The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1864-05-18
Speech of Gen. Meade to his Soldiers.

\ Correspondent Of the New York
Post gives the following speech de
Hvered, few Sabbaths since, to his
soldiers in camp, by General Meade.
You know we'll ll'-said bel rejoice
that YOU know. the Importance and 81
credne>s Of the contest in which We are
engaged. This i Gods war; We who
fight in it are Gods soldiers, we are
Gods people, the plain people whom he
loves and cares for, This i Gods war.
everything that Is holy and good on earth
Is at stake IN it, We are fighting for law,
for free government, for the liberty and
equality OF all men, we are fighting t.
maintain all that ever made or can keep
this nation pure and happy and prosper
Gus, not only our laws and our liberties,
and those Of our children, but even the
religion Of Christ would be corrupted if
the enemies of the Union could triumph.
They are ari>tocrats, hating the plain
people, de>pising worhin -men. cor
rupting religion. snatching at our liter-
ties. We are Gods scrvan :, engaged in
His work-aud because We are that.
because ii j. His service we do, therefore
we are hound 10 be honest. to he truthful.
upr 1ht, oLed.ent. enduring, brave, pure
Of life, devoted in all things t. Him who
is our master therefore it belongs TO Us.
before all other men, TO serve God III
every act Of our lives, TO love Him. To
follow His commands. II restrain oar
passions. to he in all things moderate,
virtuous soldiers Of God
"You have been told he went on.
.how the soldiers of the Union are
thought of at the North how they are
cared for. loved, looked up to You
know how in your own homes a soldiers
of the revolution was reNcrcnced, be
cause he had fought in the great battles
which first gave Us liberty. But Your
reward will he greater, and more en-
during that eIrs.-N hen this war IS
over. and you 90 home, YOU Will he re
ceiyed with shouts. and hosannahs and
tears Of JOY; You bc honOred and cherish
ed As men never were before in the world,
vour children and children children to
the fathest generation, will make it their
proudest boast that their fathers fought
in this great and holy war. You will
found families in the land; the greatest
in the land will be proud to say; my an
ccetor served in the great war And if
we die on the battlefield, as many of us
must. do YOu think We shall be forgotten
All. don't believe it When the war is
over. be sure every smallest incident in
its history will be traced, every name
will he recorded. every brave deed will
he searched out, and for a century to
come your trials, your sutierngs, your
constancV and bravery viii he the chosen
theme of the most finished scholars. and
the greatest writers our country pro
duccs-
No act of ours will escape the vigi-
Iar,aa = ,9uI+ittla of l,t4i.s4- ty-itarg I,
will in every state and in every town.
search out our names and the story of
our services. to make them known to the
nation which will call us fathers of a r,.-
deemed country, the soldiers of greater
revolution. All, it is a proud thing to
fight in this war; Our reward Will he
great Let Us live such lives that God
Will love us, and that our countrymen
NAV be proud of us let us keep mp. here
in the camp, the thoughts and habits Of
the dear homes We have left so far away,
50 that our old mothers, when we come
back to them, shall not find IFS in anything
changed. except for the better"
DOM fail who think thus; The Gen
cral whose words have written her. has
fought in twenty battles; he is but little
past thirty, but his black hair is already
grizzled. and the lines in his grim face
tell Of exposure and the excitement Of
battle DO they see it as you DO. Cen
eral. I asked, Is we walked homeward;
do they believe with YOU : Believe"
said he, they knosc' They have discuss
ed these question, many hundIc.l times
about the camp fires ; it Is their life--tAeir
hearts are full Of it. Do you think they,
the men who give their ease. their pros
poets, their lives for it, don understand