Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1876-09-27
THE BOYS IN BLUE.
Great and KnthusiastlC Gath erlnG Of
Union Soldiers At DAlanap0lls-El.
oQuent and Patriotic Remarks.

additional delegations from all sections OF
the country. During the night and this
morning large delegations have arrived
from New York city, Cleveland, Cincin-
natl, Columbus, Philadelphia, Harris
burg, Pittsburgh, Allegheny City, Balti-
more, Washington, Chicago, Louisville,
and from the States of Illinois, Missouri,
New Jersey, Wisconsin, Indiana, Texas,
Michigan and other States. Seventeen
States are represented. Advices have been
received of large number yet 10 arrive
during tonight and by the early trains.
ADDRESS BY SENATOR MORTON.
At three O'Clock the veterans assembled
in Circle Park, and were called to order
by Gen. Spooner. After prayer by Chap
lain A. G. Allen, and music by the Lun-
bard Glee Club, Senator Morton made the
address of welcome as follows:
soldiers If he Union. To me has been as
signed the grateful duty of bidding you well
come to the State Of Indiana and to her Cap
itaI Every Indiana soldier bids you wei
come. Every true heart bids you welcome.
To the men who saved the Nation by their
vaior upon the field Of battle we owe debt
of love aud gratitude which we can never re-
pay. To refuse TO manifest this love be-
cause 1t might be offensive to our enemies,
would be alike unwise, unpatriotie and I'M
just. 1t would indeed be poor encourage
ment to patriotism in our future National
troubles il we should now ignore the defend
crs of the Nation for the purpose Of concili-
ating those who have been It's enemies. l
know We are told that the time has come
when we ought to forget which army man
has served in; that we ought to forget
whether he wore the blue or the gray; that
we ought to ignore all distinctions between
loyalty and disloyalty; to put all upon the
same platform; to blot out all differences be-
tween the two, whether In law or In politics.
To do this we should be required not only
TO display the grossest ngratitude Of which
free people could be guilty, bnt to strike
the word +" Loyalty" from the Pension laws,
from all the laws for the payment OF claims,
to put all upon an absolute equality, what
ever may have been their merits or their
crimes In the past. For us to forgive those
who have lately been In rebellion is one
thing; but to place them in positions OF
trust and power is another thing. We have
forgiven those who have been In rebellion,
the erring men Of the South, but 1t
does not follow in reason, in justice
or in wisdom that we should place in
their hands the control Of the Government
and give to them distinction and a consid-
Grafton which should belong to Its defend
crs. hope, my friends, that this reunion
will be to you n season Of rejoicing. | hope
that you will all 90 away from here feeling
that IL was "good to have been here" that
the chain Of friendship which was first linked
together In the camp, ON the march, on the
field OF battle, will be frightened. Many OF
your comrades are lying In Southern graves;
many are fallen by the wayside from year to
year, and In a few years none will be left;
but az you pass down the dccllyity of time,
hand In hand, to find honored graves, may
the love and gratitude of thu Nation, may
the choicest blessing OF heaven and Of earth
attend YOU,
| am surrounded to-day by distinguished
soldiers who have written tn cir names high
upon the scroll OF fame. Their voices win
come back to you like familiar echoes from
the far~oii fields In the South, where you
first heard them amid the crash Of battle, as
they cheered you on TO victory My friends,
grateful for the opportunity OF welcoming
you TO the State OF Indiana, rejoicing in my
heart to be in your presence, | now retire,
that you may hold sweet converse with your
old comrades In arms Great and long con
tinued applause.l have the honor to pre-
sent TO YOU Gen, Garfield, distinguished
soldier and II distinguished statesman.
GEN. GARFlELp's REPLY.
At the conclusion of Gov. Morton's
speech. Gen, Garfleld addressed the as.
sembage ms follows:
COMRADES: You have heard the welcome
extended TO you by the late Governor OF In
diana II was htting that he should well
come you, who commissioned and sent so
many OF you out 10 the field In the days Of
our great war 1t was tittisg that you should
come here and meet him as you left him. 10
go out and save the flag and the Nation
from destruction, and YOU have asked me TO
tell him that we have come here as members
of great organization called together first
for social purposes, and second to express
our opinions rs citizens socially We meet
To recall the old memories and principles
formed in the day of battle, memories green
forever with the glory of war and the veto.
ries which war brought In that capacity
We meet To greet each other, to look again
into each others faces, 10 remember the
struggles through which we have passed,
and Ia express our love for each other in
the life We are yet to live But our second
purpose Is not less marked. When we were
soldiers we never ceased to be citizens.
Ii was as citizens that We went
forth to act as soldiers, until ciu-
yenship became houored throughout
the Republic (Chaersl We fought
to make citizenship universal. lCties of
Right "Mght"1 We fought to make
citizenship equal, lcries of Right"
Right'l wherever the flag flies, and when
we had made IL both equal and universal, we
returned to share Ii and enjoy 1t, Cries OF
Good" Good."l And In doing that We
lost no rights Of citizenship because we had
been soldiers, aud coming back into our old
homes, the duty Of old citizens requires us
to help choose our rulers. We have met
here to-day on a special call of the National
Committee to express our opinions In regard
TO the great choice that - 20 be made Of our
rulers in this Centennial year. II is the sec
ond object of our great gathering in this
city, and 10 that object we shall devote oar
selves today aNd 80 morrow. That is right
We shall talk 10 each other and 20 our fellow
citizens, with the utmost freedom, about the
policy that ought TO govern US. aud the men
that ought to hc appointed as the embodi-
meut ut that policy lCheers The Nation
has again houored YOU all by Offering for
candidate to Its highest office your old com
rade and frieud rutherford Il. HAYES IGreat
cheering,l We have come together 10 send