Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1864-10-24
Presentation OF the Treasury Flag.


On Saturday afternoon the beautiful flag,
purchased by the lady employees of the Treas
ury Department for the regiment OF Treasury
clerks, commanded by Col. willetts, was form
ally presented at dress parade. The regiment
being drawn up in line, after some appropriate
airs by the efficient Treasury band, s. B. Col
by, Esq, Register of the Treasury, spoke as
follows:
Col HLicii ORcerS and Soldiers oCMc T.eaJuJy Guard
have come here in discharge of very well
come osmmlssion. The ladies employed In
the Treasury Department desire, with your
permission, to present to your regiment this,
our national color. 1t is the flag OF the Union,
aud to that sacred cause its fair loyal donors
consecrate their giit.
They, at least, are not among those who be-
| lievC tic sacrifices that have been and arc still
| TO he made for the defence of the country are
| to be stlgmatlzed as miserable failure. II Is,
| Indeed, happy truth, that no woman of
| America, with all her instructive dread of war,
las stopped SO low as to utter a sentiment so
base and craven as that. They were only men
at Chicagoj and even they, had counsel been
taken Of wives, daughters, sisters and mothers,
would never have shocked the country by go
| cOwardly an insult. Failure, indeed!
| What man dares TO look that proud emblem
| In tue face aud then say, In view of all that is
past, the struggle to bear 1t In triumph over all
its enemies has been, or can be, u failurel We
cannot, dare not, shall not fall.
| Why, sir
| "Your gall ant n g this morn unhurled
| Its stars and stripes DER all the world"
1t challenges respect from all mankind. 1t
stands the guarantor of swift protection to the
humblest American wherever II meets the gaze
of civilized man. Its only foes at home are
| madmen, whose only escape from the halter
| nalf n pFimp-mugt nj NJ
sanity. 1t is true, thousands upon thousands
are bearing reluctant arms against 1t. These
VIC hope to free from their thraldom.
TODAY 1t betokens freedom to miilons who
never before drew breath or moved muscle
| they dared to call their own.
That soil, which drank the first blood, the
last life blood, Of him whose latest thought and
utterancs was the "stars and stripes" that
now glorious and sacred soil, Tour Maryland
forever" is forever free.
Soldiers Of the Department! 1t is a pleasure
to me to assure you, that your organization is
regarded with proud satisfaction by every one
connected with the Administration. You have
their confidence, for intelligent industry in
peace has ever proved to be indomitable yalor
in war. Sou assume the stern duties Of pre-
paratlOR/IOr the field at most auspiclouB
p0rfod OF the terrible epic. The catastrophe Is
near. Mr.. Stephens, the high Confederate, was
right-the light is truly breaking. Yes, cir /
Maryland, the light is breaking. From Atlanta
and Mobile and the valley of the Shenandoah,
the light is breaking.
You have a Commander In Chief In few
days to be re-elected-for these United States
will never vote themselves to death-one whose
personal character you all do justly yeneratc.
FOR, with trial and proof, such as no man
evel had since Washington, you all know, and
could testify on your Oaths, he Is one that seeks
not the glory of Cesar, but the welfare OF
/ Rome"
Take this banner, Colonel. Adopt It. Plant
II in the bosom of your regiment. Let every
soldier feel It Ia given 20 him in trust, To
have and to hold for better, for worse, for
richer, for poorer in sickness and In health,
to love and TO cherish till death us do part"
REPLY OF COL. wILLETT.
| IoNoRED SIRi 1t is with no ordinary feelings
Of pleasure that accept, in behalf of this com
maud, the beautiful flag which the patriotic
ladies of the Treasury Department have been
SO kind rs to present. TO II. The gin Is an elo-
quent acknowledgment of their appreciation
OF the utIliIy of the Treasury regiment.
am aware, sir, that many In this commu-
nifty talk fippantly Of the uselessness OF the
organization, but Rben II Is known that large
m mber OF Its members have seen active ser
vice in some of the most memorable engage
meuts that modern history misunderstanding
in the short period In which the war has been
prosecuted, seen more service than any troops,
perhaps, since the days of the army of the
French republic, under Napoleon the Great
those days In which they, like our own armies
were organized and disciplined, out Of the most
scanty means, and led to perform prodlgies oi
valor, under the inspiring watchWord Of Liber'
| ty, with the hope Of enfrapchisement from the
CALLING yoke OF an intelligent but sensuou'
RristoCraCy.
How much greater the incentive TO intelll
gent Americana to perpetuate to their children
The honored institutions OF freedom, beQueatheC
TO them by their fathers against the insidlouI
deslgns OF brutalized slave oligarchy
Tho friend OF the Union who doubts the OK
pedlency or policy Of these departmental mill
tary organizations must have a very treaeh
erous memory. II he were resident OF thii
city three aud half years ago he must hav'
become strangely obliVious to the fact that loya