Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1869-07-08

Ar the dedication of the Monu
ment to the Union Dead, at Gettys
burg on the 1st instant, Gen. Meade
delivered the following address.
which shows that the great warrior
is good speaker as well as sol
dier:
My FELLOW CITIZENS, LADIES AND
GENTLEMEN--Six years ago stood
upon this ground under circum
stances very different from these
which now surround us - these
beautiful hills and valleys now
teeming with luxuriant crops-these
happy faces around me are widely
different from the tumultuous roar
of war and the terrible scenes en-
acted at the time. Four years ago
I stood here by invitation of the
same honorable gentlemen who
have brought me here at this time,
and laid this corner stone of the
monument which we are brought
together to day to dedicate And
now, for the the third time, l ap-
pear before you at the request of
the managers of the Monument
Association,t to render my assistance.
humble as it is, in paying respect to
the memory of the brave men who
fell here, by dedicating this
monument to them, and at the
request of these gentlemen l
am about to make to you very few
remarks, which are incidental to the
occasion and suggested by it.
When / look around and see, as
l now see. so many brave men who
were by my side in that memorable
battle, among them his Excellency,
the present Governor of Pennsyl-
vania, General Geary, and others
who were with me at that time :;
when I look back and think upon
the noble spirits who then fought so
well, and now sleep the sleep that
knows no wakening; gallant Rey-
nolds, my bosom friend, as well as
my right hand officer; brave Vim
cent, and Zook and Weed and 9th
ers, far. more in numbers than I
have time or words to mention, my
feelings are those of mingled sad
ness and joy-sadness, my friends,
to think that there ever was an oc-
casion when such men should be
arrayed in battle as they were here,
that we should have even been call
ed upon as we were called upon on
this field to defend the flag of our
country and Government, which
have been handed down to US from
our forefathers sad to think of the
mourning and desolation which
prostrated our whole land, North
and South sad to contemplate the
destruction of life which we here
wrought in obedience to our high
est duty. 1 am filed with sadness
to think Of the hosts of mourning
widows and orphans left throughout
the land by that dreadful struggle.
Such melancholy thoughts naturally
come upon US. At the same time
I feel gratitude and joy-gratltude
to the Almighty who directed the
event and selected me as an humble
instrument, with those then around
me upon this field, to obtain that
decisive victory which turned the
tide of the great war, and settled
forever, I trust, in this country, the
principles of personal liberty and
constitutional freedom. Applause. I
I feel gratitude, too, that our fellow
countrymen have been moved to
such respect and honor as we are
now paying to the memory of those
men who, in the discharge of their
duty, laid down their lives, proving
by the highest sacrifice man can
render, devotion to the cause they
were defending, gratitude to those
present to-day, who. by their pres
ence, contribute to render the high
honor justly due to the fallen
braves.
There is one subject, my friends,
which l will mention now, and on
this spot, where my attention has
been called to it, and where I trust
my feeble voice will have some in.
fuence. When I contemplate this
field, / see here and there, marked
with hastily dug trenches, the graves
in which the dead with whom we
fought are gathered. They are the
work of my brothers in arms, the
day after the battle. Above them 6
bit of plank indicates simply thai
these remains Of the fallen foe were
hurriedly laid there by the soldiers
who met them in battle. Why
should we not collect them in some
suitable place? l do not ask thai
a monument be erected over them
l do not ask that we should in any
way indorse their cause, or theil
conduct, or entertain other thar
feelings of condemnation for theil
course. But they are dead-the1
have gone before their Maker to bt
judged. In all civilized countries i
is usage to bury the dead with de
cency and respect, and even te
fallen enemies respectful burial i:
accorded in death. Applause.
I earnestly hope that this sugges
ton may have influence Throughout
this broad land, for this is only ont
among hundred crowded battl'
fields that some persons may b.
designated by the Go, ernment, i
necessary, to collect these neglected
bones and bury them without com
memorating monuments, but sim
ply indicating that below sleep tn,
misguided men who fell in battl