New-York tribune., 1870-04-11

Assured and owned BY stranger, foe and ht friend
Nothing was left him but to taste the sweet
OF triumph sitting i'm the nations seat;
And for that triumph Heaven prepared its courts
And cleared its eanpagns Tor unw9nted sports;
Summoned the spirits of the noble dead
Who fell in battle for the cause he led:
Soldiers and chiefs awakened from the clay,
And ranged their legORs in the old array
There Lyon led, and kearney rode ainaln,
And skilled Mcpherson drew his bgidle.ren;
Brave Reynolds marshalcd his undaunted corps
Aud sedgwick pressed 10 reach the front once more
The star of Mitchell glittered over all,
And Stevens answered RenO's buglecal.
Bayard looked worthy of his Snghtiy name, e,oo
Lander's grand brow flushed with eager ire,
And Strong arose from Wagner's roaring fire.
There gallant BufOrd in the van Was seen,
And Corcoran waved his flag Of Irish green.
Eirney's clear eyes were radiant with hS Ialth'
Winthrop and Grcble smiled at hathcd death.
Down shaws dark front solemn purpose ran
The slaves resolve to prove himself-mere man;
The hcro's courage. for that humble hope,
Was all that winged him up the bloody slope.
There hurley Nelson clustered through his men,
And Richardson deployed his lines again.
Baker looked thoughtful Wadswortl,'s liberal hand
OF smiths wild valOr bore his soldiers on,
As when IL rang Ger lated DOnelson!
An these and more, before the Martyrs gaze
Passed through the shouts of heavens hmHltuous
The sound OF clarions and the choral songs
OF rapture bursting from the seraph nro9Se
But lett picture on celestial eyes
Whose tints shall deepen as the days increase,
And shine a marvel III that Realm OF Peace.
This evening the Second Reunion Banquet was given
at the Continental when about 200 guests were in attend
ance Gen Meade presided, he having been selected IA
President of the Society. Gen. Sheridan, his
predecessor in that position, sat at his
left. and President Grant at the right,
Among the distinguished soldiers present were Gems
Sherman, Burnside, Schofed, Mcdowell, franklin. In
CALLS Hoger Patterson, Pea7Onton Hunt, Parker Cad
walader Van Viet Meyer Giles o. Smith, Packer Mark
land Cobb Secretary of War Beknap Secretary Of the
Interior Cox, and ex-secretary of the Navy Borie,
Judges Read, Cadwalader, Williams, McKeDnan,
and Thompson; ex-Mayor McMchael, Mayor Fox, Jay
Cooke Geo W. Chlds, Daniel DougheTty, George Baker,
Gov Austin of Texas, Gov. Farchild Of Wisconsin,
Joseph Patterson and many others were invited guests
Meade announced the first toast, The health of
the President" which responded 70 by GEN Bel
knap. "The Army" next toasted To which Gen.
sherman replied as follows:
GEN. smERHAN's SPEECH.
