Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1880-04-17

column under Scott, from Vera Cruz
over the sangninnry fields Of Cerro
Gorlo, Churubusco, Contreras and
Chapnltepec to the proud capital Of
Mexico. Shall | refer to that brilliant
and illustrious soldier Of Louisiana,
persifer +. Smith, who, supon the
battle field Of that memorable CAM
paign was 80 distinguished, or to the
service Of that (afterward adopted)
son OF Louisiana, who, as tradition
asserts, by IN little more grape,'
wrested victory from threatening de-,
feat at palo Alto, and to the distin-
guisl,ed engineering services Of Beau
regard, through whose sagacious and
wise counse1s it is said the decision
Of a council Of war was reversed and
the advance and attack upon the
capital precipitated, resulting after
the bloody scene at Moline del Rey,
IN its capture through the gNtSe Of
the city.
Right here, Mr.. President, we
should not forget the small remnant,
in our midst, Of those who served
lonolnbly In the war with Mexico,
associated together as veterans, look
ing forward patiently md hopefully
to tho day when their services, which
aided In giving aD empire Of territory
and treasure will be equally remem-
bered by q benign and just govern
ment with the government soldiers Of
the late civil war. These veterans Of
lS46-47, now old men, many Of them
broken in body az well MS in fortune,
deserve well OF their country, and
even at this late day should have just
recognition. Asking pardon, Mr..
President, for this DEPRESSION, l must
come to another class of veterans of
Louisiana like those surrounding me
here on this memorable day at this
festive board, those who girded the
sward or seized the trusty mus
ket at the call Of their mother
State in 1861, whose footprints have
been left upon every hill and noun
tain and in every valley from the
Potomac to the Rio Grande. Soldiers
these and their companions of the
Army Of Northern Virginia are of
whom such grand captains as Lee,
jackson, Johnston, Beaurcgard, Joe
Johnson and the like, were proud to
lead, and to whose fame and record
history will dedicate It's brightest pa
gcs. The soldiers, heroes and yete-
rams of Shiloh and Chickamauga, of
Murfreesboro and Atlanta, and those
who were at Manassas and Malvern
Hill, at Sharpsburg and Gettysburg,
who will forget them9 For them
battle had DO terrors, the fatigue of
marches, the bleeding feet, the priva-
tons of the bivouac, the pangs of
hunger, all were endured with Spar
tan tortitude, such, none but veterans
could exhibit.
This sentiment to the veterans, sur
rounded as it is by memories and ira
ditions, can not he ephemeral. Far,
very fur from such a fate F.; for their
echo will surely be heard in the distant
future, reverberating through the halls
and porticoes Of tile temples Of tine,
while far on, in the summers eve,
shall ever see our children and their
poste,ity gathering up the traditions
and mementoes transmitted to us,
and beholding with reverence the
monuments of stone and of bronze we
have erected aud dedicated to perpet-
uatc the deeds and memory of our
immortal heroes under the thrilling
inspirations Of patriotism, valor aud
self-sacritice; kindled by all these
sacred love Of country and with he
rOic deeds OF their worcestershire
Veterans of Louisiana.