Daily Republican., 1879-11-29
A militant Orssie..

BY the Society Of tho Army Of the
Tennessee, Col. Robert C Ingersoll, in
response to the toast 1.-THE Volunteer
Soldiers Of the Union Army, whose
valor and patriotism saved 70 the world
. Government Of the people, BY the pro.
pie and for the people" spoke as fol'
lows, and was greeted at times with
perfect storm Of applause
"Whsn slavery, in the ssvagery Of
the lash, and the bartarity Of the
chai and the insanity Of secession.
confronted the civilization Of our
country, the question "Will the great
Republic defend itself" rembled upon
the lips Of every lover Of mankind.
The grand North-tiiled with int Iii
gence and wealth, the products OF
labor--marshall-d her hosts and
asked only for leader. From the peo
pie man. sil mt, thougbtfully poised
and calm, stepped forward and. with
the lips Of victory, voiced the Nations
first and last demand-unconditionsl
and immediate surrender.
From tnst moment the end was
known. That ulterancs was the first
real declaration Of real war, and, in
accordance with the domestic writer's OF
mighty events, the soldier who made II
received the final sword Of the rebel
lion. The soldiers of the republic were
not seekers Tor vulgar glory, neither
were they animated by the hope OF
plunder, or love Of cruel conquest. No,
no--nsvsr. They fought TO defend the
homestead of lib-rty, and that thei'
children might have peace. They wers
defenders OF humanity, dsstroyers Of
prejudice, the breakers OF chains, and,
in the name OF the future, slew the
monster Of t.-ir time. They finished
what tho soldiers Of the revolution com
menced. Thy have reht the torch
that tell from their august hands, and
filed tue world again with light.
They bl0tted out from our statute
books the laws passed by hypocrites At
the instigxt,on Of robbers, and tore
with brave and indignant hands from
the Constitution Of the United States
that infamous clause that made men
the catch-is If their fellow men. They
made i, possible Tor judges TO be Just,
for =. a., slnen to be huma, Q, ard for poli-
ticiaus lu be Lop,st. rhry broke the
sh acki-s from tho limbs Of slaA-s, from
the sous vi ma ters, and from th.
Northern BRAIN, Th' y kept our couu-
try en- the map OF the world and our
flag in H-av-n. They rolled the stone
from the s.pulchre Of Progress, and
found therein two angels clad in shin
ing garments - N At,onality and Lib.rly.
tn. soldiers were the sons OF the Re
publ c; they We're the liberators OF men
In writing the Proclamation OF Ernan-
cipatiOn, Lincoln, the greatest OF our
mighty dead, whose memory Is as gen
t- AS summer air when the reapars
sing auiid gathered sheavet--oopied
win tho pen what the grand hands OF
brave colur AIDES had written with their
swords. Grand-r than the Greek, no.
bier than the Roman, the soldiers OF
the Republic, with patriotism as carr-
less As th. ali, fought for tho rights o.
others, for the nobility OF labor, and
battl-l that a mother might own her
child, that arrogant idleuess should
not suar the back Of patient toll, and
that our country should not be made a
many headed monster composed OF
wsrr,Dg States, bu. a Nation, sovereign,
grand and free. Blood was as water,
money a, leaves, until one lag foated
over on- Republic without master and
without a slave.
And then was asked the question,
"Wll poor people voluntarily tax
themselves to pay nations debtF
The soldiers went home to their waiting
wives, to their glad children, and to
the girls they loved. They went back
TO their fields, to their shops and the
mines. They had not been demoralized
-ihey had been ennobled-mocking
at revrrses, laughing at poverty, they
made friend Of toll. They said, I'VE
saved the nations life and what is life
without honor?" They worked and
wrought with all of labor's royal sons
that every pledge the nation made
might bs redeemed.
"And their great leader, having put
a shining band of friendship, Rirdle
OF ella, ped and loving hands around the
yio,.-. cam,. h0ms to find, and finds,
a -vrry promise made in war has nov
tn- +, , and gleam of gold.
"rn l.. another question still
Wna u- wounds Of war bs healed '
| .,sw :, >rs. fhe Southern peopls
must y ,',in, not t. the dictalion 0f the
Nor 1. nut 20 u Nations will and the
Va n,u ,uaukind. they were wrong,
a,ri lie me viii come when they will
say lhatt y ope are the v'ctors who
have h-,, vanquish' by the right
FIRE dom c 4u-r.d them, and free
dom .,il ca t,vat- their fields, will edu
rat- their rh,ld,.n, Will weave 1Ooes
Of yea til, vii execute thrir laws, aud
MI til. ir laud .Ith happy homes. The
sol i,-,. Of the Union saved the South
s~.la. the N rae. They gave us a
nation. They gave rs liberty here,
and lhrir grand v,ctoIi.s have made
tyranny tue word over as insecure az
SNOW upon the lips OF Voicanos.
"Ant low let US drink to the Vol
untsers, to thos. who sleep in un-
known and sunken graves, whose
names ar known only to the hearts
they loved aud left, Of those who Oft
H. dreams eau s's the footsteps OF re.
turn. Let us drink TO those who died
where lit.less famine mo Jked at want.
Lat IA drink to the MANNED, whose
scars civ. modesty a tongue. Let us
d,ink to thos- who dared, and gave to
ohsncs the care and keeping of their
lives, Let us drink to all the living
aud to all the dead--to Sherman and
TO Sheridan, and to Grant, the laurelrd