The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-01-30
Reception speech OF Rev. Hsr.
Williams.

Fs
williams.
The good people Of Fort Madison gave a
magnificent reception TO Company ID, 7th
Iowa Infantry with a supper, Friday eve
ming last. Rev. A. c. Williams welcomed
the returning veterans 10 their homes. gin
the following handsome speech:
Soldiers Of the .ltustrious Seventh In
behalf Of the Loyal citizens of this city,
arise to bid YOU welcome. Welcome to
your homes and the embrace of your
friends.
Though this reception may seem formal,
vet, be assured. ii is an unfeigned express
sion of gratitude. Words cannot express
our thankfulness to you for your noble
acts and brilliant achievements, and to
that Divine Being who has spared so many
Of you TO return and gladden. our hearts.
We do not come like fawing hypocrites,
TO congratulate you, that We may gain your
favor and hide our own perfidy and trea-
son. We are not among the number who
wished that your bones might bleach upon
Southern soil. or branded you as cowardly
hireiinYs, doing the bidding of a perjured
despot. No, ] repeat, that l stand here in
behalf OF loyal citizens.
II is regarded wrong TO tlatter, bad taste
to praise, and that strict propriety requires
mere commendation. / am glad all such
!
however full of meaning, our acts, howev-
er generous. are poor tributes OF respect TO
cast a, the feet OF those whose deeds are
| the wonder Of an admiring world, whose
heroisn will nerve the brave OF coming
generations. Y0uhave q record-a record
more tiattering than the gems of eloquence
or the peans of the multitude. 1t would be
great injustice TO us who have shared so
/ largely in the fruits of your toll, to deny
ourselves the privilege Of looking upon
you with pride, ID pointing to that re
cord as part of the imperishable glory
which already brightens the history OF our
young State.
| We recognize you as the brave defenders
! Of our homes, families and country. Had
it not been for you and your fellow-sol-
dlers, that Flag. so dear to every true
American heart, would have been lowered
| in the dust the rising Sun of this Repub-
lie, the hope of an enthralled world, would
have gone down into eternal darkness.
| Thank God, you did not cry ''peace,
solution. No. But following the dictates
of immutable iust.ce-looking upon your
whole country an inheritance too dearly
! bought to be sacrificed on the altar OF Sla-
very, you flung in the face of proud op-
pressOrs the ensign of your liberties, and
taught them to honor and respect it.
Your patriotism has been tried. Your
words, amid the quiet retreats OF home,
where danger and peril are unknown, bu,
amid the smoke of battle, the wild shouts
of struggling foes, when the leaden rain
spread death and carnage around about
you. There, there you proved that you
were patriots.
| The fields that you have won are too ia.
miliar to US all to require special mention
We may have TO mark them with mOnu.
ments for coming generations, but now
they are all hallowed in our memories
Can the mother forget the resting place Ol
! her dear boy? Aud can the father forget
the spot where his noble son sank beneath
the folds of the flag he loved better than
life? Can you forget the fields of cOntlicl
where the God OF Battles crowned your
arms with victory, and where you dropped
the tears of your affection on the new made
graves of your companions?
Soldiers, the cause in which you are en-
gagged, is the cause OF righteousness and
truth. It is not the creation of unhallowed
ambition. 1t is not TO revenge supposed
wrongs. 1t is not to acquire territory Ovel
which to scatter the blessings of liberty. II
is to defend your country from the oppres-
] sion OF men who have surpassed the bar
barity of heathens. Never did truth and
right demand a more prompt and valuable
sacrifice, and never did they find more
generous response. Had you been war
riors by profession, had you been trained
to thirst for blood, had all your ambition
depended upon the sanguinary conflict, il
would have been no marvel If you had
stepped with delight upon the bloody arena
Of war. But when we see you bidding
adieu to the homes Of your childhood, leav-
ing your chosen pursuits, hastily parting
with friends, from whose fond presence yOt
had never before been separated; and ther
at the next gaze we behold you stornine
the strong holds Of confident and prepared
foes, we know not which to admire most
your courage in the day Of battle, or youl
devotion to the cause of liberty.
/ l would not sadden the festive JOY Of this
hour; but We are painfully conscious thai
many OF your brave companions sleeE
their last sleep upon the cOnsecrated field
May their dUst rest in peace beneath the
shadow of the tree of liberty, which they
have nourished with their blood. May the
feet of traitors never press their consecra
ted graves.
4 You are soon again to enter the field O
strife. ] believe that your work is vel
nigh accomplished. You so not now t
meet the foes who brand you as towards
they have learned to fear your power. YOU
60 to meet a disheartened enemy, con.
scious of their guilt and the hopelessness o.
their cause. May the God of Battles &c
with you. May the time soon come wheI
our Nation will have peace; and may yOt
| NC RICSOl OlVOO w OAAJOy 40 SAA~oSs >'AesJ
you see that Flag which you have so nobly
borne, float triutnphantly over every par
of this Republic.
The Message Of Amos Reed, Acting Gov
ernor Of Utah Territory, was presented te
the Legislature of Salt Lake City on the
18th ult. It is neat document in point O
style, and gives business like and intelli.
gent view Of the various interests of thai
region. He invokes legislative encourage
ment to agriculture; recommends peti.
ton to Congress to remove the Indians
from Spanish Fork, on Sanpete Reserva
tons, as also for the removal OF all the
roaming bands to the Territory set apart
Tor them between the Wasatch Mountains
and the Colorado river; asks for more en-
larSed mail facilities; urges the speedy
completion OF the Pacific Railroad: gives
large estimate of the mineral resources OF
the Territory and advises judicious regula,
tlons thereof; calls attention to internal
improvements, and closes with a favorable
exhibit of the financial condition of the
Territory. The value of taxable property
is $5,Ns, 200. Receipts into the Treasury
!! SSs,s45, and expenditures only 81, ,4s5.