New-York tribune., 1874-06-23

regular corps could have exceeded shall never IoIRet
The description which OF the most Distinguished
men in the Union gave Of its entrance into Washing,
ton The greatest anxiety was felt by the
and the Inhabitants for tho safety OF the CITY, IL was
nearly defenseess Communication with the North was
cut of, and 1t was feared that hostile Iorce % n,gus
he sent across the Potomac In sufficient strehe,n
take possession Of II % and ,,;s S9eTie 9rS coad
hung over IT column OF armed men, WIN @ pay nv.
flashing in the sunlight. was seen narcnlng upo '
that it the 7th NewYork REGIMENT the enthusiasm
of the citizens was unbOunded Tney rushed INTO lehi
H. making the cty resound with their cheers, ana press
ing upon the serried ranks To greet nhen Win s t
voices and their graduating hands Inc scen., US w
scrbed 10 me- in the highest degree dramatic FOR
the regiment il spontaneous ana c0hllhueu oNa wa
drawn up i'm Hne-il56 strong-n front of the Presi-
dents mansion, and received from the lips OF ABRAHAM
brought the assurance of efficient support dlSpes the
prevailing gloom, as dark cioud Is uispoisou ~ "'
returning sunlight. -, -. Do,
In 1862 the regiment was under my command AT BAL.
timOre and assigned To one OF he most inpvi
and Responsible duties. | was afterward ordered
into Virginia, and IL was assigned by my successor y.
yous wear built fort which was key to the clly ana
defenses and was ALWAYS ntrusIod 10 the t osr en
clent and disciplined troops In 1868 the regimen.
was again the field TO and in repeing the INVASION ol
MARY and Pennsyvana; 1t was second Tune III Tue
Occupation of Fort Federal Hill. aud aferward in SER
vice the interior OF Maryland. until IL was suddenly
Late in the Autumn services OF the regiment
were rendered while was III command OF inc ~
naruen of the East TO meet apprehended Disturbances
eccented had NOT another regiment which had been u
shorter time in the field. claimed the service as pisi m
highly honorable TO all our New-1ork fegmohls,
viii yyhon the universal desire was not to be left at
home but to be the field 70 encounter lts hard
ships, privatons, and dangers -, ,
In tins brief and imperfect sketch OF the services OF
the regiment in the field, am aware that do IL very
inadequate justice But they are so well known to most
of those within the sound of my voice tht the
recoectons Of others will supply what have left un-
finished Its services in peace, as have already lnd-
Gated, most conspicuous aud valuable III mas done
than any other in the Union 10 Illustrate the
truth that i'll peace we may, by lndlvidual eort anu
ZEAL be prepared for war. ana tnus aVOu throwing upon
the country the burden oi large permanent Orce III
has In respect, a record which cannot an con
fdent, be equicd by any other military corps OF 'he
same number in any country in the world In January
1896 at reception at the Academy of Music, in an al
dress the regiment alluded to this subject In para
graph which know YOU will excuse me 1Or reading 10
you, impossible for me To express III fewer words
what wish TO say and as 1t rectes ficts WHICH cahno
be too often repeated ,., -,
The eogung distinction Of your ID he arse PIN %
Of 557 members regiment who received
when broke out Three the T1ns OF
the ank colonel forty the rank Of For
the devoted yourselves viii an a,'lp sn n
worthy of all commendson to martial exercises ana Dee,o !
safely nat there Was sc'S mon Y your & I1n wn bsny Ss Ga
battalion Or the % 'nl TSu IlfI 5s an nG 6G5
Alexander the Great for his Asiate expedition says th7
considered them much soe tie chosen leaders Of
Non tam miites quam msgros militia eeeO. puiares'
You have fr earned % me same gIae ana Are qy 'ne
On the brow Of the CapltOne Hill, IN the Eternal
City, there stands III bronze the equestrian statue OF
Marcus Aurehus, OF Rome's most illusirous En-
perOrs. 1t has stood 100 years within the citys walls
and shows scarce a vestge of the attrOn OF time IL
| has the vast Empire OF which 1t Is an emblem
shattered fragments 1t has seen the city wncn It
oyerOOks besieged, conquered, plundeTed, p1llSeu
sacked burned, demolished, held III bondage, and OPP
pressed every conceivable form OF devastation ont
rage and Insult by prince paadn or priest. the
era of Alarc the Goth to that OF Napoleon the FRANK
And yet stood there throughout all these vciss
ndes of empire untouched by the wasting agencies Of
nature and by the sill more unsparng hand OF man.
and now looking cOnsecTated by the suerance Of
ages. upon united Italy.
If the wish nearest our hearts were expressed 1t
would be that the statue we are nauguratlng today
might stand here long, looking out upon united
country, without witnessing any OF those tremendous
scenes the drama OF national life which have been
enacted III presence OF the other Ana why may II not
There is another empire I'm the Eastern Hemisphere
which has been for 500 years uncOnquered unlnVaded
and unchanged except III some superficial or ephemerdl
alterations in Of Its government. and Which
stil stands before the world strong, stable and unas
saabe. We are indebted to 1t for our origin. and we
derived from ii MANY OF social religious and pa
hcal charac eriscS. Whymay we not reasonably hope
for national existence as prolonged ana lmllutaOo
Principles unchangeabic, and why may not nation
lie so il it adneres them II may he in the order OF
Providence that another example OF the stabiity OF
| human government different form shall be given
this continent Tor the instruction ana guidance OF
lnanIlnd III viii he SO If fervent ascending to
the Sovereign Ruler of the universe from millions of
hearts aud millions OF voices shaH DE needed III
faithful 10 the fathers who gave us the govern
nent under which live it may be that our descend
ants, gathered together thousand years hence as we
amid the same scenes OF rural Dcduty aud en-
beishment, shall this silent guardian OF the PARK as
we him. the presence OF a thousand llVnS com
rades standing by his arnsa true type OF the cltzeh
soldier of powerful and prosperous RepuDhc.
With this address the ceremonies closed, and while
many crowded around to inspect and admire the statue
the regiment followed by the Veteran Association took
I'D the line of march the common TO the central
drive aud thence through Fifth-ave to the armory.
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