The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1879-08-05
GENERAL SCHUYLER HAMILTON's
DEFENSE.
An ola soldier who ssas "a Right to
He Heard.

he aearu.
Glen. Schuyler Hamilton has the fol-
lowing letter published in the New
York World, in response TO the criti-
cism on his remarks on Decoration
Day:
To the Editor OF the World.
SIR: hand you with this q copy OF
my remarks made at the foot OF Abra-
ham Lincoln's statue, May 80, 1879.
The Tribune published a garbled re-
port Of my peroration. IL refused on
application TO publish my remarks in
full. Upon their garbled quotation
from my remarks the Post has animad-
verted about the taste displayed. An
other paper has thanked God there is
only one Schuyler Hamilton in New
York. You have put il TO the right is
sue-"patriotic wrath" Twas General
SCOTS A. ID. g. in Mexico; / was run
through with lance at Mora Flores. -.
I was shot down and left for dead at
Monterey under Zach Taylor. / have
had my scull fractured for many inches
long doing duty for our old flag of
which wrote the history. j marched
as n private in the New York Seventh,
I
help to save the capital OF the nation.
i cut the first telegraph wires under
Butler cut in the war TO put down the
rebellion. / have been burned fifty
four times up and down my spine by
the doctors TO help me for the wounds
| won in battle for the Union. | have
carried three inch band of oiled silk
in the back Of my neck, seton the
doctors call il, thirteen months. /
have had the same thing in my right
arm for many months. / never stole
public money. / would not accept any
place. But for my remarks on Decor
alton Day. I might have been placed
on the retired list Of the Z. 5. army OF
81, 800 or So 900 per annum. | would
not be placed there by rebel votes. i
am in earnest. am a lover Of my
country. and also lover OF the colored
man. / was nursed by colored men
and women.
/ thank General Johnston for his
conduct. | am sorry IN honor and
conscience. i cannot hold up his hand.
/ But am tired Of Let us have peace,
where there is no peace.
Generosity TO the North-God forbid
we should need il from rebels! / can
tell my story of generosity to the South.
| Andrew johnson, one time accidental
! President when Lincoln was assassin
ated, was Military Governor OF Tennes-
see when ! was placed in command OF
/ Roseoran's reserves at Nashville. He
gave me billet to occupy the house Of
John Morgan, the raider. in Nashville.
1 ! sent my baggage there in the morn.
] I IN. ha
! ing. A procession of widows and chill
! dren, like the widows OF Troy, met me
at the doorstep. ] gave 10 them my
/ billet 10 protect them. | was, i be-
/ lieve, the third officer in rank in that
army. | told them to hold it. | was
I i'll almost unto death. Nevertheless. !
would go into n tent though IL was No
yember and snow on the ground. /
said, keep my billet; IL will protect
I you. | have not come here To mako
war on widows and children. IL the
foot Of war should ever come near my
wife aud children | hope some gener-
ous enemy will do as / do" Major
/ Lewis, Andrew Jackson's aide-de.camp
at New Orleans. eighty-nine years of
age, day or two afterward rode six
teen miles 10 see me lying sick on my
camp bed in my teat TO thank me for
these words. He had with him large
committee TO ask me to be military
Governor OF Nashville. He said,
speaking for the committee: These
words OF yours have done more for the
Union cause than n victory. DO be-
come Governor of Nashville. ] said
| was too i'll.
am well known at the South. lam
no fraud. do what 1 do because re-
alize the only way for settling "Our
Poland" is Gods way--an exodus from
slavery. will give time aud money
TO help il on; not much OF the money,
for have IL not.
Publish nv remarks and do me JUS
tice. The New York Tribune has re-
fused 10 do so. The New York Herald
finds it too late for publication and de-
clines it. ] propose to carry the war
to Africa
can get it published in Massachu-
setts or Ohio. l will II you decline to
do so. Yours truly,
SCHUYLER HAMILTON.
REMARKS MADE BY MAJOR GENERAL
SCHUYLER HAMILTON on MAY 30, 1879
DECORATION DAY.)
Comrades: | have been invited to
address you; / have somewhat To say
20 You Last year on Decoration Day,
here at the foot of Abraham Lincoln's
statue, i introduced TO you the Hon.
Frederick Douglass, the orator OF the
day. made a silly namby-pamby
speech. / advocated the practice OF
decorating with flowers the graves OF
the rebel dead equally with those Of
our comrades who fell by bullets mold
ed by treason against the Union. My
heart was not in il. II was in flt of
sentimental generosity. excited by the
Misrepresentation Of prominent rebels.
and | remembered Grant had said
Let us have peace" Bryant, Long
l fellow aud Wordsworth were quoted
from and misapplied. beg TO apollo
| gize for those remarks.
i would now, here at the foot Of Alb
/ raham Lincoln's statue, advocate that
no member Of Abraham Lincoln Post
| lay leaf or flower on the grave of a
l rebel They were traitors in SOL
they arc traitors now. They have been
all winter long plotting treason and Sc
cession, or State Sovereignty as they
and their abottOrs are pleased TO call
/ IL, IN the halls of Congress, and trying
TO overwhelm our noble President, who
has shown himself so brave and intell-
gent in resisting their aggressions on
the people Of the United States, whose
material properties meanwhile Ian
guish.
! would. ] say. advocate to-day that
no member Of our post, or Of the Grand
Army Of the Republic, lay leaf or
flower on n rebels grave. IL il desc
Grating the graves OF those who gave
their lives for the Union. II il
wrong toward the colored for whom
our arms won liberty. Ii il by mean
treason, fraud, and murder Of their
former slaves the rebels have the ma.
iority they have in Congress.
The same hearts burn and the same
arms can be Furnished welded in
lsGl-5, aud many Of US live 10 wiold
them. Thank God we have not yet 30
decorate the graves Of Grant or Sher.
man or Sheridan or Hancock. la no
war ever fought was such generosity
shown by the victors as was shown by
the defenders OF the Union ia 1866.
Grants magnanimity at Appomattox il
seems was a mistake. We will not.
however, have ta WELD those arms
though IL may bs we'll 10 burnish them.
There Is better way. IL il not tho
ballo-box; there is too much fraud