The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1880-08-05
General Garfleld's Speech at Paines.
vile, Ohio.

Early in July the Soldiers Monument
at Painesville, Ohio, was dedicated with
imposing ceremonies. There was a
large military and civic procession, and
speeches were made by General Gar
field, General j. ID. Cox and others.
The following was General Garhelds
speech:
FEILow-CIrIzENs: 1 cannot well respond on
such an occasion, in the sight of such monu-
While listened to what my friend said, two
questions have been sweeping through my
the other, what viii the monument teach2 Let
me ask you for moment TO help me answer,
what does the monument mean9 Oh II means
world Of tears and a world of glories. You
know, thousands know what II is to ofer up
yS,r life to the country, and that is no small
question to you for the moment. Suppose
your country in the awfnlly-embodied form OF
fosm and offer it, How many would walk up
.I4Cta. take this life, use It for your great
RtSs. And yet almost one thousand million
stands xonder erat 70 mm@ tber answer
Taat Is one of its meanings. But my friends let
etry you little further. To give up life is
ambition. But let me test you this way fur
ther. Suppose the awfully majestic form
health to drag yourself not dead but half alive
through a memorable existence for long years
until you perish and die in your crippled,
csItS4, and II calls for n higher reach OF pat
rs.tish and self-sacritce." But hundreds of
tIo,a andS of you soldiers did that. That is
whsSsh monument means also. But let me
gu TO go one step further. Suppose your
form Ssnd in my name and for my sake com
sent TO be idiots. Consent that your very
b. ain and intellect shall be broken down into
hopeless fdiocy for my sake" How many
could be found to make that venture? And
yet thousands, with their eyes wide open to
Aud let me tell how 100000 of our soldiers were
prisoners of war, and for many OF them, when
inso their M heaFts and idioey tnreateninE ali
that was left of their intellects, the gates of
their prison stood open every day If they the % would
the enemy; and out of 10000 not two per
cent. ever received liberation from death,
them but they took all these horrors, all these
sunerings in preference to going back upon
the flag Of their country and the glory of its
truth.
Great God, was ever such a measure Of pa
triotism reached by any man on this earth be
fore. That is what your monument means.
By q subtle chemistry that no man knows all
the blood shed by our brethren, all the lives
lied itself into granite and rendered Immortal
the great truth for which they died. and 1t
stands there to-day. This is what your monu-
Now what does it teach? Why, remember
the story Of one of the old conquerers of
N
hood over the battleields where Miltiades won
victories and set up trophies, returning said:
'.These trophies OF Miltiades will never let
me Sleep" Why something had taught him
from the chiseled shore q lesson he could
never forget. And, fellow-citizens, that silent
sentinel that crowns the granite column will
look down upon the boys that will walk these
streets for generations to come, and will not
let them sleep when their country calls them.
More than the dead bugler on tn fields, from
his dead lips will go out call that the children
of Lake County will hear after the grave has
covered all. That is the teaching of your
monument; that is its lesson, and 1t Is n
lesson of endurance for what we believe, and
IL is a lesson of sacrifices for what VIC think;
q lesson of heroism for what we mean to sus-
tain, and that lesson cannot be lost to peo-
pie like this. 1t is not lesson of revenge,
not lesson of wrath. 1t Is The grand, sweet,
broad lesson OF the Immortality of truth that
we hope will soon cover with a grand she
kinah of light and glory in all parts of this
repubiic fl ON the lakes to the gulf.
/ once entered a house in old Massachusetts
| One was the sword carried by the grandfather
of its owner on the field of Bunker Hill Tne
other sword was ca ried by the English grand
sire of the wife on the same field and on the
| the other side of the conflict Under these
| crossed swords in the restored harmony,
domestic peace, the children lived happy, con-
| tented free and united under the light of our
| republican liberties. trust the time is not
| far distant when under crossed swords and
locked shields of Americans, North and
South, our people shall sleep In peace and rise
| in liberty, love and harmony under the union
| of our hag of stars and stripes