The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1880-09-17
GARFIELD SPEAKS.
"A Graceful Tribute 90 the Sol.

what Ile said nj the Reunion In ohio
alters.
CLEVELAND, September i.-Gen.
Sherman made brief speech ut the
reunion to-day, and Gen. Garfield spoke
as follows:
months ago l promised to come here to-day
and deliver an address, but lately tho PROMISE
NO to speak, was cancelled, and come here az
O soldier and comrade to sec you and enjoy this
great meeting. Still will say few words IL I
can have your attention, and o. much silence Oh
possible In this forest Of trees and this greater
forest Of men and women that you have
brought here to-day. / look upon the mon
upon this stand and upon this great mass Of
people before U.s. and ask myself what has the
war done for us2 In tho first place 1t has
brought these thousands of mon to know zach
Other, who, but for the war, never would have
met. Tho man that first addressed yog-the
chief executive Of the United States-f saw
first az major of tho Twenty-third regiment In
Camp Chase, having come out OF his law Office,
just getting ready TO do duty for his country
in the great struggle, and you know what he
has done. Here sits another man. saw him
first on field OF Shiloh on q horse sixteen or
eighteen hands high. He had handkerchief
bound around his finger stained with his blood.
| saw him and his finger for the first time In
that fight. But that finger OF Tecumseh Sher-
man before very long became heavier. And
here Is Stanley Matthews, whom ! saw also for
the first time In that great struggle for the
Union, and here IL Gen. Henderson, whom You
all know, and who grew into heroic proportions
by His work in tho war and did his duty nobly.
Here In General IIazen, my schoolmate Of for
mer Years, and with whose history you are all
acquainted. Here III Sam Beatty, Of your own
town, who hOnored Stark county and tho re-
public by his gallant service. Here are the
veterans Of many regiments, these thousands
who went ont unknown to fame but who came
back enrolled on tho tablets Of immortal honor
for their heroic service 10 their country. Here
they are to-day to greet each other, TO rejoice
over tho work they accomplished and the rcpub-
lie they saved.
Fellow citizens, here and there hear q man
who speaks OF these reunions and the spirit
that peVades them IN sectonalism. In the
name Of every soldier who fought ] deny IL.
Ihero ~ nothing more national in oil this re-
public than the spirit that saved the union.
These soldiers believed in that doctrine Of &C.
ometry that the whole il geater than any Of the
parts and IL equal TO all Of the parts put togeth-
or, and that the Union IL greater than any state,
greater than any part OF the Union, however
large. We fought for the Union, and the spirit
that animated US was the spirit of nationality
against the spirit Of soctionalisn- To defend
the troths for which we fought IL wholly nation
al. II was sectionalism against which we
fought, and it was spirit OF nationality which
we defended and which We will defend while we
live. Now, therefore, in the presence OF these
veterans, in the presence of these leaders, in
the presence Of these thousands OF citizens,
and under these flags we assert the nation
atty Of our cause, embracing within its grasp
all the interests OF the whole country.
What material object il more grandly
national than the Mississippi riyer? Our victory
made that the river Of one peopl? from Fort
Benton, farup by the British line, down to the
gulf and every drop Of every wave from the
lakes Of the far north goes singing Of the Union
all the way till ii joins the tropical ocean. Our
legions sang the songs Of Union along its banks
and made the people that inhabited its shores
our people ] trust forever more. The great
mountain chains that God made are one, and
We made tho people and government that dwell
on their heights and in their valleys. They are
like the ocean, are like the everlasting hills, and
We believe they will DO one forever.
Now soldiers and fellow citizens, thank you
that We are able TO stand together this late day,
after our triumph and rejoice that those who
died did not die in vain; that those who lived
did not struggle and suffer In vain, and that
these old flags which have come back torn with
the contests are full of the glory with which
your valor crowned them. Good bye.