Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-08-10
General Garfield's Speech.

General Garfield's Speech.
..onor,, Garfield was received with the
greatest enthusiasm. When the cheers hau
died away he spoke as follows:
Comrades of the Bows in Blue. and fellow
citizens of New York; cannot look upon
This great assemblage and these old veterans
that have marched past us, and nsteneu
IN the welcome from oar comrade VINO n"s
inst spoken. without remembering now Srea.
. ching il is TO live in the Union and De par,
of it. TApplause. This is New orh' anu
Wonder toward the battery more tnan d "u.,
dred wears ago, a young student OF .o,nlno"
College was arguing the IDEAS OF the ai".i
can revolution. and American union 'ssin.
The nm American LOYALTY 70 monarchy OF ms
nol,ere president and professors. y-and-ny
be went into the patriot army. was placed oi'
The STAFF Of Washington cheers TO hsiit tiie
hattles of his country Icheersl, and whlie III
canr hetore he was twenty-one years oi"'
mo-, q ir,, N head lie wrote letter which
contained every germ Of the Constitution oi
the United States. Applause NAT SUI
aent soldier statesman and great ieauet vi
,bougbt Alexander Hamilton. of New YORK.
,la his Republic glorious by his tlhnklhg-
and left his lasting impress upou Ne" orA,
the foremost State of the mon. lAppiause:
| And here on this island, the scene OF MS
early triumphs, gather tonight soldiers
of the new war. representing the same ieas
of union and glory. and adding to the column
of the monument that Hamilton ana wash
;ngton and the heroes of the Revolution
, reared.
Gentleren. ideas outlive men; ideas
outliye 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.
1Great applausc) But that victory was
worth nothing. except for the fruits that were
pnder il. in it. and above it. We meet to-
night As veterans and comrades to stand
sacred guard around the truths for which we
fought loud and prolonged cheering. }
And while we have life to meet and grasp
the hand of comrades. we will stand by the
great truths of the war (Cries of Good, y
Good" and loud cheers.) And comrades,
among the convictions of that war which has
sunk deep in our hearts there are some that
we can never forget. We think Of the great
elevating 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 they returned
enrolled on the roster Of immortal heroes.
(Applause).
They went in the spirit of those soldiers OF
Henry at Agincourt. of whom he said:
Who this dey sheds his blood with me,
To-day shall he my brother. Wer- he nc'cr vile
This day shall gentle his condition
And it did gentle his condition and
elevate the heart of even the working
soldier who fought in it, (applause)
and he shall be our brother forever
more. And this thing we will remember
We will remember our allies who fought with
us. Soon after the great struggle began we
looked behind the great army of white rebels
and saw 10000 of black people condemned
to toll as slaves for our enemies. We found
the hearts of this 1000. 900 were Godinspired
with the spirit of freedom. 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 a traitor in
black skin (great applause. Our prisoners
escaping from the starvation of prison and
fleeing to our lines by the light of the North
Star, never feared to enter 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 OF
woman (applause). And now that we have
made them free, so long as we live we will stand
by these citizens (renewed applause. We
will stand by them till the sun of liberty
| fixed IN the armament of our Constitution.
shall shine with equal rays upon every man
| black or white. throughout the Unior
| (cheers).
Now fellow -citizens, fellow soldiers. in thi.
there is all the beneficence of eternal Justice
and by this we will stand forever fGreat ap
plause.) \ great poet has said, in individual
life we rise ''On stepping stones of our dead
selves to higher things" and our republic
rises higher on the glorious achievements OF
its dead and living heroes into higher ant
nobler National life (Applause.) We mus
stand guard over our past rs soldiers ant
patriots, and over our country as the common
heritage of us all. (Applanse.) | thank
you, fellow citizens, for this magnificent
| demonstration. In such as | represent. r
my heart and life-the great doctrines fol
when you Fought accept this demonstra-
ton as a tribute to my representative charac
ter. applause. In the strength of your
hands, in the fcrvor of YOUR hearts. in the
frmness Of your faith in all that betoken,
greatness of manhood and nobleness of char.
acter, the republic finds its security anC
glory. (Appiause). do not enter upor
controverted questions. The time, place anC
situation forbid it. | respect these theme.
which elevate us all Again I thank YOU fol
the kindness and enthusiasm of your greet
ing. tremendous cheering).