Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-12-18
ed in the following graceful and appropriate
SPEECH OF DR.. M'cLURe.

1
Mr.. President AND GENTLEMEN This
call is most unexpected to me, for until five
o'clock this evening was not aware that this
most pleasant meeting WAS in contemplation.
I feel that 1 cannot speak to you this even
ing in fitting terms, In behalf Of those brave
men Of the Army and Navy, who left their
families and the loved ones at homo, at our
eountry's call, to defend her flag from the
rude hands Of traitors.
| In years now buried in the past, in 1878,
when the heel of a mother country was
planted on the breast of her child, our FORE
fathers raised banner upon which were in
scribed the words: "Liberty and Indepen-
dence." With this banner pressed to their
hearts, even barsfOoted in winter, crimson
/ ing the snow beneath their feet with their
blood, they fought the enemy and achieved,
to the acknowledgment Of the world, Liberty
and Independence. With this same old flag
| thousands and hundreds of thousands Of their
brave descendants rushed to our country's
reseue-when a murky mist, like the black
ness of the grave, spread all over our fair
land-determined that she should still live.
| [Applause
I saw last week q glorious flag of our
country, some time before sent by you to the
battle isld-this flag had returned, black
ened and torn, yet glorious with the smoke
of battle, and baPtised with the blood 1f the
Ohio Seventh. [Applause. looked upon
that flag with the deepest interest, although
when you sent it forth bright and beautiful
to the battlefield, I did not behold It'll had
heard Of your beaHliful city, but my foot had
not yet pressed the soil Of Ohio. I saw that
the folds Of that battle-hag bore the words,
81 Liberty and Independence" and I also
noticed that during its absence upon the
r. A. - . l..
written upon that flag q new word, " Free
DOM" Liberty, Independence and Freedom
are written upon the battle-hag of every reg
iment now in our army, and will henceforth
and forever blend together in beautiful hsr-
mony upon our national banner. [Applause.
The life Of q man and that of a nation are
quite similar both are brought forth in sor
row and tribuIstion, and although childhood
may pass pleasantly yet in the period Of boy
hood or adolesence-in the process Of de-
velopment and maturity of the organs-two
great powers are at work, the powers of life
and death, and if life at this period obtains
the mastery, the youth may live to old age.
So it now is with our country. If the seeds
of destruction, now bursting into rank
growth, are destroyed, our nation may live
gloriously, for untold generations to come.
But we hear the remark almost every day,
most enlightened and christian nation upon
the earth, yet We have and use the most
formidable and terrible weapons of destruo-
ton known, and indeed are still in7enting
and demanding others yet moro destructive.
/ We wish we could invent weapons, for the
/ Staying Of traitors to our Government, a
| thousand times more powerful. For it is
remarkable fact that the very ample char
aeter of the Navy and Of the weapons of war
fare used by cur soldiers are the very means
of robbing death Of three fourths his victims.
| Can we for a moment believe that if the ar
mics, composed as they were Of such brave
determined men, in the battle of Gettysburg,
had fought as of old-hand to hand, with
sword and spear, bow and arrow, that the
number Of killed would only have amounted
to three thousand on each side Itfrequent-
ly happened in ancient battles tha: over forty
thousand dead were left Hpon the field, in
armies scarcely superior to ours in that
battle.
But, gentlemen, feeling myself unprepsrsd
to do full justice to this subject, must take
my seat. [Applauss.l
The Band gave Rally round the Flag -
in the finest style.
6. TIE CRY OF CLEVELAND.
Mayor Masters responded briefly and neat
Iy.
SPEECH OF MAYOR Masters.
The orator remarked that Mr.. Rid
die was the friend not merely Of
the bar, but of all classes in our city, and
that all were represented there that night and
were proud to do him honor. He alluded in
fitting terms to the hOnOrs recently paid oul
noble dead Of the Seventh. Now, he said
we meet to do honor to one who, like them,
has raised himself by honest perseverance to
his present station. He closed by expressing
his best wishes for the success and happiness
of our guest.
The band gave "star of the Evening
very Handsomely.
7. The JUDICIARY.
Judge Coffnberry responded handsomely,
SPEECH OF JUDGE oeFFIEBERRY.
He commenced by remarking that he had
come from the bedside Of sick and only
daughter, and that his thoughts were with
her. There were but few, however, for whom
he would have done so much. He had hoped
be said, that come older and more distin.
guished of his associates who we're expected Il
respond to this toast would be presen
to perform that duty. He could pass nC
higher euIogy upon the Judiciary of thu
4
they needed no Tindipaion. The Judgi
then gave a most interesting sketch Of th'
early Judiciary of the State-of such men a
Sherman, Burnett and Hitchcock-pronouno
ing them an ornament TO the State and ma
ton. He also paid high compliments to thi
| present members of the Supreme Court o.
Ohio, to the Judiciary Of Cuyahoga County
and the Supreme Bench Of the United States
he closed by expressing his conviction tha
the independence Of the judiciary was as es
sential as military spirit in the suppression
Of the rebellion and the solution Of its grea
problems.
Tns band played fine march.
g. THE CLEvELAED Bah.
Mr.. Wiley was expected to respond II
this toast, but being absent, sent the follow
ing letter, which was read by the President
LITTER FROM XR. WILEY.
To Mcssrs. l. Q. Masters, ". J. BodrdHaa
W. II. Haytoard, Committee:
GEETLEMES:-In acknowledgements Of you
invitation to be present at the supper Ihi
evening, and to respond to the sentiment
The Cleveland Bar" wish to say hoV
highly should have appreciated the privi
Of thus responding, If unexpected en-
gagoments had not made 1t impossible 70
me to attend.
And yet I feel unwilling to dismiss the sub
iect, with this mere formal acknowledged
) and regret. You intend compliment, vel
earned and merited, to prominent and dis
tiuRuished citizen. And on this, the eve o
his departure for q distant sphere of publ
service, no duty could have been more 40
csptabIe, than, in behalf Of the profession
which his eloquent powers Of advocacy hav
adorned, TO have endeavored to add some
thing to this tribute Of public respect.
} The bar of Cleveland, however local in 1t
sphere Of action or Of influence, Is yet par
t Of that great profession, which in all ages o
the world, in civilized communities, has bee
aIIottsd a commanding rank. individuals Q