The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-10-11

under the act Of lSll."
Gen. Garaeid's speech at the Toledo lie.
union Of the SURVIVOR Of Rebel Prison
Pens.
The following is the Detroit Post and
THbnHe'' shorthand report OF Gen. Gar.
fields speech at the Union prisoners re.
union in Toledo
Mr. COMRADES, LADIES Axn GExrLEMrS
Il have addressed q great many audi.
ences, but never before stood in the
presence oil one that l felt so wholly I'm.
worthy TO speak 10. A man who came
through the war without being shot or
made q prisoner Is almost out Of place in
such an assemblage as this. While have
listened TO you this evening have retnem.
bered the words OF distinguished Eng.
lishnan, who once said, that he was will.
Ing TO die for his country, but he would
not do a mean thing 10 save both his king
and his country" Now 10 say that man
y willing TO die for his country is a good
deal, but these men who sit before us-fiave
said great deal more than that, | would
like 10 know where the man is that would
calmly step out on this platform and say:
II am ready to stArve to death for nv
country" Applause. This il au enor.
nous thing TO say, but there
y harder thing than that.
Find man II you can, who viii
walk out before this audience and say: II
am willing 10 become IN idiot for nv
country. Applause. How many men
could you lind who would volunteer 10
become idiots for life for their country
Now let us make this statement TO Won
fellow citizens: One hundred and eighty.
eight thousand such men as this were CAP.
lufed by the rebels who were fighting our
government. One hundred and eighty.
eight thousand How many il thatY
They tell mo there arc 1900 men and wo.
mon In this building tonight! Multiply
Ibis mighty audience by forty and Won
have $4,000. Forty times this great m.
dienCe were prisoners Of war to the enc.
mics OF our country. And 10 every man
81 that enormous company there stood
open night and day the offer: an Won
will join the rebel army and nj Sup
your hand against your flag you Rrc
ree.'
A yoice-Thats so.
Gen. Garaeld-"And you shall have
God and you shall have clothing. FCheersI
.nd you shall sec wife and mother and
Avoice- We didn't do It though.
Gen: Garfeld-And do you know that
nut oil that 1888, 900 there were Iess tban
900 who accepted the offer. rGreat m.
'lauSe and cheers And Of those SOOO
IerhapS nine-tenths OF them did IL with
he mental reservation that they wonid
esert at the first hour-the first moment
here was an .I1 opportunity Applause.
VoiceS-ThRts so.
Gen. Gartield-But $4,000 out Of 1885,.
W said, NO! not to see wife again; not
0 sec child again; not to avoid starvation
lot 70 avoid idlOcy; not to avoid the most
Dathsome Of loathsome deaths will | iii |
his hand Of mine against nv country
brewer, LGrcat applause and cheers |
'Ow we praise the ladies for their patriot.
SIN; we praise our good citizens nj home
or their patriotism; we praise the gallant
oldlers who fought aud lell. Applause !
hut what were all these things connarei
nth that yonder? bow in reverence. / |
rould stand with unsandalcd foot in tho
resence Of such heroism and such su ilcr.
ngi and would say to you, iellow.Cii.
ems, such an aSsemblage as this has never
ct before met on this great earth. TGreNt
pplause, followed by prolonged c6eers.
Who have reuntons2 | will not trench
pom forbidden ground, but lot me say
his; Nothing on earth and under the skV
M call men together for reunions exce6t
leas that have immortal truth and I'M.
lortAl LIE in them. [Cheers.1 The mi.
lals fight. Lions and tigers tight as fero.
Iously as you did. Wild beasts fear IN
70 death, but they mover have reunions.
saughter.l Why? Because wild beasts
0 not tight ior ideas. They merely fICht
IF blood. all these men and ali thsir
'mrades went out inspired by two i'm.
Iortal ideas; Hrst that liberty shall he
UNIVERSAL In America (applause1; and.
'cond, that this old flag Is the flag Of n
alton, and not OF State. [Immense an
luSiasm, cheers and applause.l That the 1
Alton Is supreme over all people aud all
[GToat applause and cheers.
I'll u q State, call II section, call Il
outh, call Il North, call It anything you
'tsh, and yet, armed with the nationality
lat God gave us, this Is nation against
u State sovereignty and secession for.
yer, Cheers and applause; great en-
lusiasm.1 It Is the Immortality Of that
ruth that makes these reunions, and that
lakes this one. You believed Il ON tbe
attlC'tleld, you believed in the he'll Of
lndcrsonVill0 [applausel and Won bc.
eve y to-day, thank God tcheersl, and /
og wiz believe II to the last gasp.
l!oices, "Yes, We will, That's so,"
Gen. Gastlsll-well, now, tollow.cIa.
ans and iellow.soldiers-but / am not
'orthy to be your fellow In this work. /
bank you for having asked me to speak
you. [Crles Of EGO onl" "Go oHiS
Iak to US some more etc,
J want to say simply that have had
ne opportunity only 10 do you any ser
ICE, | did heara man who stood BY my
ide In the halls Of legislAlion-tho man
1at offered on the floor Of Congress the
eeollion that any man who commanded Ii
olored troops should DO treated as q ii.
ate, and not Is q soldier; as slave.
sealer, and not as q soldier-I heard that
ian calmly say, with his head up In I'M
ght, In the presence Of this American ii
eeple, that the Union soldiers werO IL
Iel treated and as kindly treated in al
q, southern prisons rs were the rebel
oldeB In all Northern prisons. Ii
VOlNOa WTfaHIN t0laTm tlEIn 80. .