Charles City intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Floyd County, Iowa) 1864-1866, 1864-06-30

Inc Northern Iowa Sanitary Fair a
Dubuque was inaugurated on the 21s
inst. The opening exercises consis
ted Of an eloquent address by Presi
dent Wiltse, a response j" behalf o
the delegations by j. w. J. Calkins, o
McGregor, and prayer by Rev. D. NJ
Reed. Below we copy the
INAUGURAL ADDRESS. .~.
Ladies and Gentlemen History will
tenderly tell of the bravo men who
fought in the battles that overthrow
the Great Rebellion, and the history
will be read with grateful admiration
during the turning and overturning
that is yet to be. Every grave that
covers soldier fallen in the great
struggle to maintain constitutional
Equality, will be marked by a monu.
ment whittier and more enduring than
marble. There isn't marble white
enough. nor gold pure enough to form
their monument. But the historian
will have but partly performed his
task when the campaigns and battles
are described. The foot prints of an
advanced civilization meet the eye
wherever a Union army has marched !.
Here and there through the history of
former wars, We catch glimpses of he
roic benevolence. One. eminent wo-
man among the hospitals of the Cri-
mea, excited the wonder of the civil
lied world. What must be said of
that civilization which, in spite of dis.
tance, of climate and of dangers, and
carrying with it home comforts and
literature and religion, follows its ar
mics to their camps, accompanies
them upon their marches, never de-
serting them even amid the fury and
blaze of battle? What will be said
of nation of women who cheerfully
accepted every sacrifice which armed
assault upon their Government could
intlict, and have never tired in prescrv-
ing the health, relieving the suffering
and healing the wounds Of their hus-
bands and sons. No grander land
mark has civilization set up than the
gigantic system Of benevolence of
which war has been the occasion and
in which woman has been the chief
and often sole actor. H#. a..
No such army as that which during
the last three years has preserved
this Government from destruction, ev-
er before trod the earth. No such be-
nevolence as has unfagingly followed
the marches, noiselessly sat by its
bedside, and tenderly bound up its
wounds, has it been in the power Of
history to tell. Nosuch fathers, broth
ers and sons, ever went to war no
such mothers, wives and sisters, were
ever left at home. The campaigns,
and sieges, and battles omitted from
the. older histories, and history itself
would perish. Omit these now, and
there remains record to light up the
horizon in all coming time.
For months have the managers of
this Fair tirelessly strove to preserve
the health and promote the efficiency
of our army, and to cure and heal it's
sick and wounded. In this they have
availedlthemselvc not less of the fault
less facilities and system of the Uni
ted States Sanitary Commission, than
the thought and care and self-sacrifi-
cling labors of the spotless men and
women who are at it's head. The de-
votion of the few who have labored
increasingly to promote this Fair, will
never be written. Some, exhausted
by exertion, have sunk down and are
now upon beds of severe illness. They
are not here to be gladdened by this
beautiful scene or to hear the joyous
voices that are about to make melody
in the halls. aE .ar .e4 a
Whatever may be the pecuniary re-
suit Of the Fair. it may be truthfully
affirmed that no one heretofore held
has sent forward to the army in ad-
vance SO large part of it's donations.
None has been more studious Of econ
omy or less studious Of display. No
one has yielded larger return when
wealth aud population are considered,
aud no one has been made up Of dona-
tions sanctifed by more Of real sacri-
fce. #t .g
As Iowa soldiers are to-day stand.
ing side by side with the men of Mas
sachusetts, Connecticut, New York,
Illinois and Wisconsin, SO are these
States, as are the citizens Of Iowa al
the National Capital, represented in
every department of our Iowa Fair.
In the name of the many thousand
donors. now commit these manifold
and beautiful gifts to you. As l Dc
80, Christian civilization is in the death
grapple with the blacklist despotism
the world has ever known. What
we do well here, will strengthen and
nerve the arm of civil liberty in it,
last great conflict.
The rivers Of peace through our valleys shall run
! As the glaciers OF tyranny me Min the sun,
Smite, sme the proud paricde down from his thr0ae
His scopter once broken the world Is our own.
/ The Times says the address was el
n oquently delivered. and was listenet
to with the deepest attention.
mo Fair has been held in tn
Northwest which has eclipsed thi
n in splendor of decoration aud magni
! icence and quantity Of contributions
: Nothing was wanting. SO far as dons
tions can do so, to make display q
y once grand and delightful. The to
. . which it required is repaid, and th
toilers delighted. It would seem a
i if earth-its mines, it's plants, i.
" arts. its science. the genius Of it's me
and women, everything on it that col
Y tribute to the useful and beautiful