Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-08-27
VOL. Is.
CAMBRIDGE.
OPENING DAY or THE REUNION.
Three thousand Persons in Attendance,
and Delegations Still Pouring ln-Ihe
Town 6OrgeOusly Decorated
- 6arfslds Speech.

CINCINNATI, August "a special to
the Gasetts says: About 5000 strangers
were present to-day at the soldiers re-
union at Cambridge, andgreater crowds
are expected tomorrow and next day.
The reunion exercises were opened this
morning by reveille at six o'clock and a
salute OF l04 guns. Tho greater part OF
the day was spent in receiving delega-
tiOnS and escorting them To quarters.
General Garfield, who was to make the
opening address at four o'clock, failed to
arrive until five o'clock, and was then
entertained by Mayor Farrar, an old
member OF his staff.
In the evening the whole city was
brilliantly illuminated. General Gar
field delivered the opening address in
the court house park, which was hung
with Chinese lanterns and was closely
filled with people. The audience num-
bered probably five or six thousand.
Speech Of General Garfield
General Garfield said that the ex-
soldiers of the North were neither
ashamed Of their part in the late war nor
afraid 20 engage in a discussion OF either
the war or it's causes. Beasts fight with
out caring for the cause OF the tight. IL
there had been no ideas in il, the war
would have been q war Of beasts, but IL
was war of men because there were
ideas in il. Sufficient time has elapsed
since the war 10 look calmly and with
fairness into the causes. 10 might be
that the war was necessary for the lie
yelOpment OF public opinion. The roots
extended back through two centuries OF
time. and he was inclined TO think that
the war was 10 have come and would
have come, no matter what circumstan-
ces might temporarily interfere with its
coming But two ideas really produced
the war The first OF these was the in
stitutiOn of slavery. Those who fought
on the side Of that institution were not
responsible for the cause. They
were born 10 IL. We in
the North were educated against
IL, and under other circumstances might
have been its friends for, human nature
is about the s5me. The institution
grew - strong that It became necessary
10 DESTROY the Union or 10 destroy
slavery. The second cause was almost
as old as the other. The war Of the
revolution was q war against the Gen
eral Government. The trouble of the
people OF the colonies after was % find
a substitute for George III. The ma
tion'5 idea OF a General Govern
mcut being a despOtism suggested the
necessity of reducing its power. There
were others i'm the colonies who had
fear OF despOtiSm because the new
government was 20 be one OF our
choice and by officers delegated with
only such power a. We chose TO give
them, therefore il must be the friend Of
liberty. In the very formation Of the
government these two hostile ideas
sprang up, one Of weak general govern
ment. with authority centercd in the
several states: the other OF strong
central government, that would insure
the liberty of all and command respect
abroad. One was the doctrine of State
sovereignty, the other of National SUI
premaCy. They grew mp and developed
beside each other, until they could no
Longer live together. They went out 10
war together, four giants, two and two,
slavery and state sovereignty on the
one side. and on the other universal
liberty and the supremacy Of the Nation
al governments The two giants on
the other side could not exist separate
ly. 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 10 resulted in con-
0uering slavery and the doctrine Of
State supremacy. 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 most cordial friendship
10 every man ofany race who admits the
result. II was great privilege to have
been permitted To serve under such
n government for such cause. DO not
YOU know of men who came hack with
better stuff in them than they had shown
before? There were boys and men who
never knew themselves what Was IN
them; still they We're tried, and they
came back with higher Zeal of Charac-
ter set on them. and came back better
men Tor having been there. The Fourth
OF July and the old tlag mean more, too,
since the flag came back tdttered and
black with smoke, and after il had been
borne hy perhaps twenty different
hands il comes back To us sacred
thing For that reason aSSemblages such
"a the present bring back the hOllest
and most sacred recollections. He re
membered that on the second day OF the
bat le Of Chlckamau. NJ, when Thomas
little division, behiud breastwOrk OF
logs, had repeatedly repulsed an attack
Ing party Of 1000 Of the enemy,
that Gen. Thomas took the hand OF
gallant Ohio Captain and thanked him
for the work hc had done with his COM
panv. lie saw tear drop on the Cap
tain's hand, and he heard the sOlilOquy
as he worked NJ il: Geo. III. Thomas
had hold of that hand and l Will
knock down any mean man who
ever touches it, Applause The cap
tain ielt that that hand has been cOnSe-
Grated To honor. In like manner
every soldier, whoever carried the taS
or musket in ITS defense, had cOnSe-
Grated his hand forever % honor and
Justice. II there were any mean men IN
the war they would have been meaner
without going. They were made better,
and soldiers will assemble here nm love
for these reunions as long Is there are
two left 20 shake hands.
His speech was received with hearty
applause. At its conclusion the tien-
eral left for the depot, where a special
engine was ready tu take him 10 Chip
pewa Lake, Medina county, where he
speaks tomorrow.