New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-07-05
GARFIELD ON VAR MEMORIES.

| AN INSPIRING, PATRIOTIC ADDRESS.
GENERAL GARFIELD SPEAKS AT THE DEDICATION
OF THE SOLDIERS MONUMENT AT PAINEsvIILE
| oHIo-wHAT 1T MEANS AND TEACHEs.
PAINEsvILLE, Ohio. July 4.-General Garfield
spoke as follows at the dedication of the soldiers
| monument here yesterday:
FELLOW CITIZENS: cannot fail to respond on such oil
occasion, in sight Of such monument such cause
sustained by such Applause and cheers. While
have listened to what my friend has said. two ques
tions have been sweeping through my heart One was
| "What does the monument mean ." and the other
WHAT will the monument teach !" Let me try, and
ask for moment to help me. to What does
the monument mean Oh the monument means a
world of memories and world of deeds, and world OF
tears, and world OF gores. You know. thousands
know what it is to offer up life to the country. and
that Ia no small thing every soldier knows. Let
put the question to you for moment. Suppose your
country in the awfuy embodied form OF majestic law,
should stand above you and say, want your life !
come up here on the platform and offer it," how many
would walk up before that majestic presence and say,
" Here am take this life and 1t for your great
needs ~ fApplausel Aud yet almost two millions Of
men made that answer Gappausel, and a monument
stands yOnder to commemorate their answer. That is
one OF its meanings.
But, my friends, let you little further To give
up life mnoh for wife and home and child
ana aInbllion But let me test you this way further.
suppose this awfully majestic form should call to
you and say; ask you to give up health and drag
yourself, not dead, but half alive through miserable
existence for long years. until you perish and die in
your crippled and hopeless condition. ask you to vol
unteer 10 do that IL calls for higher reach Of patriot
ism and sesacroe but hundreds OF thousands OF you
soldiers did that That Is what the monument means
But let me ask you to one step further. Suppose
your country should say: Come here this platform
and In my and for sake consent to be idiots"
A yolce-Hearl Hear!l Consent that your very
diocy for sake" How many could be found to make
that venture Aud yet thousands aud with their
that call. And let tell how 100000 OF soldiers
were prisoners of war and many OF them when death
their hearts and diocy threatening ali that left
or their nelects The OF their prison stood open
every day they would quit desert their Tag and enlist
under the tag OF the enemy and out OF 10000 not two
per cent received the liberation from death. star
ings in preference to gong back unon
of its truth. tApDlausel Great Godl was ever such
measure OF patriotism reached by any this earth
before. IAppauseI That is wnat your monument
BY the subtle chemistry that no man knows all the
blood that shed by brethren, all lives that
were devoted all the grief that felt at last crystal
zed itself into granite rendered immortal The great
truth for which they died appaus aud it stands there
to-day, and tnat Is what your monument means.
member the story of of the old cOnqaerors Greece
who, when lie had travelled in his boyhoOd over the |
where Mtades had victories and up
trophies Returning he SAID These trophies OF Mill
iades will never let me sleep" Why Something had
taught him from the ehiseed @ stone lesson that he
incl, that crowned granite column will look down upon
he boys that will walk these streets for generations to
,Ome, and will not let them sleep when their country
,alls them. (Applause.J More than the buger the
led his dead lips VIII go OUT call that the chill
iren or Lake County Will hear after the grave has
red us all and our immediate children. That Ia the
eachng OF your monument That is its lesson: aud il
the lesson OF endurance for what believe; it
the lesson OF sacrifices for what think the lesson
II ism for what we mean to sustain and that lesson
annOt be lost to people like this. I is not lesson OF
evcnge IT Is not lesson of wrath II is the grand
weet broad lesson of the immortality of the that
hope Will with the grand shekinah OF
light and glory all parts OF this Republic from the
treat Lakes 10 the Gulf. Applause.
entered house in old Massa chusets. where over
Is doors two crossed swords. One was the sword
arried by the grandfather OF It's the field Of
nker Hill. and the other the sword carried by tie
ngiish grand-re of the wife Held, aud on
he other side OF the conflict. Under those crossed
words the restored harmony of domestic peace lived
happy and cOntented and free family under the light
our Republican liberties. Applause
trust the time is not far distant when under the
rossed swords and the locked shields OF Americans,
orth and South, people shll steep in peace and
in liberty love and harmony under the union of
lg OF the stars and stripes. tApplause.l