Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-09-04

own and that whatever We can do To give
them peace, security and prosperity, Will
be done most gladly. But We all know
that to those ends the cause you fought Tor
must be considered as good one, and 10
have finally triumphed, 50 that Its prlnci-
pies, to which have adyerted, shall be put
in practice and made efiectual. You meet.
then, from year to year, not only TO refresh
the friendships OF your surviving members,
and to revive the rccollections of Your de-
parted companions in arms bat to cOmmemO-
rate the glories and beneactiOns OF great
deeds and battles for Just government and
equal laws II The cause was Just, the
n,emu ~ Of it ought to be made perpetual
II II was not, all traces OF your achieve
ments should be blotieG from history, and
We should all repent the Unreasonable mis-
cry We have caused to the people by carry
ing on such a war. Bat truth and false
hood cannot be buried in the same grave
Nothing requires Us to cunsign the right TO
the oblivion which We may wish 10 cover
wrong. Gle names of your battle helds
must still float to the breeze on the hass OF
your regiments; the banners you have car
RED through a Thousand perlls 10 just We
tory mus; continue to hang in the halls Of
your capitals; monuments must rise snd
Inscriptions bear witness to the great events
ahich preserved a government OF the people
and Dedicated ii forever to liberty and
eQlal rights And every festival you, the
suryIyOr~ and heroes OF the strugg lie, shall
hold, NIL be not only memorial but an ex
ample-nut only 4 cOmmemOrauon Ot what
hA- been done, but an Inspiration 70 pos
teIlty to preserve and extend the blessings
Ul free and last Institutions 10 all mankind
thank Your gallant cOmmander-ln-c chief,
and thank You all, gentlemen, Tor the
honor You have done me in giving me the
pleasure ol attending your celebration.
Senator Eimunds' speech was received
with three cheers
Gea S,2nnagd next introduced
Col STEPHEN clRLiss, OF ALBANY, y. Y.
Col C,r.i,- spoke briefly. c0ngratuiating
/ the Vermont soldiers ON the success OF their
/ reunion ,alluding 10 army experiences ,iuclu-
/ ding "tl~s.es for chickens" and expressing
the opinion that these gatherings ought 10
/ be kept up from year to year. His remarks
were received with cheers.
GES. ALDEN, OF TROY, y. Y,
( was the next speaker lie said be had served
m many engagements with the soldiers OF
Vermont, and he had never heard Of Il time
when any 90 the Vermont troops ever ilnch-
ed. Tons was to the great honor OF YER
mont, iur OF the troops OF no other STATE
could the same be said. Abiding 10 Stn-
atJr Eimund- speech. Gen. A len said the
mention OF that Senator'S Dame carried
more influence In Washington than twenty
others, and be should be tempted to say 50,
II ne was not present. lie closed with
thanks for the honor done himself, and Tor
the pleasure of witnessing the enjoyment
OF TINS reLniOn.
CJl. joyce was next called for. lie was
not On the stand, but was discovered in the
crowd. and was taken bodily to the stand,
when General Stannard introduced MIN As
zone Of Us. who don't need any introdac-
ton.
col JoYcE's SPEECH
Col. Joyce said he had been bawling to
the Second boys till he was hOarse, and he
should deserve T. be court martialle1 If he
kept this crowd here in the sun. About
these Governor matters. however, he wanted
to say, that IT things were to be as they had
been, 1t would not be year before our next
Governor would take II wife. laughter
Col Joyce recalled the muster in of the
Old Second Vermont Regiment, almost on
that very ground, IN June 81 the march
to Washington the first night on picket.
duu tut ul-ut Nutu AdlN anu tut tudl4dlu
got lost while out alter whi>key and the
march 10 Bull Run and the short cut back to
Centreville, and "reminiscences OF other
fields lie recalled some of their fallen
comrades, Dudley and Blxby and Stone and
Jarvis and MOrey, and Others. lie was glad |
to be here-he never felt so happy since he |
was 81. lie could say he neve- knew IL
man under his command refuse to obey an
order, or that wouldn't have given his life |
for his own. lie hoped these reunions |
would be kept up 1t had been the policy |
of some 70 cOnsign to silence our victories,
and take their names from the flags. For |
his part he would write them If he could on
the very sky, ana have the universe take |
notice that American people are lovers of |
liberty and equal rights. Trusting that |
God would bless them all and return all |
safely to their homes. Col. Joyce closed. lie |
spoke with his accustomed fluency, and |
IN one OF his best veins. and his speech was |
received with hearty applause. and cheers |
for the speaker.
Gen. stephen Thomas was next dragged |
out from the crowd, and stormed the plat
form ON compulsion from the front. lie
was welcomed with three cheers
GEN. THOMAS SPEECH.
We are here, he said, not to keep up an
imosty against any man that has repented
OF his sin-; but to preserve love of country
and equality OF rights. But for the services
of the rank and file what would our
country have been TO day? 1t was good
for the soldiers to gather, and he was glad
to see the ladies present. lie remembered
Years in whlch'they saw the face of no loyal
white woman. Gen. Thomas said he would
h. hon h.t .afflRf ha
could talk like Senator Edmunds, or had
reached a reputation like his, when what
ever he said would pass for good. But he
ielded to none IN love for his comrades or
his country. He warned all the soldiers to
be present ut the next reunion and he closed
by offering prize If $50 to the regiment
that shOHld bring the most veterans to the
reunion at Montpelier; SIS to the next
largest. and $40 to the next-''No cheating
Or -tealing-i never allowed that, said the
did / allow my men to pay
too ,:igh for chickens" Applause and
.hree ciisers for Gen. Thomas
cot. vEAzEY's SPEECH.
Col. Veazey gas next loudly called for.
md. being discoy cred in the mass, was .
to mount the stand. and was
greeted with cheers. Ia sald 1t was the
IFS. time he had ever bee captured. out
he boys who took him could always take
.nythIng His head was full of tactlcs. lie
lad been trying to solve the prob.em now
q make regiment of ten comp anles
ut of fifteen men, but when be
,ot them in line. it was all right. Every
nan looked. as they did at Gettysburg,
quail to a hundred He thanked the sol 7
liers for their greeting, accepting 1t as !
testimonial OF their approval OF the part lie /
lad taken in inaugurating these reunions.
'ermOnt was the first State to hold not an !,
Ulcers but a soldiers reunion with all on a .
eyel but other States are following US in v
folding them. lie appealed earnestly to 7
ii the veterans to maintain these gather '
ngs a means of transmitting the princi- h
lies and the inspiration on which depends |
he life of our government. While We keep 4
hese alive, it must stand. As Marshal 2
Ney, at his execution, cut short the list of /
tiles, and desired TO be called simply "a l
aid OF any of us "he was soldier of the
'epublic." lie appealed TO all to attend
hese reunions. In time but IL handful of |,
ray haired men will gather, in silence il
lore eloquent than words; but while any I
US are left. let US keep up these soldier =
meetings. Applause and cheers.l j
The audience next called for Generals
Wells and Henry but they had left the ?
tand, and the General commanding dis =
Kissed the parade. Il
AFTER TIE REVIEW
nd the speaking. the veterans gathered St =
heir quarters, and spent the time in ysri- b