The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-08-14
Speech of General Garfield at the
Serenade by Boys in Blue in New
York, August 6.

YORK, August b.
Comrades of the Boys in Blue and
FelloU-citizens Of Neso York:
| cannot look upon this great as
sembly and those old veterans that
have marched past US and listen to
the welcome from our cOmrade who
has Just spoken without remember
ing how great thing it is to live IN
this Union and be part of it. APP.
plause. This is New York, and
yonder toward the Battery. more
than hundred years ago, a young
student of Columbia college was ar
guing the ideas of the American re.
Yolution and American union against
the un- American loyalty to monarchy
of his college president and profess
sors. By.and-by he went into the
patriot army was placed on the staff
of Washington cheers to fight the
battle of his country cheer /, 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 constitution of the Uni-
ted States. Applause. That stu
dent, soldier, statesman and great
leader of thought. Alexander Ham.
ilton, Of New York, made this re-
public glorious by his thinking, and
left his lasting impress upon New
York, the fol emost STATE of the
Union. Applause. And here on
this island, the scene of his early
triumph, we gather tonight. soldiers
of the new war representing the same
ideas of union and glory. and adding
to the column of the monument that
Hamilton and Washington 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 applause. 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 cheer
ing. And while we have life to
meet and grasp the hand OF com
rade we will stand by the great truths
of the war. "Good ~ good !" and
loud cheers. And, comrades, among
the conviction of that war which
have sunk deep in our hearts, there
are some that ;te can never forget.
Think of the great eleyating spirit of
the war itself. We gathered the boys
from all our farms and shops and
stores and schools and homes from all
over the republic, and they went
forth unknown to fame, but returned
enrolled on the roster immortal
heroes. Great applause. They went
in the spirit of those soldiers of Hen
ry at Agincourt, of whom he said:
Who this day sheds his blood with me
To-day shall be my brother;
Were he he'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 in it [applausel,
and he shall. be our brother forever
more and the thing we we'll remem-
ber-we we'll remember our allies
who fought with us. Soon after the
great struggle began we looked be-
hind the army of white rebels and
saw 100000 of black people con-
demned TO toll as slaves for our
enemies, and we found that the hearts
of these 1000, 900 We're God-in.spired
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, dreary war we never
saw traitor in the black skin.
Great cheers. Our prisoners escap-
ing from the starvation of prison,
fleeing to our lines by the light of the
north star, never feared to enter the
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 betrayed by black man or
woman appla usel and now that we
have made them free so long rs we
live we will stand by these black citi.
zens. Renewed applause. We will
stand by them until the sun of liber.
ty fixed in the armament of our
constitution shall shine with equal
rays upon every man, black or white,
throughout the Union. Cheers.
Now. fpllow-citizens, fellow soldiers,
in this there is all the beneticence of
eternal justice, and by this we will
stand forever. Great applause.
The great poet has said that in indi-
vidual 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 higher and nobler
national life. Applause. We must
stand guard, over our past, as sol
diers, as patriots, and over our coun-
try as common heritage of us all.
Applause. | thank you, fellow
citizens, for this magnificent demon.
stratiOn. In SO far as / represent
in my heart and life the great doc.
trines for which you fought. | accept
this demonstration as a tribute to my
representative character. Applause.
In the strength of your hands, in the
tervor of your hearts, in the firmness
of your faith, in all that betokens
greatness Of manhood and nobl eness
of character, the republic finds its
security and glory. Applause. |
do not enter upon c0ntroverted uaes.
lions. The time, the place. the sltu.