Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-09-25
The Last Day of the Soldiers IKE
union at Indianapolis.

| Correspondence OF the new iorh Aine''l
INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. Fl.
This bare summary can hardly give an adequate
idea Of the crandest street display ever seen in
the United States. Two hours were taken in pass
ing given point. From one end of the route to
the other the streets were crowded, and 1t was g
constant marvel where all the people came from
The procession had in it much that was remarka-
bic aside from the fact that it was wholly made up
of men who had borne the flag. There was Ben
Harrison trudging on foot, with more than lOo oil
the old 10Th Indiana regiment. with whom ne
marched and fought. There was the gallant hart
ranft, armless Spooner, legess ROBINSON nooie
Burnside Around and about that procession
were the best memories of the grandest decade 10
human history. 1t was developed in halo oil
| devotion to human rights, so, at leas', the con-
gregated thousands thought, for never before have
seen such an ovation to street pageant. All
dav there was dlzzling rain, but it could not
drive any soldier from the line, or any spectator
from the sidewalk, nor dampen the enthusiasm OF
either. The parade was a grand success in every
respect-great in numbers, character, enthusiast
and accompaniments-most of all, great as the
embodiment Of republcanism and devotion TO Ma
| tional unity.
After the parade came the great meeting in the
| Circle Park. 1t was announced for O'Clock, and
| long before that hour thousands were cOngregsted
| before the stand. Everybody has heard OF acres
| of people; few have seen them; but anyone couio
| have seen them to-day from that stand. Almost
as far as the eye could reach was sea OF races,
and all these people to whom the faces belonged
| were not only standing, but closely packed, Tor
| more than four hours. Rain fell upon them, but
they cared not. Scattered among the crowd were
| hundreds of ladies', who stood through all, and
not one of them faltered for an instant. Taken
| all in all, il was such scene a never saw be-
| fore and never expect to see again. =
The formal proceedings were commenced at :
| o'clock by Gen Noyes calling to order. The vice
presidents and secretaries were announced, and
| then came the resolutions
| The poem OF Duganne was next READ, anu then
| Gen. Moves read this
COLUMBUS, o.. Wednesday, Sept. 20, 1876.
To Gen. Edward F. Noyes, Chairman Soldiers
| Convention:
| | am grateful to my comrades of the Union
army assembled at Indianapolis. for their hearty
greeting. The men who maintained the cause OF
National unity and freedom on so many battle
fields are not willing to see the results OF the war
imperiled by neglect or misconduct at the ballot
box. Their example will be very influential with
all intelligent! and patriotic people.
RIB. HAYES.
1t is hardly possible to describe the scene that
lOIlOWcu t0e GtauluS Oh Tue ucSpalCu. Autct al
ter cheer went up for the soldier statesman who Is
the republican candidate for President When at
last the tumult subsidized Gen. Noyes introduced
Gen. Walter Hartman of New Hampshire, as the
first OF ator of the day. HIS speech was of the
patriotic order-what the democrats call waving
the bloody shirt" 1t was met throughout with
great applause but was, after all, only prepars-
ton for the great scene to come. just as he con-
cluded Col. Bob lngersoll appeared upon the
stand. Everyone seemed to know him, for there
was instantly q laundering roar from 10000
throats for Ingersoll He heard it and needed it..
First he had part of the roof Of the stand
knocked of, then part of the back knocked of,
and appeared the next instant In summer costume
at the front and began the most inimitable speech
he ever made in his life. He was inspired by the
occasion-inspired by the vast crowd before hun
and even surpassed Bob Ingersoll at Cooper In
stitute. 1t was such speech, Gen. Garfield said
as no other man in America could make If he
would, or would make if he could. 1t was q
speech which brought tears to the eyes OF Tenney
made Noyes, Burnside, Hartranft and all the dis
tingrshed soldiers on the stand wild with enthu-
sasm, and delighted Morton and Ogesby who sat
in carriages on the outskirts of the crowd but yet
| heard every word. 1t was the most Ingersollian
of lngersolllan speeches, and having said that,
everything has been said Of it that can be said.
| While he was speaking two heavy showers fell,
but not man or woman stirred. Almost at every
| sentence was burst of applause. His reasons
for being republican, and why he cannot be a
democrat; his terrible arrangement Of Tilden and
the democracy, his eulogy of Hayes and of the
party OF liberty, were of more power than any
| thing ever heard before, even from lngersoll.
After him it was hardly possible for anyone to
speak, but some tried it. Gen. j. NJ. Tuttle OF
Iowa, lately democrat, tried il first, being forced
forward by Gen. Noyes, but be quit after three
minutes. Gen. Fitzpatrick next spoke for fifteen,
and the great meeting closed amid intense enthu-
| siasm.
| The pageant in the evening surpassed anything
| of the kind ever seen before. Old campagners
in the cause of justice and liberty, like Noyes and
Garfield said they never saw anything like it.
saw it from the balcony of the Bates House, from
which two miles of Washington street are in sight
One hundred thousand people lined the sidewalks
and streets as spectators. Every man in the line
was in uniform everyone bore torch everyone
shouted for Hayes and Wheeler as only men dc
who are in earnest. There were companies oil
cavalry, log cabins with live coons on their roofs
and great wagons crowded with young girls
| There was, in Short such a political demonstrs
ton as Indiana never saw before and never viii
see again. Ben Harrison is working TO make
HAYES President There have been many speeches
by many men from the hotel balconies to- night but
the speeches are as nothing. Hartman, Tenney,
Tanner, Coburn Cumback and many others are
talking to vast crowds. The great enthusiasm
over the display over-shadows everything else,
and multitudes listen only to the music of the
Union as 1t comes from the Threats of patriots in
p@ans for the republican cause. So ends the day