben
I
cason like this the functions of the heart are more
readily performed than those of the tongue. Like
one upon the sea-shore, who throws himself upon
Inc bosom OF a retiring wave, in the hope that
higher and stronger one will meet and bear him
safely back, so cast myself upon the emotions of
this occasion, deep, strong, and visible in every
counienance. TO sustain me even in half saying
what am commissioned 10 say, and bear NE thro'
service otherwise too adventurous for me.
fpI hy t,,,l
sell at once of that big welcome with which am
| charged, which Old Augusta knows how TO give
and you TO appreclate-a welcome which struggles
for an outlet from the full and warm hearts of zall
around you. Volunteers, receive Tit is yours =
we view this reception and entertainment in the
| light of a family rejoicing. Augusta claims YOU.
Volunteers as her Sons, wherever may have been
your native Spot-Fellow citizens, she claims YOU
common and honored mother, therefore, makes
us brethren! You have gone forth at the call of
your country, sacrificing the endearmcnts of kin
dred and friends, the comforts of home. the privi-
leges OF social life and civilized society--to meet
the issues OF the battle field. the camp and the eli
mate, within The territory of semi savage foe and
! having done your duty and returned, the brother
hood have formed this large family circle to receive
and greet and honor you.
More than year and half ago, when you took
mp the line of march and left u.s. | cannot FORGET
that, at the close of brief farewell address. the
honor of our common country SO far as YOU could
be concerned in sustaining and rejecting it. was
committed to you in sacred trust That honor. the
elements of which are duty even to death, Justice.
moderation, sell-government and submission to
rightiul authority honor as the trophies of
bloody helds and PROSTATE cities, irrespective of
these qualities, could never win-such honor as
based in right principle, never deviaes from true
patriotism-such was the trust committed TO YOU.
You reached Brasos Santiago, if | remember cor
rectly, about the 23d Of February. 1917, and Mon
terey the 18th day of March following so that
at the moment you first touched the Mexican soil.
the battle of Buena Vista was raging. and when
you arrived at that memorable spot, the vanquished
enemy had for more than a month"; recrossed the
wilderness to San Louis Potosi, or skulked into n
thousand hiding places. After that decisive engage
ment and within the military district of Gen. Tsy.
lor, the enemy never again showed himself but as
the pltiful guerrilla, and never felt but as the
cowardly assassin. No pledges were asked of YOU
to gain victories without an enemy to confront Won
or to storm cities whose defenders fled or surren
dercd without gun. No doubt, in common with
the whole Va Regiment, you felt disappointment
that any enemy could not be found-your consola-
ton was that he had been beaten. But when
you surveyed the rolling fields of Buena Vista.
hardly dry from the slaughter, and consecrated by
the blood Of your heroic cOuntrymen the wish of
your hearts was, 10 have been earlier there. and
shoulder to shoulder with that Mighty Few, have
shared the toll and the glory. and rendered easier
the Immortal achievements Of that immortal day
so, If you had been few weeks later in reach
Ing Brasos, your destination TO Vera Cruz, seems
almost certain, and thence onward upon another
luminous line OF operations. which finally termina-
ted III blaze OF victories at the enemy's capital
i1ut lCr these dSappolntments, with our knowledge
OF The spirit which moved and animated your coros
many, many of you had never again seen YOUR ma.
tive hills. Now we rejoice together
That to which you were pledged, and which
your country expected at your hands, was 10 do
your duty, whenever and wherever duty called
the soldiers highest honor We are here TO. day
10 say to you that the confidence reposed in YOU has
not been mis- placed,- your obligations have
been fulfilled, and your trust discharged-your CO.
lors returned unsaned by any dishonor, and your
duiy done. Your country asks no more You
had never been satisfied with less
capt. Harper, you have done well by these, our
friends and fellow citizens whom You have con-
quoted from their mountain homes into an enc
my country, distant, desolate and comforess-
many OF ihem In the sprng-tme OF life, bouyant
ana vigorous and hopeful--some of them in the
maturity OF manhood and sober thought. and all of
them inspired by the voice Of their country and
ready 10 do her bidding. They formed gallant
oand, ana when the crowd of anxious friends lost
sight OF them behind the distant hills, upon your
outward march, the bitter reflection rushed upon
the SPIrlt-gone forever Frou that time to the
present, all your movements and chanoes-your
marches and countermafches your sufferinps under
burning suns, and over burning plains have been
marked by those at home, and many feryent SUD-
Pllcailon has reached the heavens for blessings on
your heads-that neither the ''terror by nioht nor
the arrow that flleih by day, nor the pestiIence
that walkeih in darkness, nor the destruction that
wasteth at noon day." might be permitted to come
near you What agency such pious petitions NAV
have had in your continued preservation and safe re-
turn, Time may not reveal.
NOInneeTs. YOU have been Rnrlnnatn In tho rnlas