The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1876-10-12

IL any have thought that COlons
robert lngersOll was merely = bri
Inant stump speaker, desututs Of thu
genuine qualities Of the great orator
they should read the following power
- passage from his address TO the sol
dlsrs st Indianapolis
The past rises before me like
dream. Again We are In ths Rrea
struggle for national life. We hear IN,
sounds Of prsparAtiOn-the music O
the bOistsrous drums-the silver vol.
ces OF heroic bugles. We ses thou
sands Of assemblAges, and hear tn.
appeals Of orators We see the pale
cheeks OF women and the fusheC
faces OF men and IN those AssembIa.
ges We see ali the dead whose dust va
have covered with flowers. WeIos.
sight Of them no more. We are with
them when they enlist In the greai
army OF Freedom We see them part
from those they loze. Some are
walking for the last time in Quiei
woody places with the maidsns tney
adore. We hear the whispertugs and
the sweet Vows Of eternal love As they
lngeringly part forever Others arr
bending over cradles, kissing babies
that are asleep. Some are FecsIvIna
the blessings OF old men. SJme arr
parting who hold them and press
them TO their hearts again and again,
and say nothing and some are talk
Ing vita wives, snd sudsaVOring
with brave words spoken Ia the old
tones 10 drive srUm their hearts the
awful fear. We see them part. we
SEE tue wife standing IN the door,
with the babe In her Rrms-stAndine 2
Ia the sunlight sObbing-At the tnrn
OF the road . hand waves-She an
sWeTs by holding high In her loving
hands the child. He Is gone, and for
ever.
We see them all as they march
proudly aEay undsr the hsanAinx
hAgs, keeping tune to the wild. grand
music Of war-mArchiug down the
streets OF the great cities-through the
towns and across the prslries-sioWn
TO the 1el'is OF glory, 10 10 sRa die for
the eternal right.
We 90 with them Ons and al. We
are by their sides on ali the cory
helds--in all the hospitals Of pain-
on all the weary marches. We stand
guard with them in the wild st1ra
and under the quiet stars. We are
with them In ravines running With
blOod-in the furrOws OF old fields.
We are with them between contend.
ing hosts, unable to move, wild with
thirst, tine life ebblng slowly away
with the withsred leaves. We see
them pieresd by balls and torn with
shells In the trenches by fOrts, aud In
the whirlwind Of the charge. whgrs
men becOme iron, with nerve OF
steel.
We are with them 10 the prisons of
hatred and famine; but human speech
can nevSr tell what they sndnred.
We are at hOms whsn The nsWs
comes that they are dead. We see the
maiden In the shALiOw OF her first sOr-
row. We see the sIIvsred head OF the
old man bowed In ths last grief
The past rises before ", and Wa sss
four millions Of human bsIngS govern
ed by the lash we see them bound
hand and foot I; we see the hounds
tracking wOmsn through tangled
sEamps. We see babes sold from the
breasts Of mothers. Cruelty unspsak-
able Outrage iufinlts
-Four million bodies In chssns-
four million souls in letters. All the
sacred relations OF wife, mother, faith.
er and child trAmpled beneath the
brutal feet OF might Aud all tails
was done under our own beautiful
banner OF the free.
The past rises before ~. We hear
the roar and shrlek OF the bursting
shell. Tue broken letters fall. These
heroes die. We Look. Instead OF
slaves we see men, women and chill
dren. The wand Of progress touches
the auction block, the slave pen, ths
whipping post, and We see homes and
hresides, aud sehOol-houses and
books, and where all was want, aud
crime, and letters, We see the faces OF
the free.
These heroes are dead. They died
for liOerty-they died for Us. They
are at rest They sleep In the land
they made free, under the flag thsy
rendered stainless, under the solemn
pines. the sad hemlocks, tbs fearful
willows and the embracing vines.
They sleep beneath the shadows Of
the clouds, careless alike OF ths sun.
shine or OF storm, each la the win
dowless palace OF rest. Earth may
run red with other wArs-they are ct
peace. In the midst Of battle, IN the
roar Of conflict, they found the ssren-
lty Of death. A voiee-"Glory Ppl
L have one sentiment for the soldiers
living aud deSd-chesrs for ths living
and tears for the dead.