Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-08-27
NUMBER 225
OHIO VETERANS.

~-sss->~ 4Ao"SAAAOA0BO ~ OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Good Remarks by General Garfield De-
tracted From by Political DIsquisition
from the Radical Standpoint.
CINCINNATI, O., Aug. 26.-A special to the
Gazette says about three thousand strangers
were present to-day at the soldiers reunion at
Cambridge, and greater crowds are expected
tomorrow and next day. The reunion exer-
cises opened this morning by reville at 6, and
salute. The greater part of the day was spent
in receiving delegates and escorting them to
quarters. Gen. Garfield, who was to make the
opening address at 4 o'clock, failed to arrive
until clock and was then entertained by
Mayor Farrar an old member of his staff. In
the evening the whole city was. brilliantly
illuminated. Gen. Garfield delivered the open
ing address in court house park, which
wss hung with Chinese lanterns, and
was closely filled with people. The audience
numbered probably five or six thousand. The
general said that ex-soldiers of the North were
neither ashamed of their part in the late war
nor afraid to engage in discussion of either
the war or its causes. Beasts fight without
caring for the cause of the fight. It there
were no ideas in it the war would have been a
mere war of beasts; but it was war of men
because there were ideas in it.
A sufficient time had elapsed since the war
to look into the causes calmly and with fair
ness. 1t might be that the war was necessary
for the development of public opinion. The
roots extended back through two centuries of
time. and he was inclined to think the war had
to, could and would have come no matter what
circumstances might temporarily interfere
with its coming.
But two ideas really produced the war. The
hrst of these was the institution of slavery.
Those who fought on the side of that institu-
ton were not responsible for the cause. They
were born to it. we in the North were educated
against 1t, and under other circumstances,
might have been its friend, for human nature
is about the same. The institution grew 60
strong that it became necessary to either de.
stroy union or destroy slavery.
The second cause was almost az old a one as
the other. The war of revolution was war
against the general government. The trouble
of the people of the colonies after was to find
asubstitute for George the Third. The notions
existing that the general government being
= despotism suggested a necessity of reducing
its power; there were others in the colonless who
had no fear of despotism because the new
government was to be one of our choice and
by officers designated with only such power as
We choose to give them. Therefore it must be
friend of liberty.
these two hostile ideas sprang up, one of a
weak general government with authority CEN
tered in the several States, the other of strong
central government that would insure liberty
to all and command respect abroad. One was
the doctrine of State sovereignty, the other of
national supremacy. They grew up and de-
veloped by the side of each other until they
could no longer live together. Four giants,
two and two, slavery and State sovereignty on
one side. and on the other universal liberty and
and supremacy of the national government.
The two giants on either side cauld not exist
separately. Slavery could not exist without
State sovereignty and liberty could not exist
without national supremacy. The question
was settled without rancor or hate on our part
1t resulted in relinouishing slavery and the
doctrine OF State supre nacy. The moment
that was acknowledged the war ended. On our
part no enmity exists. We simply insist on
the results and offer our hands, hearts and our
race who admits the results.
1T was great privilege to have been per-
mltted to serve under such government for
such cause. Don't you know of men who
came back with better stuff in them than they
had shown before There were boys and men
who never knew themselves, what was in them,
until they were tried. They came back with a
hlgher seal OF character set on them and came
back better men for having been there. The
Fourth of July and the old flag mean more,
too, since the flag came back tattered and
black with smoke, and after it had been borne
by perhaps twenty different hands it comes
back to us a sacred thing. For that reason as
semblages such as the present bring back the
hottest and most sacred of recollections.
He remembers that on the second day of the
battle of Chickamauga, when Thomas little
division behind a breastwork of logs, had re-
peatedly repulsed an assaulting party 1T 40, 600
| of the enemy, that Gen. Thomas took the hand
| Of gallant Ohio captain and thanked him for
the work he had done with his company, He
saw tear drop on the captains hand and
heard the soliloyuy as he looked at it. George
81. Thomas had hold of that hand. I'll knock
down any man whoever touches it." (Ap-
plause). The captain felt that hand
had been consecrated to honor. In.
like manner every soldier who ever
carried the flag, or musket in its defense had
consecrated his hand forever to honor and JUS
tice. If there were any mean men in the war
they would have been mearer without going.
They were made better, and soldiers will as
semble in love at these reunions as long rs
there are two left to shake hands.
The speech was received with hearty ap-
plause At its conclusion the general left for the
depot, where special train was in waiting to
take him to Chippewa Lake, Medina county,
! where he speaks to- morrow.