St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1864-02-18

otAsnA IA%I "I1teu Aot 1Or appeals, that need
ed not the stimulants Of boun,ies, anu that
counted no sacrifice too great for an Inn
perilled country The roar Of the frst rrb-
81 cannon, reverberating across our peace-s
ful prairie homes had hardly died away.
when the orr final glorious ten hundred
sprang TO arms, and rushing across the.
continent, made oiayourow brave breasts
u bulw rk to stay tile bloody tide Of rcbel--'
lion which heaved and surgel against the
very base Of the Capitol. and threatened to-
cngulph The Republic and liberty in one
common ruin. =
Soldiers, twenty centuries look down
Upon yot,'' Siil Napoleon Fhen engaged
i'll battle bcnca,l, the pyramids Of Egypt
More imposing have been the spectators"
Of, our noble deeds. The magnitude and
unparalleled Importance of this struggle
have elevated the ccntenling parties to u
plane in full view Of the nations Of the
earth, and wherever the 5, orm Of battle rag
cd most ferccly and the iron hail fell the
thickest, yondcr battered, battlefront flag
waving over your heads. has marked you
as the most conspicuous in the ranks Of
freedoms scrried hosts. Tyrants and dcs.
pots, great aud SMALL have longcd Tor and
propAesicd:your destruction, while the op
pressed Of all nations have turned 10 you
with anxious gaze, and prayed for your.
success. Heroes. martyrs, and sages of the
Revolution. bending from their seats in
heaven, have looked down upon and bless
ed you. But the most int, esttu Of all
your spectators has been our own beloved
State, upon which your courage and devo-
ted patriotism have reflected such inlper-.
ishablc hohors. In the long and weary
marches you have made, in the sutferings
you have endured, In The twenty-one bat.
ties you have fought-hcr eye has never
lost sight of that flag, nor her ear been deaf
to one sy liable Of the just praise so |lavishly
bestowed upon you. She has listened. to
the story Of your battles with mingled feel.
ings of pride and sorrow. Pride in the
glory OF your achievements, sorrow for
brave comrades who will never more re
spondto tha>cah of your, roll of honor.
While she njoices over your return, she
weeps for those who ,rere but arc not with
you. They have not died in, vain. In the
words Of another, they have made their
bodies bridges FOR liberty, and their souls
stars to light lfer way" Unborn millions
will vcneratc their memory, and as they
read the pages of history traced in their
blood, will crave no higher honor than to be
counted worthy citizcns Of the same coun-
try with them.
When the day Of peace shall come, and
the s:sterhood Of loyal States shall clothe
themselves with victory, and each put on
her crown Of glory, the proulest of them
shall not boast b brighter Jewel THAN that
which your heroisih has placed in the cor
onet Of our own Minnesota. --.'
Once more, in behalf of friends here.
and those who at home wait with open
arms to receive you, bid you each and all
a most cordial welcome.
The toast, Our Hlu=trious Guests"
was responded to by Hon. Ignatius DON
nelly in speech enthusiastically able
and patriotic, and giving beautiful ex-
preston to sentiments that fill the breast
Of every loyal Alinncsotian.
SPEECH OF Hon. lGSATIus DoSSELLl.
Officers md men Of The First .Minuesota !:
/ wot'd that had the power to even
f,it:ly express the warm greeting which
fills cvcry heart of those who have in
vitcd y,, here. Bat it is Sc rec nee
essary. 1T bea,hs in every face, it
brighters every eye, 1t sbca%s in e;cry
motion.
This is no cold formal cereti,ony@-
this is no idle and hollow pasc;,nt-:f:iS
greeting sprinss spontaneously froth all
our hearts. use ID affected, no ex-
aggeratcd language, wi, say, in be-
half Of every MINES titan present, 1--WE
arc proud Of you, Wa love you
You have made the name Of our
young State illustrious You have been
in more than Il score Of battles, aud you
have never faltered or wavered. Amid
the disasters Of variable war, your
FAME has shonc unsulicd, and each new
Conflict has but added new leaves to
your laurels.
First in the field, yon have performed
a more marked part than any other reg
i,nent in the Army of the Potomac
You have been where the eyes-not
alone Of the ';!atien, bat Of the entire
world have been fastened upon you,
and nebly, CALAMITY, heroically have
y5a performed YOUR allotted tasks.
1t is not for us to indulge in words
of eu|ogy. Your acts vii! live in the
impcrishable records of the nation,
identified with the grandest struggle for
human freedom, ages after any poor
words or ours arc dissipatcd to the
winds.
You have itly represented the splcn-
did qualities Of our northwestern peo-
pie - their courage, their patience,
their fidelity, their intelligence, their
patriotism: The grand example you
have set to other regiments has been
followed with kindred spirit, until it
would appear as if your merits were
not exceptional, but typical ; as if you
had excelled your brethren in your
deeds, 'siu'ply because you had excclled
them in your opportunities. - 81
You are now past all your labors and
all your trials. You are on.your way
HOME The proud privilege has been
permitted us to stop you for one mo-
ment on your way, to say, "God speed
you !! God bless you p p. r. .:a4nT
All !! my friends, | can anticipate the
welcome which awaits your coming i
can imagine that long march from
Houston county to.the capital Of the
State yes, and 70 each mock and cor