The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-06-06
Needing of the Society Of the Army
of the Potomac.
Mr.. BEECHER'S GRAFTON.
What the South and North
Fought For.
OUTLOOK OF THE FUTURE
4 Warming from General
Sherman.
SPRINGFIELD. Mass. juno S, 1878.

SPRINGFIELD. Mass, June S, 1878.
1.-The meeting Of the Society OF tho Army OF the
Po,mac held hero to-day. 200 veterans and 900
spectators were present aud the most intense enthu
saan prevailed. Tue nail IN which the meeting took
plaS deliberately decorated. Tho society marched
froi the Massasoit House, and as the various corps
ent{ed the hall prominent generals were Justify
che red Tho music was by Browns brigade band, Of
Bosbn and the Philadel pha Drum Corps. General
SloGm, President Of the Society OF the Army Of the
Potomac, presided. In prayer the Rev. A. d. Mayo,
OF Springfield invoked confusion on all who disturb
tho eace OF the country
MUor Emerson Wight delivered brai, but appro.
priae address Of welcome which responded 10
by General slocum.
X! II. Stoddard read poem, which was well re-
ceiytd and frequently interrupted Dy applause
GAeral Slocum spoke Of the services rendered by
tho State Department. during the war, mentioning
Linpln, Seward and Charles Francis Adams, each OF
wnde names were cheeIed as the men who saved
the country from foreign complications He then in
trohced Mr. Beccher, Americas orator, who laced
tho people Of England TO present the cause OF Tho
Moth. Mr.. Beecher's ADDRESS enthusiastically
received throughout, particularly those passages az
Ding that the South wrong in war, aud protest.
IND against the reduction OF the army. At is close
thke cheers were given, and on cali Of General Bar.
nun the audience and repeated In union the
wqds 1--WE thank YOU"
general Hooker was called upon and spoke Of the
ine rsst 81 soldiers in that furnished their
w&pons. He doubted If there would DC another such
army until the worid rcgenerated.
Generals Sckies and J. G. Robinson and Governors
HirtraDit OF Pennsylvania; Van Zundt, OF Rhode
ls.nd and Conner OF Name, delivered brief speeches,
during which tho names Of Governor J. A. Andrew,
General Custer and Admiral Farragut were demon
sHativeiy received Three cheers gwen Tor Gen.
ela Grant.
MR. BEEcngR's GRAFTON.
Mr. Beecner SAID
hsno- conferred III my appointment TO address you
upon this occasion. do MOI Deiong 70 me number
was early DAY when our country men In the North
looked upou military parades many Aues
and upon officers walking inc streets Ia UNIFORM as
gAy butteralea Inere came another day another
teelins. We saw our stfcets hed win swift moving
| With profound gratitude and pouna,css enthusiasm
Year by year an olhcer returned from the field and
| Was honorsd, and privates were lauded AZ brave
! defenders OF their country The wounded aud
| manned were objects OF active sympathy VINO
VII forget the eagsrness Of each day, the s'ckenng
| suspense, the almost heart breaking Inc shame aud
sorrow, Inc Joy and gorious tumuit OF graduation
winch acco mpanieu tue long history OF the Army vi
the Potion Its disascrs IFS bloody drawn battles,
is delays, 10 sewy earned honors, us hnal VIC.
tories rho Iamcs oil scott, McCieiia., Pope, Burn
aide, Hooker, Meade and Grant are moro than names
| OF msn--lhcy are tho symbols of periods When The
| over ana It's heroic men Came back 70 owl
| 100 brighl. But new growihs are pushing up rom
bottom and the genera. ION that knew ~ fast
passing away. The scenes are growing dim ~ tho
past ana already men arc court,ng popularity
! by doug uespte TO the army ana to tho
| men tlat saved this nation / am rot OF
their number. To-day DO homage 10 the heroic
| men wuo have saved the constitution, tho unity
the States the honor and power Of The nat on who
The industry ind political economy
OF the continent, saved the age from the corrupons
slavery, occurred ioy iaoor nooc career gwen
| 10 tho rights oil men-oi common men, Of aboring
| men the world Ovor--an Impulse aud guarantee
known before any attempt 10 dssri uto tue achieve
Republic. II enough that the Army OF tue Potomac
was worthy 10 count tse the peer OF The best IL TO
yond that ,rnaps oil any other army II was III ina.
