Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1855-01-25
The Veterans and the President.


The following is President Pierce's reply 10
Mr.. Sutherland's address in behalf Of the sol
diers of 1912, who called on him at the white
house on the 9th =
81 tender yon my sincere thanks for the pre-
sentation of so many veterans Of the war of
1912, and for the kind allusions to my family
No one could witness the noble countenances
of these men without supposing them to he The
veterans of the war. rejoice that you are
here, in company with the red men who have
rendered our country service, and are entitled
to our thanks. My earliest reading associa-
tons are in reference TO the war of 1S12.-
When the news of that war arrived, was al
ways at the country post office for the latest
tldings- interested, because of the mem
bers of my own family and the soldiers
from my neighborhood engaged, and Of the
immense importance of a favorable re-
duty of everybody TO make sacrifices for his
country. can only express the affectionate
regard have felt for the detachments which
occasionally called at my fathers on the way
return. II is peculiar qualification 10 meet
here SO large a remnant of that war. How
many camp and field incident must have been
revived by the meeting, and how ma ny remi
nscenses have attended your re-assemblng I
All these memories you will cherish. Frem
different parts Of the country you come with
one heart. You will recollect it is the funda-
mental principle of our country that to our cit
izen solders-not large standing armies-the
interests of our country are committed. All
our institutions promise peace. If that is dis
turbed the patriotism which you exhibited for
ty years ago will give vigor 10 our arms and
courage TO your sons. You come anima-
your country and institutions, the constitution
of which must be maintained at all hazards ,
1t is cheering to reculect that they who have
fought our battles, have never been The men to
disseminate political heresies, TO revile the
government, 10 deride our institutions TO sow
political dlssenslon, or to sci at defiance the
laws of the land. Allow me to endorse SEN
timent of one now before me-Gen. Cass-
once private in your ranks, now statesman
and sage, to whom we look up when dark
clouds hang over the politica! horizon = :We
should cling to the constitution as the mariner
clings to the last plank when waves threaten
10 engulph him. heartily wish you every
thing your country can consistently give yon,
and | know you will ask no more. You are
here in the consciousness Of duties we'll per-
formed, for which You now receive the appro-
baton of your countrymen, compared with
which leagues of land or anything known 10
trade are trifes. Your children have
your acts as their legacies, which they
will prize more than any bequest which could
be made. know my heart beats more warm
ly on this day than any other in the year-the
fourth of July excepted. You are welcome TO
this huuse, of which you are the proprietors,
and bnt the tenant. May God who has SO
signally blessed our country, preserve and pro-
tect those who have rendered such valuable
aid''
Six cheers was then given for the President,
and three, suggested by banner, for free
trade and sailors rights
Upon the reassembling of the delegates al
the Presbyterian church, Gen. Leslie Coombs,
of Kentucky, offered reamble and resolves
demanding for the survivors ofthe war of 1912
their widows and children, the same pension
system extended to the survivors of the war o
the revolution. The resolves were advocated
by the mover and several other veterans, and
passed by reclamation. A letter was reaf
from Gen. Scott expressing his warmest wishe:
for the success of his companions in arms.