Wilmington journal., 1875-07-16
HARVARD UNIVERSITY
Alumni Dinner-SPeech of Cen. v
r. Bartlett, of Richmond.

In proposing the health Of Gen. W.
+. Bartlett, the manned soldier whose
patriotic speech at the Concord Cen
tennisl awakened so genel al and hearty
a response, Mr.. Lowell said:
l see some one sitting below me
who has, perhaps, the right of us all to
speak III this hall. 1t is certainly no
fault of his that he was not one of
those to whom it was dedicated. He
left leg and know not how many
other limbs as pledges to the South,
and nobly has he redeemed them. He
is one Of those men whom We measure
like the Sibyline books-we value him
the more the less there is of him, Ap-
plause. But L assure him the more
we have of him here the better. I
Tremendous applause.
console myself with the fact that had
you called on one who had the gift of
eloquence. though he spake with the
tongues of men and of angels" he
could not, by words, add any fame to
the deeds of those for whom you bid
me speak. And as for their dear msm-
orles, what need of words TO recall
them? Are not those silent tablets
more eloquens than any living tongue?
And do they not 60 straight TO our
hearts as We see Q name nearer and
dearer than the rest, and then remem-
ber that to some circle somewhere each
name there was The nearest and dear
est ? To many Of you who we're their
comrades in arms, there is no need to
tell how well deserved il this memo
rial hall which loving hands have rear
ed. You shared their dangers and sac
ritices, their hopes and fears, and
would have shared their fate. Aye,
on some bitter day of defeat, worn
ont with fatigue or pain, you envied
them the perfect rest to which they
passed. And l am conscious that 10
you, too. belongs a share of their fame.
This their monument. Comrades,
where is yours? Not yet complete.
The fame achieved by dying glorious
deaths is not for US. Our monument
must yet be built by living useful
lives; by doing bravely and faithfully
the work we find to do !; and, SO far as
IN us lies, striving, by whatever sscri
tce OF ease or tastes, to elevate and
purify the life of the nation which they
died to save. We are entering on the
new century of our existence as ma
ton with brighter hopes than seemed
possible few years since. The one
great obstacle in the way of national
unity has been cut aN ay by the sword,
and the sad wounds of war are healing
fast. 1t is your duty, sons of Harvard,
to exercise the influence which, if you
will, you may WELD in so mould
ing and guiding public opinion
that higher standard of public morals
shall prevail; that corruption and in
competency shall not he treated with
public levity, but punished with po-
htical death; that good men shall not
shrink from public office and the du-
ties OF citizenship; that though the
''private station" may still be the
post of honor" public Office may
cease to bear a doubtful trademark;
that the Government shall be admin
istered with such ability, dignity, just
ice, and integrity that the South as
well as the North shall ere long pro-
claim that ours was national, not a
sectional, victory. Do this, or strive
to do this, and you shall write an in
scription more lasting than these-an
inscription on the history of the na-
tion for which they died. And as it
was made dearer and safer by their
dying it shall be made better and
greater by your living.