American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1866-07-18

Ilotlc prayer was oueFeu Dy MY. lHoS.
Brainard, d. ID.
After prayer the Handel and Haydn
Musical Society sang the 6 Star-spangled
Banner" accompanied by the band.
THE PRESENTATION.
The grand ceremonial of the day then
took place, namely, the presentation of
the colors to Governor Curtin by General
Meade. General Meade took the colors
from the nearest standard bearer, and in a
most eloquent and appropriate address,
presented the eolors to Governor Curtin,
to be deposited by him in the Stale Cap
itol.
GOV. cuRTIN's RECEPTION.
AT the conclusion of General Meade's
speech, Governor Curtin, taking the col
ors, replied as follows:
General and Soldiers Of Pennsylvania
Soon after the commencement of the
late rebellion the Cincinnati Society of
Pennsylvania presented to the Governor
of the State sum of money, which they
asked to be used in the equipment of vol
unteers. The sum was too small to be of
material service in that respect, and the
subject having been presented to the
Legislature, an act was passed directing
the Governor to use the money, and
whatever additional sums were necessary,
to procure flags to be carried by Penn
sylvana regiments during the war and
with wise provision that the flags should
be returned to the STATE at the close of
their Service, with proper inscriptions, to
be made archives Of the Government
The ceremony of the return of these
flags was delayed until all the regiments
in the service from Pennsylvania had
been mustered out, and to day, surround
ed by your fellow citizens and in tho pres
ence of high officials of the National
Government, of Governors and officials of
sister States, of distinguished soldiers of
other States, and of the army and navy
of the United States, and the representa-
tives of the government of this Common
wealth, more than two hundred of these
emblems of our country's nationality, all
of which have waved amid the rapture
of strife-all of which have been carried
by Pennsylyanians-are returned unfair
nished In their azure fields the arms of
Pennsylvania have been emblazoned, and
her motto, Virtue, Liberty and hide
pendence," has been written in letters of
fire, with pens of steel, by the gallant
men before us, and their comrades, liv-
ing and dead, upon every battlefield of
the war. The record is glorious, in mem
orics of the past and in hopes of the fu-
ture.
If consulted my own feelings / would
receive these flags in silence, for this &C.
casion is its own most eloquent orator.
NY words cannot add to its sublimity.-
Human lips cannot express such lessons
of patriotism, of sacrifice and heroism as
these sacred relics sublimely attest. The
man is to be pitied who claims to be a
citizen of our America, especially Of
Pennsylvania, who has witnessed these
ceremonies without profound emotion.
alike of sorrow and exultation-sorrow for
the dead who died for liberty, exultation
in recalling the blessings Of God, the
laws vindicated and enforced by the sup
preston and punishment of treason, the
Government protected and maintained,
until the last armed rebel was beaten
down, and the redeemed Republic emerged
from the smoke of battle.
1t might be better to accept the mo-
mentous lessons taught by these returned
standards without word. In what ad.
equate language can we address you, sol
diers of the Republic, who live to take
part in this ceremony? We have no
words to convey the holy sentiment of
veneration and of reverence for the he.
roic dead that wells up from every heart
il your presence.
To the men who carried the steel, the
musket and the sabre-to the private sol.
dier, to the unknown dead-the dsmi-
gods of the war, we this day seek in vain
to express all our gratitude. If there be
men more distinguished than others, more
entitled to our highest veneration, it is
the private soldier Of the Republic. If
we follow him through all the sufferings
and privations of the service, his long,
weary marches, his perils on the outposts,
] his wounds and sickness, even in the ar
ticle Of death, we trace him back to that
sentiment Of devotion to his county that
led him to separate from homo and its
ties, and to offer even his life as sacri.
fee to the Government his fathers gave
him and his children. As the official
representative of the Commonwealth,
| xoLa honE tba IL u