The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1880-09-02
Garfield on the Results of The War,

zeal, overdid the thing.
Garfield on the Results of the War.
ISpeech in New York City last FridayI
RSAfter the Clubs had settled in their
respective places, General Sharpe in
troduced General Garfield, who was
received with enthusiastic applause
which lasted over ten minutes. When
the cheers had died away, he spoke as
follows:
COMRADES OF THE BOYS IN BLUE
AND FELLOW CITIZENS OF New YORK:
| can not look upon this great assem-
blage and these old veterans that have
marched past US and listen to the
welcome from our comrade who has
just spoken, without membering how
great a thing it is to live in this I'm
ion and be part Of it. Applause. !
This is New York, and yonder toward
the Battery, more than a hundred
years ago, a student Of Columbia Col
lege was arguing the ideas of the
American Revolution, American I'm
ion, against the un-Anerican loyalty
to Monarchy Of his college president
and professors BY and by he went
into the patriot army, was placed on
the staff Of Washington cheers to
fight the battles Of his country
cheers and while in camp before he
was twenty-one years old, upon a
drum head he wrote a letter which
contained every germ of the Consti-
tuition Of the United States. APP
plause. That student soldier states
man, and great leader of thought,
Alexander Hamilton, of New York,
made this Republic glorious by his
thinking, and left his lasting impress
sion upon New York, the foremost
State of the Union. Applause.
And here on this island, the scene of
his early triumphs, we gather tonight,
soldiers Of a new war, representing the
same ideas of union and glory, and
adding to the column Of the monu-
ment which Hamilton and Washing
ton and the heroes Of the Revolution
reared.
Gentlemen, ideas outlive men. Ideas
outlive all things, and you who fought
in the war for the Union fought for
immortal ideas, and by their might
you crowned our war with victory
great applausel, but victory was
worth nothing except for the fruits
that were under it, in it and above it.
We meet tonight as veterans and
comrades, to stand sacred guard around
the truths for which we fought loud
and prolonged cheers and while we
have life to meet and grasp the hand
Of the comrade we will stand by the
great truths Of the war Good" )"
good" and loud cheers and com
rades among the convictions Of that
war, which have sunk deep in our
hearts, there are some that we can
never forget. Think Of the great ell
evating spirit of the war itself. We
gathered boys from all our farms and
shops and stores and schools and
homes, and from all over the Repub-
lie, and they went forth unknown to
fame, but returned enrolled on the
roster of immortal heroes. Great
applause They went in the spirit of
those soldiers Of Henry at Agincourt,
Of whom he said: "Who this day
sheds his blood with me, to-day shall
be my brother. Were hene'er so vile.
this day shall gentle his condition"
and it did gentle the condition and
elevate the heart of every working
soldier who fought it, applause !,
and he shall be our brother for ever
more, and one thing we well remem-
ber: We well remember our allies
who fought with us.
Soon after the great struggle began,
we looked behind the army of white
rebels and saw 100000 Of black peo-
pie condemned to toll as slaves for our
enemies, and we found that the hearts
Of this 100000 were God-inspired
with the spirit Of liberty, and that
they were our friends. Applause.
We have seen white men betray the
flag and fight to kill the Union, but
in all that long and dreary war, we
never saw traitors in black skin.
Great cheers. Our prisoners, escap-
ing from starvation of prison, fleeing
to our lines by the light of the North
star, never feared to enter a black
mans cabin and ask for bread. Good,
good; that's SO" and loud cheers.
In all that period of suffering and
danger, no Union soldier was ever be-
trayed by a black man or woman
applause and now that we have
made them free, so long as we live we
will stand by these black citizens
Renewed applause. We will stand
by them until the sun of liberty in
the armament of our Constitution
shall shine with equal rays upon every
man, black or white, throughout the
Union. Cheers.
Now, fellow citizens, and fellow
soldiers, in this there is all the benefi-
cence of eternal justice. Great ap-
plause. The great poet has said that
in individual life we rise ''on stepping
stones of our dead selves to higher
things and the Republic rises on the
glorious achievements of its dead and
living heroes to a higher and nobler
national life. Applause. We must
stand guard over our past as soldiers,
as patriots, and over our country as
the common heritage of us all. APP
plause.
| thank you, fellow citizens, for this
demonstration. In so far
as [ represent in my heart and life the
great doctrines for which you fought,
[ accept this demonstration as trib-
ute to my representative character.
I Applause In the strength of your
hands, in the fervor of your hearts, in
the frmness of your faith, in all that
betokens the greatness of manhood
and the nobleness of character, the
Republic finds its security and glory.