New-York tribune., 1881-09-27
THE GRAND ARMY'S TRIBUTE.

a NOTABLE MEETING AT CmCKERING HALL
SPEECHES BY GENERALS MCQUADE, sLoCUM,
BUCKNER AND PRESTON, AND CHAUNCEY NJ
DEPEW.
Half an hour before the time announced for begin
ming the memorial services of the Grand Army of
the Republic, which were held in Chickerng Hall
yesterday afternoon, the doors were closed as all
the available space within was crowded with peO-
pie Between 1:3O and p. III. hundreds were
turned away from the hall because there was no
room for them inside. Shortly before 2 o'clock
twenty posts of the Grand Army, led by band
playing dirges, marched to the hall. The members
of the posts Occnpied seats the body of the hail.
and the aisles and the gallery were packed with
men and women. The vast multitude, which was
seated nearly an hour before the exercises began,
listened patiently to the mournful tollng of the
church bells. When the veteran soldiers arrived
bearing tsttered battle1ags draped with Grape the
audience applauded.
The exercises began promptly at 2 o'clock. Gen
eral McQuade was chairman. In stating the object
OF the meeting he said:
This assembly has gathered at the instance of the
Grand Army OF the Republic for the purpose giving
expression 10 deep at the death General
Garfield Ii empty ceremony. 1t is the deep
noble cOmrade. While his position nfensies the
deep regret, is not 10 the President of the United
States alone but to the memory OF the true soldier
trlsty conrade that pOnr forth fearful Iribue
And there none more deserving than he. In this tide
of all distinctions of and political
opinions disappear, and the people mite in presenting
q statesman dutiful and loving faithful and
devoted husband, kind father. friend companion
who delgEed in the performance OF noble deeds he has
rlchy earned our greatest esteem The whole country
clothed with the habiimens Of woe for his sad end To
day iii this hall the blue OF the Union soldier and the
gray Oh te Cohiederaie entwRe harmoniOusy with the
BLACK which nourns the loss OF him who President
of the UHlted states Those who arrayed against
each othor now stand side by side under flag in hon
oring him who was their Chief Magistrate. Applause
The memorial service of the Grand Army of the
Republic then said Those who participated in
the ceremonies were Henry A. Barnum, commander,
Constantine Nitsch, senior vce-commander Joseph
Forbes, junior vice-commander. General Martin r.
Mcmahon, adjutant, the Rev, III. Mckle chaplain
and William McEntee officer of the day. After the
usual services read and spoken the chaplain
delivered prayer. The record of James A. Garfield
a soldier was then read. The commanding officer
pronounced it honorable record and ordered it to
he preserved in the archives of the Memorial Com
mttee.
Major General Slocum then spoke He referred to
General Garfield's brilliant record as q soldier In
the brief space of eighteen months, he said without
any previous military iranng, but by his zeal and
fidelity a soldier, General Garfield raised himself
to the position of chief of staff of the Army of the
Cumberland. His record in Congress was as hon
orabe it was long. In his speeches not one word
OF vindictiveness against the South could be found
and of the brightest pages in his was the
stand that he took against repudiatiOp.
When the chairman announced as the next
speaker Major-General Simon b. Buckner, of the
Confederate Army. the audience rose, waved hand
kerchiefs wildly and cheered for many minutes
Overcome by such cordial reception, General
Buckner was unable to address the assemblago at
any length but asked permission 10 delegate his
right to another soldier who wore the gray. He
simply said that some of them had met before on
the field of strife, but they had never gathered be-
fore on such a sad occasion. Sad as the grief was
in the North for General Garfields DEATH the South
was bowed in even deeper sorrow. Such meeting
gave an occasion for common grief from persons
representing all parts of the Union
General William Preston, of Kentucky an officer
In the Confederate Army was introduced by Gen
eral Buckner, and was received very enthusias-
ncally. He was frequently interrupted with cheers
and ong-continued applause. He spoke in part as
follows:
We have gathered here TO do honor TO the memory OF
Crave soloier ana great President Someone has said
nat nothing 10 well attests the virtue living men as
She respect tney pay 70 good ut their death In thai
DC the tst o merit the streets draped IN mourning
claimed Dy NO secretary Of State organized no poif
Cal power bus by the popular heart attest the
deep sypethy Of the people OF this city to the
and premature death Of President Garfield. The same
eynps5hy shown In every part Of globe wherever
Qne of City millions Of American freemen can be- found
in London, Paris the Pacific slope and in lands nat
Known at tho foundation of the Republic a unyorssl
lament Tor the dead hero forth From England the