The Washington union., 1857-06-05
sprEnH nE Ex.pREsIpENT PIERCE.

SPEECH UF EA-fhtolDrNl
A, meeting Of the Society OF the Cincinnati held at
poston last woek the following sentiment was offered
The Last Survivor Of the Army Of the Revolution
~, bis ewes close upon unbroken brotherhood of
saes full Of their original spirit and destined to be per-
pctual
Ex President Pierce called upon to respond TO this
s.rtment; and on rising he was greeted with enthus
astic applause he said
GENTLEMEN have pertinacously declined to occupy
sny Of your time this evening by remarks that might
Le inclined TO submit and until this moment was not
aware that anything could occur TO make ii absolutely
;ndsnensabe / have been deeply touched since
met the society in the other room, and am free to
confess that the great leading thought in my mind has
hn that nearly all soldiers of the revolution have pass
d away and this thought is associated with others that
will occur 10 all your minds can enjoy, have enjoyed,
tbs delightful intercourse with you, and all that is
pleasant in association and intrinscay in the meetings
o tLs society have, may say truly, felt more deep
I than ever before that it is good to be In any place. In
ny association whence is conscious he is to go out
with higher emotions and purposes than he went in and
take that TO be eminenty true Of every meeting of the
Society Of the Cincinnati
Connected as was for long period with the Pension
Committee saw the process by which that list passed
away year by year In the county In which reside there
Is not single revolutionary soldier surviving may
mention fact, which has always struck me as re-
makabe one that the last survivor in the county of Mer
rimac was left for dead the field of saltwater,
who remained there during the night, and carried
seven miles the next morning before his wounds were
dressed recoect seeing him at my fathers house He
received two bullet wounds and five bayonct stabs,
shot carrying off part Of his tongue, that he could
never speak plainly but he the last survivor in the
county of Merrimac, not dying until within two three
wears They have all passed away but their memory is
left to us and their deeds left to and there
left to us only the principles they laid down. the OBJ
ccts they declared when this society established but
the order of those obectsas remarkable it TO me-
as those objects themselves just at the time when the
a, In, tbarf
should be permitted to retain possession of the rusty
weapons which had been their companions through the
revolution this society organized, its principles and
objects announced and if you viii observe the order of
those objects you will that the loftest patriotism
oed every step they took in that organization 1t
not what we to do? what families to do 7
how be provided for but they declared them
in this order The institution formed to preserve in-
violate the rights and liberties for which they had
tended That first, naturally first, in their minds
it the great object of the revolution. What was
the next To promote and cherish the national honor
to cultivate Union between these States [Appausc I
That the second. Then to maintain brotherly
kindness between the officers Of the revolution and last
much honor it. to furnish relief to all such officers
and their families might need it. Now, who but of
fcc of the revolution would have thought of that order
OF First the rights and liberties Of this
country second, the Union of these States and after
these themselves and families Truly noble and sefsac-
nleing were they And it is question with me
whether place quite stress enough upon this while
proud of what call noble gencaogy My friend
says history begins with the first gun of the revolu-
ton. say So too. We have no coats-of-arms to fall
back upon We start at that point There is not gem
eman here tonight who had revolutionary father who
has not felt the benefit it has conferred upon him through
life In spite of the feeling which attempted to be
excited and in spite of that pamphlet of Miabeau and
that pamphlet of the learned South Caronian there has
been feeling pervading the great of the
nifty but that Of desire to honor the of revolution
ary fathers do not PROPOSE gentlemen to detain you
tal ltwas not my purpose to speak but an incident
occurs to in conexion with the eloquent remarks
to which have listened from the gentleman who last
addressed which ought to be remembered for the hon
orof Massachusetts and the honor of the race. Let
say at this point, sir, that very much struck by
what Governor Pennington said !; and il had thought
OF preparing to make speech anywhere, i certainly
should not have brought it to Boston, where should
meet such men Winthrop, and Hilliard, and Lunt,
anu other friends who havo addressed U.S. The Incl
dent to which allude is familiar to you where
sturdy in humble life was noticed to be passing
through sparsey town not remote from Boston
and before whose door the next morning there stood
than thirty men After hasty repast furnished by his
WIFE, they left the hosethat to be borne back as
the first martyr in the revolutionary cause refer to
Capt Davis Although Capt Davis fell at the very com
mencement Of the revolution provision made
his widow until had the honor introduce bill in the
Senate as late 1885 But when you compare the suffer
ngs OF the of the revolution with the suferings
the women say there is no parallel They at home
struggling with want-struggling with that anxiety in
sparable from their condition. with high impulse and
emotion, such as bore up their husbands, sons and
prothes They were the heones of the revolution and
they did as much to achieve the results of the revolution
as did the who left their bloody footprints all over
Inc State OF New Jersey to which the gentleman has
fered
Now, sir propose to give you the memory of two
men the memory Of Capt. Davis who fell first in the
revolution and the memory Of that great gallant and
heroc man, over the spot Of whose fall told APP
opate monument is at last and speedily to be erected
sen' Warren loud and prolonged applause