National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-09-15
THE MEXICAN VETERANS.
BEUNION OFTHESURRIyORS or THE
MEXICAN WAR.


NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. TMARsHALL hall
-ORATIoN BY GEN. ALBERT PIKE-RE.
MARKS BY leEE. I. b. NELsoE-LETTERs
FROM DISTINGUISHED eENTLEMES-A
DAY OF GRAF ENJOYMENT.
Just previous to the last inauguration Of Presi
dent U. S. Grant an association was formed IN
Warrington styled the Association Of Veterans
ofls1e, composed Of the survivors Of the Mexican
var, the object Of the Organization being 70 -
care for those remaining Who had participates IN
tAe Mexican var . pension equal 70 that Pre-
FioUsiy given the soldiers OF the war Of ISL AT
9he formation Of the association eommi ttse was
appointed 70 prepare an address TO the survivors
throaghout tie United states 70 unite p appeal
ing 70 Congress for recognition Of rhelr services.
The secretary Of our local association INT. A n.
Esnadayl vas made chairman Of the committee.
The result Of their Iabors was tee convention Of
last Jauuary, at WIZARDS hall, vhen nearly
eyery state IA the Union had representatives in
response to the call The national association
was an outgroEth Of this convention, It's president
hang Gen. Geo. CadEslader, Of Phtlsd elphias
with vice president and council d aonlnllss ~
ficn IN each State Gen. Denver Of 1ts city, pelng
hrst Vies president snd Mr.. Kenaoay, nrst seete-
fary. The headquarters we're loeated ~ tnis elty'
Since the orrani1ation Of the national associa-
fiOn the Grst secretary issued orculali with q
view 70 ascertain the number q SURVIVORS Eho
nsSdSn y N SanseSs BE rsosntiy reported,
fhrouEh the columns Of TIE kER uALIcA ths1
1900 circulars had Deen olsulplIeli Desloes
some 400 copies Of proceedings OF the national
eopvention ia pamphlet form, and since last
April he had received nearly 1000 letters from
every state and Territory u the Union IN re,
county associations that have sprung out Of this
movement 9 EealOus determination TO attain
their object prevails. AT this time about 1850
survivors ars members Of the different State asso-
cfations.
At resent meeting held BY the association it
vas determined TO celebrate the tWenty-seVenth
anniversary Of the surrender Of Mexico 70 the
American army by grand excursion 20 Marshall
Hail. Yesterday was selected as tho day. and &c
$50 O'Clock not less than i've hundred people
were on board Of the new steamer Mary Wash
ingtOn, Captain Gregg commander, and few
mOments thereafter she LETT her mOOrings, amid
the lively strains Of brass band, and soon was
railing down the Potomac. After the steamer
had fairly gotten under way the ladies and young
gentlemen began dancing, while the Veterans got
together and fought the battles q Mexieo over
the campaigns Of Mexico, telling how their CON-
rades died that their country might live.
Among the many veterans present vas nun nm
participated In the battles Of Mexico, some OF
whom have served the United States in her army
for thirty OF forty years These men WITH snow
perienee with precision that astontshed their
Younger comrades, and when the portion OF their
experience was rescued Mnere sney tolo q tnen
IL with as much vim as though they were boys.
While the steamer WAS passing the arsenal .
sslnts Of tEentyonHe guns SaS h Isa y oraer Of
nised By those on board by giving three hearty
cheers, the ladies on board taking very active
mart IN the demonstration. Another mark to the
compliment was the dippngJ OF the colors Of the
boat So soon as thu boom Of the eannons ceased
the dance was resumed, and7Was not interrupted
until reaching Alexandria where q. short stop
was made 70 take on several passengers, AID the
beat then proceeded direct to MarEhall Hall. On
passing Fort Foot another salute was nred,
bieh nse me frs vas R5gPerly FesogniIssad
and proceeded to the pavilion, when the many
baskets Wers opened and lunch partaken Of
TIE steamer, si5eE Ter lssnaing THIS party returned
cf human beings, and AFTER they were landed the
exercises Of the day began The orator Of the
tfay General Pike, was introduced, and said:
ColrRADEs: GarFulOus old men who have re-
Membranes Of the V.okiEudes and adventures, and
especially il they have peep soldiers, Ike whom
the currents and eddies Of life DRIFT them together
to sit around the warm hearth, when the winter
wind blows shrilly and heartlessly outside, or In
the shadow Of the trees, in spring or autumn, and
ehiTp 70 each other Of old perils and exploits Of
battles, marches, ambuseadeE surprises, blyouacs,
Of strategy and blunders, success and reYerses.
They viii listen patiently for . time TO tales Of
the wars, told by those who bore part In events
that had momentous consequences and even TO
orators declaimtng Of them at stated anniversa-
Fies, but its patience Wearies In little while,
and # viii then hear no more. Time, IN the words
an art to make dust Of all things, and 1t deals to-
morrow with the glories and notable deeds and
events Of to-day, as It does even in summer with
the leaves that we're green and gay and glad IN
f1t events and deeds that seemed TO tas actors
worthy OF immortal cOmmemOratiOn must be con-
fent lie the names Of men, TO be soon forgotten.
