Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-09-04
of Vermont's truest sons" The.SsnatOr was
received with three hearty cheers and
tiger He spoke as follows:


man, to face this great array of the long
tried soldiers of the Republic. | say it only
because l know you are as tender with the
timid and iriendiess as you were fierce and
resistless with the strong and hostile.
|, then. will hold the .kirmish line OF
your afternoon festival for little while.
and then, like the warrior who believed dir
erection 10 be the better part Of valor, will
retire bel.ind the ranks OF the regulars.
The occurrence of these reuriuns, from
time to time, brings again wildly to the
mind the nature and events of that ire
mendou- struggle in which you bore 50
conspicuous and so honorable part. We
can now happily look at them without the
intensity Of feeling We then experienced,
and with q clearer comprehension OF the
elements of strength in the Republic and OF
the issues to flow from the contest.
The opening of the rebellion found the
patriotic people Of the country almost
wholly unprepared to resist it, and I'M
willing to believe that it was more than
the temporary outbreak of a few reckless
and disappointed politicians in three or
four States.
The great body of the people of the North
ern States had. like their fathers before
| them, engaged in Il warm preside ntial cam
paign. and when it was determi oed, all
parties bad accepted the result a. q matter
OF course. They did not realize that the
time had come, or that 1t must come,
when the natural growth OF the differ
ing systems of society, North and South,
would produce q collision IN which one
must be overburne by the other And
we had forgotten in the long sleep of
peace. v hat the wisdom of the founders OF
the national government and our own State
IN particular, saw 50 clearly, that the
! training of the whole mass OF able bodied
! citizens 10 arms. was one of the essential
| conditions of quiet and free government.
s. when the storm burst, great waste OF
time. and indeed Of life occurred before
those administering the government could
see the vastness OF the contest. or bring To
bear. IRON the abundance of men and ma
terial at hand. the efficient organization and
persistent courage that made our volunteer
armies at last the wonder and admiration ot
the world, and gave 10 Us again the peace
of a more free and perfect government tina
We had before.
Our adverSarles entered the Held to uphold
the ideas of an arl>tucracy a. complete IN
substance a. any that had existed. 1t be-
leyed that labor was tor slaves and negroes.
and that it was not honorable for white and
Tree men. |, held that education should be
confined to the few, the first families and
upper classes and a. Consequence that all
the Offices should be he'd and the laws
made hy It's own members. lou and Your
fellow soldiers of the Union took up arms
Tor the constitution and unity OF the Re
public. with wholly different notions bred
In YOUR very bones. Your States, whether
democratic OF republican in politics, had
always recognized the dignity and duty OF
labor, the equal honor and re~pectability
OF all honest callings; and the measureie~s
value OF universal education, and had pro-
vlded for absolute freedom OF person, OF
opinion. of speech. and OF the press,
and 80 had made their government Identical
with the Will OF the body of the people, and
put the honors and responsibilities of Office
and place within the rIghtiul reach oi
every cltlztn The composition Of our
army illustrated the varied yet homo
geneous unity OF our communities The
trumpet call to strife stirred with common
and sympathetic influence the heartsOi men
OF every occupation, OF every opinion and o!
every creed - farmers, lawy erS, laoorers,
students. doctors, artIZans, merchants ana
teachers flied the ranks and supplied the
offices IN equal degree. Republicans and
Democrats, Catholics and PrOtostants, were
told oil together IN the ranks and mingled
al the mess and around the camp ire. The
brIet vas left unWriIten IN the office and the
turrow unturued IN the meadow. The ham
mtr of the blacksmith aud the pen and
scissors OF the editor were alike thrown
aside. Never perhaps before Wa the brother
hood ana the equality OF citizenship 50 per
iectly understood and practl~ed. The war
wa- the war OF every citizen, tor the cause
was tina; OF human rights under u govern
m,ut devoted to liberty AMI known by it,
defenders 10 be their own.
Such was the cause, and slch were the
men who brought II With uuhAgglng per-is
tence ard uuwdverius courage through
peril and disaster and ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 10 It's
final and gluli lu- triumph When look
over the list ot the officers of the - euty
three or twenty different regiments
and batteries that went into the service
from our httle State and thIuk OF the thou
sands and thousands OF brave men " ho filled
up their ranks. | Eel a profound amaze
meut that the State should nave borne the
loss of their Industry and activity at home,
and the burden oi their fitting uut and sup
port while absent, with the little real dr.
tres that She did But the truth was. hy
lrpc The S'afe. they formed part Of and
represented every portion of the wealth, |
strength and intelligence ot the entire Com /
monw ealth, ana to those at home a. well /
a. those in the army, seli-dcnlM, ptlyatlOn /
aud tire!e>s industry were not ielt to be a I
burden. Tie long list OF engagements IN /
which your regiments shared, brig up 70 /
our mental vision other aud mingled |
thoughts OF JOY. and pride and sadness.
Ii l. not Tor me, who did not share 1t, to /
describe the weary and dreary drilling and I
marching, the imperfect and often dehcsnt /
provision of the quartermaster and com /
missary departments, especially incident 10 |
the earlier years OF the war, nor the wei
come camp-tres, to which, at night, the |
men, ">kilfnl at fi3,cr " brought their con-
tribution, and when the night was whlied |
away. cheating time, fatigue and pain by /
song and story and the ever-ready pot OF |
hot coffee; nor the longer and drearIer night
on picket and outpost, when the ear thrUb-
bed with waiting for the ever-expected
sound OF foe. and the eye dropped in spite
OF duty and danger, and the sentry dreamed,
halt awake, of his far-uf sweet home.
Neither should | tell you of the restless sus-
pense Of the movements preceding the bat
tie. a. You lay upon your arms IN some I'M
perfect shelter, while some OF Your com
rades met their fate, forbidden either to
fight or retreat nor of the dreadful din and
carnage Of the heat Of conflict, the stubborn
holding of every vantage ground, the sui
len retreat, or more often the wild shout of
victory nor that saddest picture in the
book OF war-thc roll call after battle,
" hen brother, friend or cOmrade may give
no answer, and the grim and bleeding
ranks close up in shortened lines over the
vacant places, and the mournful details are
made to bring in the wounded and the dead;
al d the solemn pomp that consisns to the
'ust of the all embracing earth the com
, ,uion OF many bloody field, or the loved
%. umander OF long campaign
And after him lead
Ills mastere-s sized,
While beats the muiled drum"
All taese and many other memories as you
acct here, pass through your minds like
he en-, iless procession OF a great army. All
he pas = before you as the present and as