Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1867-09-17
sung by the vast assemblage, under the lead
ership OF Vim. e. Marlborough, Of Newsfork:

Venturing limb and life, and all
For Truth and Right. for hearth and home!
Thousands of heroes bit the dust,
Antieta N, on thy crimson field!
Thrice armed were they. with quarreI1ussr =
The Lord their banner, sun and shield z
l. # high the granite shaft for all -
That fell where duty summoned them;
| Their country,s star -gem'd flag their pall,i
| A Nations wall their requiem - = /
| o Lord, and shall they live again,
| These bones. the seed OF crimson strife,
Thy spirit breathes upon these slain. go
And they shall thrill with endless life.
In living hope, then, we commit 80
This precious dust, for Freedom giv'n, |
| To'Thee. till angels gatherit, III -
TRANSPORTED, in the urn of Heay'n! ff-s
The corner stone was then laid by Grand
/ Master John Coates, +. A A. M, of Baltimore
| Hon. "A. W. Bradford, Ex Governor OF
Maryland, the orator of the day, was intro
| address he said:-We have met here today.
| my countrymen, on one OF the most memora
| BILE battle fields OF our civil war, and we stan d
appropriate resting place for those who ha We
laid down their lives as sacrifice TO the cause
OF onr Government and q national Union,
We have come at the instance of the Trustees,
| to whom the subject has been more especially
committed, 10 dedicate by some public and o i
| fetal proceeding, on this the anniversary of
the battle, the spot so selected, halo wed as 1t
is already, with every hill around it, in the
heart of The nation, to unite In this ceremony.
The President of the United States, seyersi
| members the Cabinet the Chief Justice OF the
| United States, members of the National Leg
islature, Governors or other distinguished
| representatives Of most OF the States whose
citizens formed the army Of the Union, have
nono a,a US rs with their presence. meaning,
| resent to express by their presence their en- :
| during gratitude to the soldiers, living or
dead Tn9 n SO n OF stood in
| then proceeded to give history Of the seiec-
| ton Of the site. and the means taken for the
collection and preservation of the bod
| les OF the soldiers who fell ON the field,
! in progress and initiation of which he claims
| permanent place for the citizens and gov.
eminent of Maryland, and claims for himself,
as Governor of the State at the time, an acti We
share in those proceedings. To this he attrib
utes the honor of his selection as orator on
this interesting occasion. -, -.,
Governor Bradford then narraJes the events
which led to the battle OF Anietana, and the
probable numbers OF either army. He esti.
mates the numbers OF the opposing armies as
nearly equal, but claims that the soldiers of
the Union army went int the battle under
very discouraging circumstances. He mar
rates at son length the disasters which betell
Gen. Pope, which opened the way to the in
vasion, and to the misfortunes which placed
Richmond for the time beyond the reach of
the Union armies, and deplores the political
differences which at that time tended to disor-
ganiZe and weaken military ardor. He saws
shall enter into 30 inquiry to- day who was
right and who were wrong. Itwas enough.
and bad enough, to know that the harmony
which had once marked our military councils
had given place to Ill concealed murm urings
and m!sgfvIngs. -. :.
After referring at some length to en- Pope's
campaign, the orator says: You will not am
sure, so far misunderstood me as to supDosa
that, in referring thus briefly to the Campaign
of Major General Pope, l have any design 10
criticise. disclaim as wei: any such power
as any such purpose. Whether it failed
through his fault or that OF Others, or without
fanlt anywhere, are questions REQ pirine tar
more skill in military manPuvres,, as we'll as
more accurate knowledge of facts than L
pretend to possess. Nor is the cause OF the
failure at all material as regards its iafi uence
advert to it in this cen nection simply as one
OF those unfortunate autecedents preceding the
march OF Lee into Maryland, which was cal
culated TO exert depressing lnfluen ce as well
upon the public mind as upon the spirits of
the army, upon which alone we nov depend.
ed to oppose his passage. -..F-. = q
Speaking OF the selection of Gen. Mcclellan
TO command the army, the orator says In
that trying hour the first provision to be made
was ihe reorganization OF the these shattered
armies, and the selection of a commander who
could accomplish 1t, AID then lead the
united hosts. Whatever doubt the Govern
ment authorizes or any of them. or the people
OF the country or part OF them, might then
or since have entertained of the military abfli-
ties Of Gen. Mcclellan, there were few then,
s. s fewer an tdaay who
dom of the order which committed to him this
command. HIS serving in like capacity and
nnder circumstances so stIikingly similar
that the coincidence is worthy OF nste, and
must nave been fresh In the recollection OF
both Government and the people. At
the lime OF our earliest great disaster, the
ing active operations in West Virginia.
and the very day after that unfortunats affair
telegram from the President directing him to
turn over his command to another. summoned
him to Washington. Placed there by the Pres.
ident's order, in chief command, he was, in
less than week after that reverse, bringing
order ont OF the confusion which for while
prevailed Now other, disasters eliminating
on the same unfortunate field, demanded again
the services of the soldier who, possessing the
SKIN TO reorganize our broken column, could
so command their confidence as to inspire them
win the enthusiasm necessaryto forget dis.
aster. That the Administration without anv
encouragement to other dlsting uished leaders,
chose the right man for such an emergency,
deny. rffE,r-7S = = - -, 80 ~ '
The orator then proceeded to describe the
the great battle of Antietam, and graphically
pictured the glowing events OF the terrible
Gay, winch resulted, the speaker seemed in.
clined to think. through the intervention of
providence, in the victory Of the army Of the
Union. -IstaL ~. u .g7fsIJ- : = = '
The speaker proceeded This day, nv
countrymen, happens to be the anniversary Of
another event IN our political history not less
memorable than the one which to-day more
particularly engages our attention. In some
respects it is so intimately connected with the
1
that it is scarcely proper 1t should pass with.
out notice. - s1is > - -
It was upon this day eighty years ago that
the representatives OF our ancestors, Wash
lngton At their head, after four months delhi.
Grafton, adopted the Federal Cons titution an
instrument so remarkable for the cfrcum.
stances that gave birth to it, for the wonderful
prosperity which sprung from 1t, for the rev.
erence with which, from genel alton to genera.
tion, It has been handed down to MS, that prob.
aDly tnere has been norecord OF a like character
when mas exerted &c important an influence
on tne history OF Goyernm ent or the rise and
progress OF people. The political condition Of
the country AZ the time OF its adoption, in some
OF us aspects, was not unlike the present. We
nad just concluded war upon the issue OF
Wnicn depended the existence Of the nation, that
was combined with other circumstances, and
ied 10 the foundation OF parties widely differ.
ing IN some OF their theories OF Government,
tnat their seemed but little hope OF construct.
ing " upon any plan on which the two ex-
tfsmes would ever unite. Upon one side DO.
nticai bodies were striving TO establish a
:.roAE and. consolidated government, ignor.
ing. almost the government of the States
Wnist on tne other hand were those who were
Tor IN vesting the latter with all the s1hsfantai
au,noI,y, ana making their General Govern
msnt Httie more than their general agents. :
THESE bodies-honest donbtleas, all Of them
IN tneir opinions-had by their conunIlAI dis.
cuss SION on the widely different views they
promnlEated. brought The country to a critical
conoinon, and filled the minds OF its most