The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-08-25
SOLDIERS RECEPTION AT BELLE
PLANE.
JUDGE CHArfIELDs GRAFTON.

The cisigens Of Belle Plaino gave their
returned soldiers fine reception on Tues
day the 10Th instant. There were salutes,
. procession, bouniiful dinner provided
by the ladies, toases, speeches, and dance
and supper in the evening.
At the disneE, which was in q lovely
grove about one mile from town, the Pres.
ident Of the day, E. @. wuIzs, extended
to the soldiers a cordial welcome on their
retu,n home, and introduced Hon. A. G..
OkA1R1nD who delivered the following
ORATION.
SOLDIERS: Yoar friends and neighbors have
selected me to express their welcome to you
on your return from your services IN the war
70 your homes among Us. The duty TINS de-
one, for it Is not easy to find language adequate
and appropriate to express all the deep and
Joyous feeling which the cause and circum,
stances Of your departure, your services and
your return, combine " excite and to grace
and characterize your ' welcome home NO
assurance from me can be necessary to impress
upon you the sincere cordially with which the
You, or to exhibit the deep and abiding sense
Of Joy with which we, as your neighbors and
friends are permitted ''tO meet with and greet
with you again in health and peace. Thanks
grateful and pure are due from Us all TO the
Great Greater and Preserver OF US and all men,
for this dispensation of his mercy to us and to
all the people of this great nation.
When armed rebellion raised its hydra head
against the constituted government of the ma
ton, You, participating in the feeling OF pat
riotic indignation which filled the bOeoms OF
us all, laid down the implements of the peace
full avocations in which you were engaged Is
citizens, and in resistance Of rebellion and de
fence Of the constitutional authority OF me gov
ernnent took up the implemeBts OF war.
You departed from your homes and fresides
and your daily labors as freemen, 10 mingle in
the camp and submit TO the watch and drill of
military organization, where no rule or law
but that of order and obedience lie tolerated.
You exchanged the bed and board of home for
the the army ration and bivouac. Loaded
with arms and ammunition, accoutrements and
knapeack, you endured the toilsome march and
weary watch, day and night. mid driving
storm or under q burning sun, for long weeks
and months and years. In the enemys coun-
try You were not moment out OF danger.
And then and oft came the battle-the fearful
march in face of the foe-the opening vOlley-
the leAden hail and iron storm of shot and
shell-the constant cracking of the musket
and the roaring thunders Of the artillery, and
amid it all the stubborn stand of men in thin
ming ranks on either eide-the change of posi-
ton from time to time to meet the wavering
and changing fortunes of the feld-the charge
tho repulse-the charge again upon yielding
ranks-the shout of victory-the eager pursuit
Of the foe In broken ranks over and from the
field covered with blood and vocal with the
shrieks and groans of wounded and dying men
the return to camp-the relief of wounded and
the burial of dead comrades,-all these tolls
and dangers, oft repeated and long continued,
have you borne in cheerfulness and without
murmur, and that voluntarily, for the patriotic
purpose of maintaining the rightful authority
of the national government over all the coun-
try embraced within its constitutional jurisdic-
ton. Brave and patriotic men! we have
watched with eagsrness and trembling anxiety
the public accounts of your marches, your
positions your battles, and your varying for
tunes, as they have reached Us through
the public press. We have been only
scription, the scenes through which You
have passed and in which you have been
participating actors and while it has some
times almost seemed to us that the eye OF the
God of Mercy and of Life was closed upon the
fields of carnage, blood aud death, we have
felt that grateful thanksgiving was due to that
same Overruling Providedce for preserving TO
US so many of our friends and neighbors, doub-
ly dear to US for their services and miraculous
escapes from the terrific dangers OF battle.
During all these years of toll and danger,
you have been acting for history, and for such
history as the world has never before been pos
sessed of. The cause, the course and the re-
suit of this war-the numbers engaged in it
the means of offence anc defence brought into
requistion and use by the lights of science,
and the immense extent of settled and i'm
proved territory involved in it,-are without
parallel in the history of the world. In this
war you have been actors. You have each
your share in the Respondent glory of its sue
cess, and in its history you are included-a his
tory that will increase in interest and instruc-
ton as time shall recede from tue days and
years OF the war-a history that will remain
to the world as long as language and letters
shall be preserved among men. But the war
in which you have been thus engaged-the
war in which you thus volunteered to serve,
and in which the soldiers of Minnesota have in
proportion TO their numbers, been unsurpassed
in valor and courage, and borne more than
their iuii share of both labor and danger, is
over. 1t is closed by success and crowned
with peace, and though you return to US
clothed in the habiliments Of war, you bear in
your hands the olive branch of peace.
What great and serious cause have we, then,
aside from the friendship which we feel for
you as neighbOrs, to give you joyous and
heartfelt welcome home" You have such
welcome as neighbors, as friends, as benetac-
tors to US iu common with all the people, and
above all as the bearers Of the glad tidings of
public peaae. Soldiers! such welcome 10 we
extend to you!
It forms glorious scene In human affairs
when great and free people are aroused to
arms and voluntarily take the field, surrender
ing the freedom and safety of home action and
home labor, and submitting to the despotic
discipline and drill and the fearful danger Of
military life and action, in defence Of gov
eminent which that same people have them.
selves, and by their own wisdom and efforts,
established for themselves. Though such q
scene is glorious one, it is fraught with tear
tul dangers TO such government against which
there is little or no protection, save that which
s found in that sound and high moral and men
tal culture which exists only in the highest or
Ger oi civilization known to the world of man
kind.
how more than glorious then-how grand
ana sublime is the scene when those citizens
VINO nave thus volunteered TO be transformed
into soldiers to meet the exigencies Of the oc-
casion, after having served in the army until
they have accomplished all that military power
had todo-suppressed all rebellion-yindicated
the authority OF the government all over the
Land and conquered an honorable peace. come