The National tribune., 1883-05-24
THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE WASHINGTON c. THURSDAY a.

Faint of faith, we looked behind us for a chief of
higher tone,
While the voice that drowned the trunlpets was
the echo of our own
Ever thus, my old companionsi genius has us by
the hand,
Walking on the tempest with US, every crisis to
command.
Lincolns words unearthly quiver In the universal
heart
Not echo left of malice, scarce of triumph In
the strain,
As when summer thunder murmurs in pathetic
showers of rain.
Years forever consecratea, here he lived where
duties be,
Never crying on the climate or the tolls mo-
noiony;
Here his darling boy he buried, and the night in
Like his Lord within the garden, when the tired
disciples slept.
How his call for men went ringing round the
And the races of creation came the proud revolt
to queil!
Standing in the last reaction on the rock OF hui
rights,
Worn and mournfuI grew his features in the flash
of battle lights.
Once like Moses from the mountain, looked he on
the realm he won,
When the slaves in burning Richmond knelt and
thought him Washington;
Then an envio;-s bravo snatched him from the
theater of things,
To become saint of nature in the Pantheon of
Kings.
Faded the golden chevrons, vanished in the
pride of war;
Mild in heaven his moral glory fingers like the
morning star,
And the freeman's zone of cotton his white spirit
seems 10 be,
And the insects in the harvest beat his army's
TeUeite
All around him spoiled or greedy, women vain
and honors spent,
Still his faith in human nature lived without dis
For his country which could raise him, barefoot,
to the monarch's height,
Could he mock her, or his mother, though her
name she could not write?
Deep the wells of humble childhood. cool the
spring beside the hutss
Millions more as poor as Lincoln see the door he
has not shut.
Not till wealth has made its canker every poor
whites cabin through,
Shall the great republic wither or the infidel sub
due.
your little fears!
Every Lincoln carries Freedoms car along hum
dred years;
And when next the call for soldiers rolls along the
golden belt,
Look to see mightier column rise and march,
prevail and melt!
Major Martin Maginnis, delegate to Congress
from Montana, then delivered the annual ora
ton. 1t will be found on our first page
Major Maginnis was frequently interrupted
by outbursts of applause, and at the close of
the Grafton was warmly congratulated on all
sides.
sHERMAN's BUMMERs.
There were now loud calls for Gen. Sherman,
and yielding to the clamor, he finally came
forward, and spoke as follows:
FRIENDS AND COMRADES IN A COMMON CAUSE :
One of my neighbors, and old member of the
society, said to me to-day This is meeting of the
Army of the Potomac, and we don't want any
bummers' around!" fGreat laughter Now,
that was both kind and suggestive ,llaughter and
appreciate it. Laughter. But the symbols
see around me beautifully and plentifully deco
rating these walls the names of hard battles fought,
OF great victories won, the flags under which we
contended and conquered, are the common prop
erty of every soldier, whether of the Army of the
Tennessee, of the Cumberland, of the Ohio, or OF
the Potomac Applause. There was but one flag
for US all-but one cause, that of our common
country Applause. 1t is well for you of the
Army Of the Potomac and for the soldiers of all our
armies, to meet here and elsewhere IN friendly
union, and recall the past, to fight your battles
over again. and recount the arduous struggles you
| have made. For getting old, and soon must
pass away and while it is yet time Is right and
proper that should settle these little differences
of opinion of statements of facts, of impressions
that exist still-that have existed from the COM
mencement-so that may transmit to our chill
| the waged for freedom and for union. And /,
for one. am willing to concede what your eloquent
and imprisoned orator claimed in his speech that
the true place of the Army of the Potomac was on
the right flank i presume he means by this
4 the post of honor But we belong to great coun-
try and the full measure of its glory Belongs not to
one. but to all. Between the extremities of cur
| Nation roll thousands of miles and its grandeur
cannot be measured or monopoliZed by section.
We of the West, think the Mississippi is great
stream. The country it runs through is great
and populous one filed with many and fiourishing
cities with the busy hum of industry, with brave
and energetic people Now. i sincerely believe
| that when we opened the Mississippi as Union
| pathway TO the gull, the war won. The work
was not all finished then, for made another
| slice, pretty large one, too, In another direction
think that every soldier in the Army of the Poto
felt better when he heard that the Army of the
| Tennessee was coming For my own part am
pretty sure felt was welcome when got to Isa-
/ leigh. Laughter and applause.
! Now, ladies and gentlemen, the custom of this
| army and all Others my own included IS to trans
act their business, and permit strangers only
! 20 show themselves. / have showed myself fgrea
laughter and chcering) and will now leave You te
own camp-fires
General Sherman's speech was long an6
loudly cheered, and the entire audience was a:
one man singing :" Marching Through Georgia,
| with band accompaniment.
1 Short addresses were also made by General!
! Slocum, Webb, and Beaver, and ex-Speake
Keifer, and telegrams of regret were read from
Generals Hancock and Sheridan, after which
the meeting adjourned.