Mr.. PRESIDENT AND GENTLEMEN: IL is very agreeable
for me to be here tonight at the social board
and wish could enjoy ourselves i'll the good old way
with feast and song without making speeches or having
them printed The theme Won have assigned me is so
familiar to all present and personal TO myself that
would prefer simply to thank you ana take my scat hut
see that you expect something more and IL is the duty
of every guest Ia accommodate himself to the wishes of
hs host "1he Army OF the United States "a body OF
men segregated from the mass of their feOwctzens,
devoted TO their country sworn 10 obey It's laws and the
the national commands, even To the death such body
Of is more distinguished by the spirit which ami
ton of It's parts In tracing ts history we tuIn with pro-
fessona pride to the common Father of our Country
Gen Westinghouse the time when lie was suddenly
called upon To guide the desies OF newborn nation
lie found plenty of bold hearts and willing hands. hut
unuI ganzed. undsciplincd. and unused 10 the ways
of the war, and had 10 look about Tor eNl@-
renced men. even across the ocean; Then came
LAFAYETTE, kosciusko, DE kalb, Pulaski, and Steu-
ben, who helped him to bring order ont of conin-
fusion, and 10 inspire into the masses OF that day the
spirit which contributed much 10 the success Of the Rev
OluOn. OF them, Wayne Putnam, sullivan, Greene and
Knox, natives and In the manor born were glad to learn
no ART nd TJcflC Of |
hy recounting the succession down 10 TINS period The
Of which have brought hither tO-uiSh The
great civil found little regular army scattered
whole continent, ana many O It's lneilEfS mingled
win he civic world; and if can claim for 1t no other
the knowledge of the art OF war so thdt we were not
forced second time la look abroad for Instructors II X
true that for IA time faith in lis fidelity shaken;
but when the smoke had cleared away, we realized that
not a attaon, a company false TO its colors;
and though individual officers may have left the service,
others promptly replaced them from civil lfc 80 that
every regiment has continuous, uninterrupted his
tory The causes that led MS into that war were
universal 80 insidouS, that families were divided; the
dearest ties of kindred and associations rent asunder
churches and colleges were broken up; Cabinets and
Congresses thnned Of members and disoOrd planted in
the very cabins of ships on the distant seas. That these
causes should have been felt in The Regular Army also,
composed it from among the whole people Of our
country Is no more to be wondered NJ tban that II was
liable tO cholera. yellow fever Or any other maar0us
disease common 20 human nature Yes, repeat, the
army never lost its organization II saved us the posses
OF forts and strategic points and above all, il pre-
served the knowledge ana spirit tl should actuate All
intelligent armies, which were oI lhnmle auNahlge 10
the Union When at last the people OF the North
In their majesty you can recall now naturally You
turned 10 those who had seen some service Governors
and Senators begging for captains, leutenans,
sergcans cOrpOras private soldiers TO aid them in
the task OF organizing and instrucing their vast evies;
and military knowledge and expernce were then rccog-
nzed as something more than mere polnp ana circun-
stance.
The little Regular Army was swallowed up, but not
lost for it not only preserved its own organzon but
perneated the great Of the volunteers and aided in
giving them form and spirit II thereby II Iessened the
duration Of the war by single year. II more than paid
back to people its entire cost for the previous half
century Ii surely has night u claim It's proportion In
the glorious result the fruits Of which we now ENJOY and
that is all the share il asks. 1890
when at last the over, what little OF the old
army LETT retained and in II was ingrafed tho
new elements which had been 5cboOled and trained in
the best OF all unverStes-an army In the ned-so that
ala that had service In the war, and more than
threefourths OF the whole were from the volunteers who
had never seen West Point The present b guar Army
technically the child of tho war We should not forget
the names OF Scott worth Keaney, Mcintosh, Beknap,
Mason and Smith of the Mexican war nor Z; r. smith,
key Reno and Stephens who fell IN the war OF the i-
beIi0n; nor Griffin, Mower, Rousseau, Nichols Rawlins,
and Thomas who have died since Its close -
Peace happily prevails among our people, ana yet inc
Re guiar Army j. hardly allowed to ENJOY ts blessings
IL stands partal barrier among the preDn-
does Of the past or the aniD0sles OF tne present III re-
auirs all the sSfdcnia all the sacrifices, laOrs, anu
the expOsarcs Of period Of and II naturally yearns
for the kindly sympathy and approval Of s more favored
fellow -cOunrynen do not suppose that can INSPIRE
il 10 higher lOfticr tone Of patriotic devotion 10 duty
than has hitherto marked IL career but 40 hope when
called ON 10 E'y aside my authority me army VIII nc
found 10 have lost nothing by want OF effort on my pdt:
all who here present thai feel re1Ssfed
al this social gathering, and believe that the army In
distant and scattered pOstr. amid the Wild Indians
and wilder SAGE dpscs will read with pleasure That
have thought Of them Ia Kindness al this your annual
banquet.
Secretary Belknap followed with the following:
The conflicts Of the pat are replaced tonight by scenes
where the CLEAN uf the gun the signal OF death tO
many gallant spirit and yet you recall II you would