Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-11-28

COLONEL ROBERT q. ISDEEsoIL'S RESPONSE Al
THE ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE BANQUET.
At the recent banquet given in Chicago &c
the Army Of the Tennessee, Colonel Inger-
soil was called upon to respond to the toast
1.-The Volunteer Soldier" He spoke as fol
lows:
When the savagcry of the lash, the bar
barism of the chain, and the insanity of Sc
cession Tapplause confronted the civiliza
ton of our country, the question, "Wlll the
great Republic defend itself:' trcmbled
upon the lips of every lover of mankind.
Applause The grand North, filled with
intelligence and wealth, the products of Ia
Dor, marshallcd her hosts and asked only fol-
a leader From the people a man, silent.
thoughtful, poised and calm, stepped for
ward, and. with the lips of victory, voiced
the Nations first and last demand-uncondi-
tional and immediate surrender Applause
From that moment the end was known.
That utterance was the first real declaration
of real war, and, in accordance with the
dramatic unities OF mighty events, thcsOldier
who made it received the final word of rebel
lion. Loud applause.
The soldiers Of the Republic were not
seekers after vulgar glory, neither were they
animated by the hope of plumber or love Of
cruel conquest They fought to defend the
homestead of liberty and that their children
might have peace. Applause They were
the defenders Of humanity, the destroy
ers Of prejudice, the breakers Of
chains, and, in the name of the future, slew
the monster Of their time. They finished
what the soldiers of the revolution com
menced They relighted the torch that fell
from their august hands and filled the world
again with light. They blottcd from our
statute books the laws passed by hypOcTites
at the instigaiiOn of robbers loud applause
and tore with brave and indignant hands
from the Constitution Of the United States
that infamous clause that made men the
catchers of their fcllow-men. Applause. ]
They made i, possible for judges to be just.
for statesmen TO he humane and for politi-
clans TO be honest. Laughter and applause. ]
They broke tie shackles from the limbs OF
slaves, from the souls Of masters, and from
the Northern brain. They kept our country
on the map of the world and our flag in
Heaven. Applause. They rolled The
stone from the scpulchrc Of progress, and
found therein two angels clad in shining gar
menis Nationality and Liberty. loud APP
plause
The soldiers were the saviours of the Re
public they were the liberators Of men. In
Wrltlns the PROCLAMATION oil EmahcipltioA'
Iihcolh-sitiI'-t "I our ii'sh'y ueau aP-
plauscl, whose memory Is as gentle rs the
summer air when reapcrs sing amid the gath
cred sheavos applause copied with the
pen what Grant and his brave comrades had
written with their swords Applause. !
Graudcr than TIE Greek, nobler than the Ro-
man. the soldiers of the Republic, with patriot
ism US sh"i'icss as me aiI, Iousnt loi inc
flsh,7 81 ",li'''' I"I inc h'oihly ol lapor' aiii
bnttlcd that h"thtf hlishi own hcr chlId
ioud anu lr,fnhStu api'lahse tii'i' arrogant
ldlen'Ss shonld nor scar 'iie BACK OF patient
lol cheers ana liial our country sNouidh
De many -htaGe! monster llaue oI warning
states not Natl"h; sovereign grahd ana
Tree lAPp'a'se; b'"pi WIS WATER money
was leaves, ana !, me was olly common AR
unlil one Iias n'altl oyer ono herilnn''
WItIou' master anu "lthou' sia'e' u 10
lohscd applause ana ringing cheeis' ,,..,,
Ana theh was ash.l inc question: WIN d
Tree pe"plc N"iuiI'nIl'N 'lN 'iicIlls'lNts 10 pay
nation uep' Inc S,,ilefS went nome u
thelr WhliihS wives, 10 lh'lr sad chiidren,
ana 10 me slrs they i3Ved lAppiause'
lhey ven "HcH 10 'iie heids. tlG shops. inc
mlihcS- my "Hi ny "orh "eilp ia,iAe,''
lhey had heen chh"hieu- lCheers- MOCK
lngat revers's, laughing at poverty, they made
Trend 81 ton. lhcy SAID: We saved the
Nations ne, ana what Is NE without
hono'; '"uu aipiau9T ihey worked
anu Wi"h5hi WIN ali 81 l'poi r"Shi SONS
that every p'clSc 'he -Na''oh Hi"dc h'lght pe
Redeemed. l'h'trs'I
anu tnllI sioat it'I.'er' ha'lis PUT sum
M hand o. lriehhsilp, glrdle OF ciasped
ana loving h"huS' AROUND inc glooe' comes
nome 10 NM "ilu IIi'!S' 'iint every pIoiiilS,
maze IN war mas no" 'le ri'lP ana Sieah OIL
goln. lEhlhu9las'Ic cheers -, 49,, .,
lhefe Is ahoihrr 'luestioh sun. WIN All
the wounds "l war bt henieu! answer
les. voice "o'u. ne 1ouIlefh poo %