The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1864-03-10
Mlstt(laNC0ns.
From tho Cleveland Herald
SPEECH OF GEN. GARFIELD.
At the Opening of the Cleveland San
itary Fair, Feb. %, 1864.

Abul y IL eNAA W. @1@'S AOO6'
Gen. Garfield said he would venture
to say that no one Of us ever read or
ever saw anything like this before the
beginning of the present war. 1t is
wonderful to be able to say "This is
something new under the SUM-" yet we
may venture to say of this thing to-day,
and of all ofwhioh it forms a part, "This
is new thing under the SUM-" And
there is philosophy in this.
In the words we have just listened to,
we have been carried back to time of
another great struggle,-to a time of
which it is said "There were giants in
those days" There is probably not
young man who has not at some time
wished that he had lived in those days.
But that wish is unnecessary. There is
now a greater war than was carried on
at that time. The struggle and the
stake are greater now than then.
As tho pillar is greater than q single
block composing it-as the monument
is greater than a single stoue--as the
whole house is greater than one brick
as the glorious armament of stars is
greater than single orb, so is the fate
of this nation of greater importance now
than that of the country when Wash
ington lived. 1t has grown in size, in
grandeur, and in importance, and the
fate of the nation in its full grown man
hood is therefore of more moment, and
the struggle for its preservation grand
er, than whom the country was in its in
fancy.
1t is too much our nature to magnify
the Past. We seem to look at it through
a miscroscope, and we therefore magni-
fy its importance; but we should never
forget the importance Of the Present -
We are making history. Let us mol
forget that, as Emerson said, "To day
is a king in Disguise" Ifyou would
see wonders-if you would see grandeur
If you would see mysteries, open your
eyes and look at tho life we are living
Look at it closely and you will SEQ that
the Present is t0eming with wonders
with grandeur, and with magnifcence
There was no war like the present in
times past. There have been many
struggles, but nothing that was of the
same nature as this Now the whole
nation is at war. Not an army Of sol
dicrs, or a dozen armies, but an entire
people. There is wonderful differ
ence between the mere warrior and the
man-between a soldier who fights for
pay and the man who fights for princi
pie. 1t is so with nations. Nations
send their armies to the field, but the
people are NOV at war. The soldiers,
whose trade it is, do the fighting and
the people look on, but take no active
part. We have not only an army in
the field, but are a whole people fight
ing. When it is as at presept--when
every man, woman, and child, in their
respective spheres, have gone to war,
either fighting in the field, or working
by the home freside, or gathering in
places like these to do the essential work
of the war, it is indeed something new.
We have made a discovery. We
have found that there is something be.
hind bayonets. The army is not made
up merely of muskets and cannon and
wagons, and soldiers with arms in their
hands. The soldiers stand in the
front rank, with uu broken lines
Behind them comes the civil power,
backing them up, and acting as a pow
erful reserve. Behind these again is
another rank--tho great and mighty
people, standing with firm courage to
support both the civil power and the
And behind them all, giving
strength aud confidence to them all, are
the affections of home-the prayers aud
blessings of the family circlo-tho uc-
tive assistance of the women aud chill
dren left at home. Thus the whole
people are masssd into one grand army.
There is one continual array rank by
rank, from the soldier with his bayonet
to the child by the firssids. When you
find this undivided front, this solid col
umn, marching forward with unbroAen
ranks to drive treason from tLa land,
it is indeed wonderful spoctaole~-and
that is what we see to-day, The whole
people are united iGtO one grand army.
Those who are with as to-day, and upon
whose shoulders are evidences of hon.
Orahle positions won by hard and peril.
Gus service in the fold, are here mere
ly on a visit of inspection.