In the words Of the same old writer: Restless In
quietude for the diurturnity Of our memories into
present considerations seems vanity almost out
of date and superanusted piece Of folly. We can
not hope TO i've 90 long in our names IS some
have done In their persons. There Is no Anttdote
against the opinion Of time, which temporarily
eonEdereth all thingsi Our fathers and their
graves 10 our short memories and sadly tell rs
how we may be buried in our survivors, graves.
pass while some trees stand aRd cid families ont
last not them.
what, when we we're boys, We called Independ-
ence Day has almost ceased 70 be national hoti-
day The Declaration Of Independence is seldom
read TO the people now; the farewell address Of
Washington, never. Who remembers on what
day Of the year the battle Of Bunker Hill was
fought or that OF Monmouth, or CORVALLIS sur
renderf Who cares now TO hear Of the last war
with Great Britlinf What tght was It at which
some one asked II he could take certain battery,
and answered ''Ill Try, = and what became Of him?
Nevertheless as Il has been well said, TO enane-
less in worthy deeds exceeds an infamous history;
but the iniquity Of oblivion blndly scattered her
poppy. and deals with the memory Of men with
out distinction to merit Of perpetutty. Time hath
spared the epitaph Of Hadrian's horse; confounded
that Of himself. In vain We compute our felicities
By the advantage OF our good names, since bad
have equal duration and Thersites is like to live
as long as Agamemnon- Oblivion is not to be
hired. The greater part must be content to be as
though they had been; TO be found IN the register
Of God, not in the record Of man.
FOz time the sth Of January was an anniver-
sary, and the battle Of New Orleans worthy Of
annual commemoratiOn and OratOry. We must
be content to let the people and our friends in
Tited here forget Buena Vista and Oeepultepec.
They have forgotten the birthday Of Washing
ton. and the Potomac flows scornfully BY his
unfinished monument, and tie bust Of the heroic
Pole, Pulaski. who fell before Savannah, unpre-
served BY the Government. is covered with dust
and eObWebs IN the gloomy cTypts Of the Capitol.
To strive 70 make the world keep in grateful
remembrance what It desires 70 forget Is Is idle
as 10 endeaTor 70 DO the work Of Sisyphus or 70
revive love that IL dead. We have but Q Geld
recollection Of even cur own JOYS and sOrrOHs and
take interest in those Of others that are past.
Those younger than We viii live, II We do not,
until none care 70 hear the tale Of Fredericksburg
and Gettysburg, or the Wilderness, and after q
few years pions hands VII no longer streW noEere
ct stated periods on The graves Of either Federal
OF Confederate dead. Who can predict what may
become Of the bOnes3
We are not 50 unEise ss 70 provoke the worlds
resentment by eldeaForing 70 keep alive its 70
membrane o. what Il has already half forgotten.
We have not associated for that, but parity for
the purpose Of praying 70 Congfess that there
are not too many surviving soldiers Of the Mexi-
can war, and that It need not walt until All are
dead before II pays 70 those Of them who need II
ne oept tnet every gsneLo1S eoentfR PSys %
that, IL which many Of rs have no personal In
terest but more chiefly out Of feeling Of CON-
radeship to meet together now and then and In
teRchange f-aternal greeting, TO revive the old
memories and obiiterete all that since occurred 70
divide rs, and to become and remain true friends
and mutual keepers Of each Other-eomrades
until death, as We were when We rode side by
Gide or stood shoulder e shoulder, aud each held
the LIFE and honor Of the men In his hand-let rs
be true friends
Re next said that the occasion was for social en-
jOyment and intercourse AID TO renew the afeo.
tion that has existed between them. He did not
intend 20 deliver set Grafton they did not feel
IA the humcr 70 hear one. he thought orationl
were unnecessary. He greeted hiG comrades, and
EXPRESSED himself Is being glad TO be with them,
a. they were brothers in peace. He urged them e
be proud of thememOries Of the past and referred
e the regiments Of the different States and the
parts taken BY them in the Gexican war, and
gave 70 them each encomiumG. He referred 4
war IS being apromoterof civilization and aimosi
The 0nly meaus BY witch races and nations have
STAINED greatness. The Giinerei confined 81
gOms length, during which his remarks Ifsre ire
quently interrupted with applause. On his con
illusion he was warmly congratulated.
poem, composed By Ms. Henningsen. was read
BY Miss z Justice.
Letters were read from Hon. b H. BrIstoW
TOW, SECRETARY OF the Treasury; Hon. W. "
6elknnp, secretary q " a.; Hon. Hamilton Fish
Secretary Of STATE; Hon. Marshall Jewell, Post
master General Hon. J. H. Mitchell United
States Senator; Hon. A. N Ciapu, Confessions
Printer; Major General Robert patterson pref
dent Aztee Club; Hon. W. J. Smith or Tennessee
Colonel D. y. Rnddooh, president Baltimore
Corn; Hon. Thomas 2. Piercs, Nashua, N. III.
Chauneey =. Sarugnt, Phfladeluhia. u RI NIonf
field, ESQ.,, Lansing, Mich.
AT the conclusion Of the programme those pres
ent repaired 70 the pavilion, where they trfppet
the light fantastic until 3 O'clock p. m. When
thew returned 70 WaghinufOn. we'll DIenRed v7ftf