The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-10-30


heroic deeds-to forgive those who fought
against us is quite another and different thing
mat our late enemies were Grave we are III
ready to admit That the fighting is over we arc
heartily glad We fought upon principle, LOT Ill
undivided, united one chole country, for union
liberty, law and order Not one jot OF prlncipi,
involved will be ever given up. But know Una
do not, and believe that the northern people
do not cherish any ill,wil towards thc people g., o.
the south. You fought the men III gray ana DCt
ternut, but when they surrendered the hShtlhs
was over There was no bloody chasm left-i
had been piled full and high with the inter
mingled dead bodies OF our enemies ana our own
comrades You do not forget the price or lDer
" nor the "crimson currency" in which 1t was
paid; yet you, the rghtful yictors, cherish nc
ill-wili You impose no penalties. You grant
to your late enemies every right under the laws
of your country that you claim for yourselves
You make them yo,,r equals--just that, nothing
more-and that is enough. such magnammity
on the part Of conquerors was never before
known in the worlds history. They who ask
more, ask too much. 1t is not for us to weave
for our late enemies laurel crowns, to sings tC
them peans of praise.
On the graves Of our dead comrades we place
the laurel and the evergreen.
"Four hundred thousand men,
The brave, the good, the true,
On battle plain, in prison pen,
Have died for me and you.
Four hundred thousand of the brave,
For me and you, good friends, for me and
you"
Once Peri stood at Heavens gate and sought
admission The gates of Paradise stood ajar
but the Peri could not enter unless she came
bearing gift to gain admittance there. Back
ward to earth the Peri took her Fight. A hero
on battle field fighting for liberty, had sent his
dart towards tyrants breast; but, in the for
tunes of war, 1t was not the tyrant, 1t was liber
TVS hero that died. The Peri deposited in hel
urn the last drop of the expiring heros blood
"Be this" she cried, as she winged her flight
my welcome gift at the gates of light.
= Blood like this,
For liberty shed, so holy is
II would not stain the purcst rill
That sparkles amid the bowers Of bliss,
Oh, if there be, on this earthly sphere,
A boon, an offering, heaven hOlds dear,
lis the last libaton Liberty draws
From the heart that bleeds and breaks in her
cause"
To our dead comrades we sing our pcans OF
praise. With their blood have they watcred the
tree of liberty. The nation will ever hold their
heroic deeds in grateful remembrance
"And when the great world its last judgment
awaits,
And our long columns march silently through,
Past the great captain in final review
Then for the blood which has flowed for the
right,
Crowns shall spring upward, untarnished and
bright.
Then the glad ears of each war martyred son,
Proudly shall hear the good tdings well done
Blessings for garlards shall cover them over,
Parent and husband, and brother and lover;
God will reward those dead heroes of ours
And cover them over with beautiful howers.'
Some years ago heard the Hon. William ii.
Seward of New York, then the United states
Secretary of State, relate an incident which l
will repeat to you. Said Mr.. Seward: When
country, had the honor to accompany him on
visit to Mount Vernon. We stood by the grave
of Washington for some time in silence, when,
looking at Kossuth, saw the tears trickling
down his cheeks and he said, what inequality
is here; / fought for my country and am an
exile; he fought for his country and he lies
buried in its BOSOM" Our, comrades in the
Eleventh, peerless Wallace, the soldierly Ran
som, brave and gallant MENUS, Carter, Field,
BelmaH, Goodrich, Shaw, Wilcox, Boyce and all
tho long list of heroes gone, like Washington,
fought for their country and they now lie buried
in its BOSOM while the old flag they SO loved and
with such heroic devotion floats in peaceful
grandeur ana majestry above them In speak,
ing of his travels in Egypt Mr.. Seward related
another incident Said the venerable statesman:
"While travelling in Egypt our company one
morning when just rising hill saw IN front CT
us one of the war parties that invest that coun-
try, and back OF us another war party, and they
were enemies. What to do, at first, none OF us
knew. However, our company made up of ladies'
and gentlemen on horseback, moved Il few rods
TO the. side Of the road, took from portmanteau
the American flag and, unfolding 1t we threw 1t
across the limbs of tree. Each war party at
once recognized ard respected it, and, sitting
down in the shade beneath it our company OF
American ladies and gentlemen were as safe as
if sitting beneath the shadow of our own CAPT.
toll at Washington" Far away from home, across
halt Il lisa
that banner of liberty gave protection and safety
to those who could call that flag their own. Men
of the Eleventh, it remains so to-day because
you, and unnumbered braves like you, fought
for it. Everywhere throughout the world that
flag is known; everywhere that the white wings
of commerce fly, in every civilized land, among
every people in whose language there can be
found word to express liberty, the flag we
fought for is known, is respected, and Is honor
ed. How like dream it all appears to us now,
those years of battle and death, sad and sorrow
full wears but crowned at last with victory.
Travelled from the Atlantic ocean westward to the
Alleghancs and across the mountains into East
Tennessee found many difficulties in my way
the burning sands by the seashore-the mid
day journey-the rough roads-hills that appear
ed like mountains as | toilcd painfully up one
and down another-streams to crosS-heat that
parcheu me-cod that pinched me-dust that
chOked me-rain that drenched me-and through
hot and cold, dry and wet, journeyed on until
backward from the Alleghanies to the coast
How changed the scene! saw no hill in the
valley no iinty stones, no dust. TITS distance
lends enchantment to the view" and the valley
l had passed through looked like fairy land of
enchantment. And so it is, comrades, with the
years that are gone. 1t is hard for those who
participated in the terrible struggle for the ma
TONS life to realize it now. Even the few years
that have flown have so mellowed and softened
all our memories that those years of war seem
to us like wonderful dream, full of sorrow, bu;
crowned with joy. We stand to-day on the
mountain top Of the nations victory and peace,
looking backward over the valley OF the war,
through which, with so much love and suffering,
ana battle, and death, we have passed, the wears
that are gone lending their enchantment and the
light of victory gliding the battle fields. Nav
the dream last always, and peace sweet peace, be
Americas heritage forever.
DR.. Dyer, Of Ottawa, was called upon, and
made an eloquent speech.
Col James O. Churchill, of St. Louis, was