The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-09-01

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ed charge. In the meantime Sherman was sig
mailing Corsc to hold the fort for he was coming
1 with relief, and they did hold it till relief came
| From this incident some one composed n beauti-
| FIJI song and set it 10 Sunday School music, and
all over this land is sung this song by the child
| rem of the Nation, thus drawing from the calam-
titles of war forcible lesson in the education Of
the young in morals and right living Here the
uuartcttc sang Bliss's " Hold the Fort" SO We
should draw from our experiences rs soldiers and
sailors, through these annual reunions, daily
lessons teaching us the way of life, ITO hold
the Fort" for the Master is coming Hold the
Il Fort" of our manhood against the assaults OF the
! great enemy of men and nations.
i These are a few of the things, comrades, found
in my heart to say of and to you upon this the oc
cason of your fourth annual reunion, but they
are not even an index to what have in my heart
to say. fain would recount the deeds of valor
and selfsacrifce of each living member of your
association-tell of his leaving home and friends,
Il father, mother, sister, wife and chdren-follow
him through his enlistment, camp-lfc, long, te-
Il dious marches, skirmishes and battle fields and
his safe return, perhaps bearing with him in his
person rebel bullet or sabre cut as the evidence
}, of duty done (; but time and the poverty of my
language forbid.
j Right glad would be to stand in spirit at the
\ grave of each dead comrade, whether it be siua
II ted here in your midst under the tender care OF
family and friends bedeckcd each returning 30th
of May with the fresh flowers of spring, or in the
n National cemeteries under the care of the Gov
n erument they died to save-or whether their rest
ing place is unknown no sign to mark the spot
made sacred to the patriot heart by their blood,
and in measured phrase pronounce over each
culogy fitting to the glorious record they left to
T us but time and want Of accurate information
and my feeble language forbid.
All This can be done better and more perfectly
by each reciing the scenes and incidents fall
} ing under his own personal observation, thus Civ
} Ing expression, poor though it be- to that silent
eulogy which is this moment springing up in
each heart before me, all of which are heard and
Al blessed by the cool Father, thus making a
= complete whole not one Teton
', Last week Friday was at Manhattan Beach on
/ the southern coast Of Long Island, and with
many Others was playing with the waves OF the
| Atlantic-thc ocean that washes the entire east
bern oundary of this nation, and took to her
+ depths many II brave and gallant soldier boy
while fighting for his country. While thus en-
gagged and anon looking out over the broad cX,
{ panse of watCr-and as wave after wave dashed
over me and on to the shore | fancicd that they
l brought messages from the old world OF love or
| hate or encouragement or hindrance, and that
( each returning wave bore back messages OF SIM
D liar import. Now the crowned heads OF the old
; world are all watching closely our experiment IN
| Democratic Government, and with 1car ana
5 trembling lest it may succeed and leave Kings
A and Princes without occupation. And so fan,
D cied that during our late war tyrantS chuckied
f Mt the prospect of our failurc-and these waves
e of ocean bore us messages such as "Ah, how
now about mans capability to govern himself
D where now is your boosted principle OF sclf-goy-
T. eminent. All ha ah ha ~ and in reply each re-
:, turning wave bore back from the fields OF Don
: clson, Shiloh, Vicksburg, Lookout Mountain
f Stone River, Winchester, Richmond, the March
1 to the Sea and the AppomatOX, "Wait and see
wait and see All la wait and see !" And
= even in the darkest days there went from the
n hearts of the citizen soldiers and sailors back
c over the waves, you trembling, guilty sinners
{ you trespassers upon the liberties of humanity
i YOU self-imposcd Divine right rulers -blasphem-
f ers in the sight of God-wait and see"
Then from that mighty gathering OF citizen
@ soldiers and sailors at the capital OF the nation
after the last gun h0dbccn fired and the last rebel
laid down his arms, and the old flag was again
q waving from the capital Of every Statc-and
when these same tyrants had retreated into their
most secluded council chambers, and with
+ banchcd faces, bloodless lips and GREATNESS 81
= Hence anXiously awaited the latest develop
ments there was waited from that mighty gath
ering through the very dome of the Capitol
I'll building over the waves IN thunderih% uehCh-
ing tones "Ah ha how now about your castles
= i'm society established by laW-yOur distinctions
: between men and women created by statutc-and
last hut the greatest basphcmy Of all, where now
. j. your boasted Divine right Of kings and
=. iinmrdiatcy following this there was sent over
! the waves to them from the same great gamer
inc ond from the patriot hearts all over this land,
y this terrible warning Beware YOU trembling
= acknowledgements upon the liberties OF hu-
a manity, yea self-imposed divine right rulers
b,3mil, for ere long there will float out from our
4, eastern boundaries on the waves Of the old Al
Ioutic the same that bore the Pilgrims safely lrnm
. bondage to frecdom-and from our Western coast
on the waves Of the mighty Pacihc-thc sccdS OF
, liberty from which there will spring millions OF
citizen soldiers and sailors who viii tear the royal
! robes from your shoulders and the crowns rom
: your head. and place the same upon the hcaus
-. and shoulders of the heretofore oppressed ana
: Idown-tlQdden-but nov emancipatcd people.
! This comrades IL our cause ana WDGn Tue H's-
- rebel against Gods government has been con
gucrcd we shall all meet at the Capital OF Cren
: ton and receive from the good IHbclhc bcnG,
= diction "M"ll done rood and faithful children
The band then favored the audience with avery
Ipre'ty selection, after which, on the programme
e came the d" toasts" or short informal specclsc
:, on given subjects. The first was "'rhe Army
b. and the Navy" responded to by
q Dr. Il. F. DYER,
, who said " How quietly We lost when we are
: projected hy our army a.I navy But lei it once
5 be removed and what state of fcarfulncss en-.
c sues Notwithstanding the fact that both Our
army and navy are small, they are the nucleus
, around which might soon be built up grant
n army if necessary, as was once done in 'el. W.
people should cultivate kindly feeling for th'
e army and the navy; and especially for our new
VI Guard who may yet defend our very c1;S~nncc."
The next toast was "The Gcncr of the Ar
4 my responded toby
q GEN. VI, r. II. NNitACE.
-, The Christian Sanitary Commission wa re
c .pondcd to bya ccntlct'og, formerly of OTTAWA
now Of Wyanct,
r Rev F. YATES,
!. who believes ia IT, religion Of war-not only u
a. Iigiou In ;ya- but in war as phase Of religion
a Evcry h.!t Is to Kill an evil and every battle doe
nss -" " Wv" Cn''a' N"'"0 7.l...
" iafwerd, and Christianity Itself means war.
Is Z. contest and a work Of destruction while 1t
r. also % work Of rebuilding. He always told so
ridicrs 20 strike I'm the name of God or not at al
In al the horrors Of war he saw God with u
u When Wallace fell and the enemy vino had gain'