last sh0ud be Iull oil victories, anu ihat 10
| ing last army the Con ederac and enforcing
peace 1t Is SAID thai the pen IS mighter than tho
| sword. Sometimes no pen, sometimes the sword
Is migher but there come times when botn together
do the work which neither can effect alone. IL
the pen tnat sharpened our swords gas the sword
that has snarpencd the pen. was yours, gentlemen,
10 belong 70 pcrioa which we Ike TO lose all
the rui,s Of civi izaton That which the school, the
pulpit, tho forum had sown the pen coud not reap.
inen iu,nea the prophecy Of old, aud the sword
became sickle ana reaped the harvests that were
Spirit OF RECONCILIATION.
The desire TO heal the wounds of war, tho wish TO
concate and reunte those who have been nj strife,
both humane ana patriotic But the spirit oil recon-
| Citation may not be wisely guided. IL certainly viii
not DO II 1t CLOSES over ihs crinnaiy oil those who
led country TINS connct the crime oi dsrup-
/ tion and disunioG the virtue aud rectuude OF the
endeavor 10 MAINTAIN unily and law, and me vaIue
| OF III. war IL began = a wer Tor the Upop OF the
ULtsd States, ~ ended as war Tor emancipation aud
| liberty II began ON the Southern part M war IN
defence OF ctvil,xaiou baseu Jon slavery; ended
q war for free ianor ana the isboring mau Tho
/ change fatal 10 humanity. You have restored Il to
nealtni The Constitution was wasting away with
| consumption. Black blood was circulating through
1t by your surgery the danger mas passed Our lungs
breathe pure air. Our hearts vItaIzed DIooa TO
every member Health aud vigor are restored The
recognition OF these truths ought BE- must not
10, OF offence. raunts, vainglorious cornpar-
| sous, depreciation OF tho vgor aud bravery OF
/ the enemy, ana whatever springs from hatred
or revenge, or seinsnness should DO buried. But
honest sruth Should be iearicssy spoken The South
| was wrong. Tho North vas right inis must stand
southern mon the gailanry Of Their officers tho SKIN
| and gcaius OF their areai generals. But II was
bravery, skill aud genius exerted Dad cause. We
adit that 10 the OF the South their cause seemed
10 be that Of hbsriy-that thoy were sincere add
honest But sincerity docs not change acts IL their
| minds were darkenod to the reaiily vi undery ing
tendencies u all tue more importan, that history
| with great military virtues But We deny 10 Their
leaders, 10 their cause all political wisdom The south
IRON lS4O sought wrong ends by wrong methods. he
tho result OF southern hsresies In the Whole
history Of human procedure there were never moro
| Dlunaers conInitted than by southern statesmen
The conduct OF kings and MOBILES preceding the great
| French revolution was not moro unwse, more fatal
TO their own Interests than ths steps taken by the
| South Tor quarter OF century before tue war
Those things are OF such importance 10 mankind that
VIC cannot Afford TO let them lie UNDECIDED. We shall
reap the fruits OF victory II we ucr THESE things
TO DC forgotten. We sbalI wrong the memory OF the
dead nit the equality OF those who tell In =
good cause and those Tell In "a Dad. Personally
| may have been gooS as another. But as rep
rcsentatvcs Of great principe one fought Tor DARK
ness and tho other Tor night; one sirovo Tor slavery
and tho other Tor liberty.
Mr. Bcochcr thon SAID that II was Tor tho gentle
| men Of the Army Of the Potomac ITO resist sucn
criminal folly to III up the true meaning OF ne war
80 nigh that dust shall obscure n; aud, AZ by your
| heroic service you have become au example 10 our
youth In courage and oEdevoton, SO you should DO
their Instructors the everlasting principles truth,
| equity ana liberty. winch undcriaid the war, aud
| without whicD IL was not grand sacrifice but 81.
gantc bulcbcry.n He then passed TO speak OF the
decay OF tue military spirit the North, and that Ia
| the important respect OF military framing We could
draw less Of wisdom from the acton OF the South
| ern Statos. :.
FUTURE
Mr.. Becchcr then turned 10 the consideration OF the
present and tue future, and said.-We are approach
| ing period IN when men must consider the duties
| aud limits well the rights OF property. Tht
wealth oil tho future Is TO be without parallel tn,
skies, the sea, the SOIL under the discoveries o.
science are as IL we're, recreated Tho development