The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-06-07
THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.


OF THE ARMY OF THE PoroxAc--spEEcHEs
BY DISTINGUISHED GENERALs-GRzERAL DIX
ON THE DUTY OF THE HOUR.
PHILADELPHIA, June 8, 1875.
The seventh annual reunion OF the Society OF .he
Army OF the Potomac was held at the Academy OF Music
to-day. Shortly after noon the various corps ccmpris
ing the army filed the building taking seats In the
parquct Becks band meanwhile entertaining the large
assemplage in attendance with military airs The
building simply yet tastciully decorated. The
stage represented from camp life. with canvas
tents the rear, largo banners, stacks Of and
drums Immediately in front Of the stage boxes. Over
the stage aSgc banner containing all the corps
signs OF the army. Tho auditorium was profusely
decked with bunting tri-coored bunting and blue silk
bannerels bearing the OF Il States and Terri
tories inerminged with flowers hung from the piers
Seated upon the stage, each side OF General Han
cock. the president, Generals Sherman and Sher-
idan, Ex-Governor of New York. John A. Dix; ex-Gov-
Curtin, General Joe Hooker, Mr. William
Winter Quartcrmastcr General ingalls,, General Day,
DR.. Neal, Mayor William s. Stokley General Cadwal-
lader General Patterson General Mcintosh Governor
Hartranft, Major General Aspinwal General Gershon
Mott, General Robinson, General George H. Sharp
General socum, Sage, COMMANDMENT Chief Of the
Japanese armies, and Fritz Cuniine Owen, OF the
General James A. Beaver. General G. j.
Whitehead. General William J. sewell, Gen
eral Scott Mindeli, General II. e. Davis,
Jr.; General Auuenred, General Whipple, General
Jacob Sharp General Nichols. Colonel Church, General
Andrew w. Dennlson General Ingram. General Shaw,
General John x Parker, General j. X. Siegiried Gen.
eral William J. Bolton, General William g. MITCHELL
General James c. Lynch, General Joseph Oliver GEN
cral William NJ. Duntzer General Francis A. Walker,
General Charles f. RUIZ General John w. Gregory,
General James l. selridge, General John +. Ballier,
Colonel John W. Forney. Daniel Dougherty, George H.
Boxer, General Coils General H. IL Burgham and
Colonel George Meade.
General HANCOCK called the meeting order at half.
past twelve O'Clock.
Before proceeding with the exercises, Rev. Mr.. Nc
Wicker invoked the Divine blessing
Mayor SroKLEy then delivered brief welcome to the
society.
SPEECH OF GENERAL DIX.
General DIX, after referring TO many Of the his
torcal incidents OF the war, In which he bore part
concluded his speech as follows:-
Fellow soldiers OF the past and fellow citizens Of
the present and the future Is one OF the necessities
of your condition as members OF political system,
In the administration OF which every man has q voice.
that your work is never finished; that your
liberties only be made at the price
of everlasting vigilance that each revolving
year brings with 1t some new danger to BIO averted
or some wrong to be rcdressed. Under Federal
government like ours, which Is sovereign only the
purposes expressed in the fundamental compact the
harmonious cooperation OF the States IL almost
the present and its perpetuity the future II is
nearly as indispensable that tho harmony should DO
Should be left unsred to re- establish the amcabe pe
lations which existed before the There nothing
in the past which should be an obstacle 10 the
restoration OF kind feeling There may DO individual
ceptions but general proposition II In that no
intestine conflict was ever carried with so
little violations OF the laws OF and little outrage
20 the dictates humanity, close the lifo
of combatant has been sacrificed on the altar of
vengc 1t remains only forget that have
aad. "a mi n In thnCOC
may act as though the past were forgotten know
that such an appeal need not be addressed to you.
Those who have been confronted deadly combat are
always the first to lay aside their aniostics when the
wager of battle has been tried and fairly decided Ii
the North there are some VINO would rake open the
been burned out and extngushed II at the South there
those who perscvere IN fomenting the
tcrness and insist that their prosperity depends the
restoration of social order which tho and OF
Providence has set the seal Of DEATH let thankful
that these only sporadic OF moral dstcmper
from which the great body Of the people are exempt
Let MS begin the century which IS about to
fathers began that which about to closc-ln
spirit Of mutual forbearance, with rivalry but that
OF promoting our common prosperity, In thankful
for from the dangers we have
Ruler of the Universe for our deliver.
ance from those which lie before us IL
we we're to consider our progress during the last hum
drcd years in physical improvements and In all tho
elements Of national prosperity the OF
advancement IN the hundred years that are to come
the imagination would be inadequate the conception
On the Fourth OF July 1916 the journey from Boston
TO this cny-330 miles-was usually the work OF ten
days On the Fourth of July, 1876 railroad train can
leave New York on the Atlantic and reach San Fran
CISCO the Pacnc3, 300 miles-in eighty -four hours
feat which has been already accomplished. A hun
dred years ago II was the work of months convey
intelligence from ocean to ocean. Now message by
telegraph leaving here at the rising of the sun will
ourun him in his course and reach the Pacific before
his rays have lighted up the peaks of the
Rocky Mountains At tho beginning OF the century
We wcrc feeble community struggling for existence,
and scarcely known to the great Powers OF the Eastern
hemisphere. We stand before the world as their
equal and all the nations of tho come as con-
tributors 10 the innuMcrable products OF industry
SCIENCE art and genius which have their expos
ton here This Is the priceless Inheritance which, as
soldiers you helped to maintain against the open
shock OF II devolvcs you By q con-
scentious and enlightened discharge OF your duty as
good citizens to resist the insidious dangers peace
the nroads oil extravaganza althlessncss and corrup-
ton In private and public life'
A poem entitled "Tho Voice of Silence" was read
by Mr. Winter.
Short addresses were also made by Generals sbcrf.
dan, Hooker and Governor Hartranft, General Socum
General Robinson, General AverIll General Mcintosh
General SHERMAN announced that the reunion of the
Army OF the Tennessee OF which no President had
been postponed from July o. and would take place on
erected to the memory OF General George b. Mcpher-
son would DO unveiled. The meeting then ad-
journcd.
THE BUSINESS NETTING
Immediately after the reunion had closed General
that the first business in order was the election OF
officers General Henry w. Slocum I'd General John
r. Hartranft nominated for President the en-
year, but tho preference for Hartranft was so
strong that his nomination made unanimous. The
Governor was then introduced and in few words ex-
pressed his qualification and promising TO
I'LL the duties of his Office. George H.
Sharpe reelected Recording Secretary
Colonel William G. Church Corresponding Secretary,
and II q. Davies, Jr., Treasurer The following Vice
Presidents were then elected ARTILLERY Corps Colonel
X. B. Ricketts,; Cavalry Corps, David McM Gregg;
General staff. Cooncl George Meade First Corps Colo
mel Dana; Second, General A. A. Humphrics: Third
General Coils; Fourth, Colonel H. G. King; Fifth.
Colonel Syner; SIXTH General NJ T. Mcmahon; Ninth
General McKibbcn; Eleventh. Charles Devcns; Twelfth
Henry W. Siocum.
and TO Mr. William Winter for his poem. difference
to tho place of holding the next annual meet
ing. which finally decided by the selection
dence, II. l.