Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-08-27
A speech by General Garfield.

At New York on the evening of August
9Th General Garfield was given a re-
ception by the Boys in Blue and thus
addressed his entertainers:
COMRADES AND BOYS IN BLUE, AND FELLOW
CITIZENS OF NEW YORK: l cannot look upon
this great assemblage and these old veterans
that have marched past us, and listen to the
WELCOME from our Comrade who has Just
spoken, without remembering how great a
thing IL Is to live in this Union and be part OF
IL. This Is Now York, and yonder toward the
battery, more than hundred years ago
young student of Columbia College was arguing
the ideas OF American Revolution and Ameri-
can Union aglinst an American loyalty to
monarchy of his college President and Pro
fessors. By-and-by he went to the patriot
army, was placed on the stan of Washington
TO hight the battles OF his country, and while In
camp, before he was twenty-One years old,
upon drumhead no wrote a letter which CON
tmned every germ of the Constitution of the
United states. That student, soldier, statos.
man and great leader of thOught-Alexnnder
Hamilton, OF New YOrk-made this RepubC
glorious by his thinking, and left his lnstlng
Impression upon New York, the foremost
State OF tue Union, and here on this Island, the
soeno of his early triumphs, we go there to-
nlght s0ldlers Of 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 ReyO-
luton reared.
Ideas outive men. Ideas outlive all things,
and you who fought In tho war for the Union
fought for immortal ideas, and by their might
YOU GIuWntu our WIT WIN NlNLOIys nut NlOLu=
ry was worth nothing except for the fruits
that were under 1t, in II and above it, We
ought tonight US veterans and comrades TO
stand sacred guard around the truths for
which we fought Aud while we have life to
meet and grasp the hand of the cOmrade we
will stand by the great truths of tho war.
And, comrades, among the connections Of
that war which have sunk deep In our hearts
there are somo we can never forget Think
o. the great oleyating 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. They went forth I'M
known 90 fame but returned enrolled ON the
spirit of those soldiers of Henry OF Aglncourt,
of whom he said: "WhO this day sheds his
blood with mo to-day shall be my brother.
Were no neer 80. vile this day shall gentle
his condition" And II did gentle tho
condition and elevate the heart Of every
working soldier who fought in Il
more; and one thing we will remember, we
will remember our allies who fought with us.
soon after the great struggle began we looked
100000 OF black people compelled 10 toll as
slaves for our enemies, and we found that the
hearts of this 100000 were God-insplred with
the spirit of liberty and that they were our
friends. We have seen white men betray the
ilag and fght to kill the Union, but In all that
long, dreary war we never saw traitor IN n
black skin. Our prisoners escaping from the
starvation Of prison, neelng to our lines by the
light OF the North star, never feared TO enter
the black mans cabin and ask for bread In
all that period of suffering and danger no
Union soldier was ever betrayed by the black
man or woman. And now thar we have made
them free, 80 long ns we live we will stand by
the black citizens. We viii stand by them un-
I'll the sun Of liberty, hXed In tho nrmamont
OF our Constitution, shall shine with equal
rays upon the whito and black throughout the
Now, fellow-cltizens, fenowsoldiers, in all
this thore Is beneflconoo of eternal Justice,
and by this we will stand forever. Tho great
poet has said that In individual life we Rise
''On stepping stones or our dead selves 70
Higher things and tho Republic rises on the
glorious achievements Of its dead and living
horues TO higher md nubler National life. We
nuts stand guard over our past as soldiers as
patriots, and over our country as tho common
j thank you, follow-citlzens, for this mag
nihcent demonstration. In so far as L repre-
sent IN my hoart and life the great doctrines
tor which you fought accept this demonstta-
tiOn aS a tribute TO my representative Charae-
tor IN tho strength OF your hands, In the fer
yorof your hearts, in tho tirmncss OF your
faith, In all that botokens the greatness OF
manhood and noblenoas Of character, the Re-
public fnds tts security and glory. l do not
the place, tho situation forbid 1t. respect
the traditions that require me TO speak only
Of these themes which elevate us all, Again
thank la,, you tGr the klndnes3 and enthusiasm
OF your sreot9s, ELSemenao1s ~ l., ohoorlnsl
B65-We have not been among those
who regarded this letter of Hancock to
Sherman rs of any special consequence
in any way, and now that II Is given to
the public, its significance is certainly
not In our estimation increased. II
simply indicates strong leaning in
favor OF Mr., Tilden's claims, pre6ilee-
ton for the regular Democratic doc
trine OF State sovereignty, and conf
denoe In his own opinions which his linn
tied knowledge OF governmental polity
doesnotwarrant, ~ Wisconsin State Jour
nal