National Republican., 1883-03-29
A ROUSING CAMP FIRE.
Eloquent Address of Senator Johh A. Logan 10
the Ex-SOldiers.
The Lessons OF Lii crty and Republication
Taught by the Late War.

-.
There was very large attendance at the
camp fire of Burnside post, G.. A. r., at Grand
Army hall, corner of Seventh and l. streets,
last night. Judge Lawrence presided and
made few pleasant remarks complimentary
| to the gentlemen who were to entertain the
audience with addresses. lie then introduced
| Gen. Green b. Raum, who gave an interesting
history of the Atlantic campaign and its
results. In the course of Gen. Raum's
remarks he said that Hoods movement
against the railway which served as n line
! of communication between the union
! troops and Chattanooga changed completely
! General Sherman's plans, In August, 1868,
! he had said I" intend to fortify Atlanta and
make it impregnable to 10000 men, and will
| fill it with supplies and sally out and attack
| the rebel army wherever can find IT," Cen
| eral Raum told of his defense of the Atlanta
railroad and gave graphic description of the
numerous fights that took place along its
| line, and many incidents which occurred dur
ing the fall of 1864. Ho then introduced
| Senator Logan, who was received with three
| cheers and resonant tiger.
Gen. Logan said: Comrades, l am very
| glad indeed, TO meet you here tonight and
nothing would give me more pleasure than to
discuss some matter in connection with the
last were it not for tho fact that you have
ment of the campaign connected with the fall
of Atlanta. 1t would not be very proper TO
detain you at this time in giving you details
Of battles or campaigns. There is one thing
that will say in reference to all the wars
Men who are engaged in battle know more
about it than those who are not. lApplause.l
Therefore, the soldiers of this or any other
war--when / say Soldier" | mean
the soldier, the common soldier-can give a
better account of the battle than any men
that run. [Applause.l And those who know
the most about the war are those who were
engaged. The men who know the least of
war are those who read the history of war
| [Applause.[ From the time HerOdotus wrote
down to the present day, l do not think any
reader of history ever learned anything about
war. When ] say anything about war;" |
mean the truth in reference TO the great bat
! ties. Histories are always written in the in
terest of individuals, and not always IN
| tho interest of truth | do not mean to say
| by that that histories in reference to our
war have been written for the purpose of
Misrepresentation. | mean they are written
| by men who generally write of themselves or
some one else very near to them, and | only
say that for the purpose of following it up
with this statements: that when this
country knows the truth on both sides of the
great war that was fought between Ameri-
cans, it will be taken from the detailed ac-
| counts that arc given truthfully by the
| private soldiers. The men who have
no interest TO cxaggcrate are those
men who sat by their camp fires
at night, and talked over what had been
done during the day, where this division
fought and that regiment advanced, and
| where this command aud that command was.
| Those men who came together and compared
accounts of the days fights and the morrow's
probabilities. The organizations Of which
you are one are important in this particular,
L. 4 Al
them. 1t will not be known until after we
are dead and gone perhaps, but the historian
who gathers up the books that are written
by private soldiers; the histories of regiments
the history of companies the histories of cam
paigns, aud the little incidents that occur
will give as faithful an account us can be
made of tho war. That is the only way it
will ever be done There are great many
people-Christian peoplc-whO dcprecate
war. We all do; but there are times in
every country when war is an absolute nGces-
sity.
The march of civilization in rapid pace has
always followed n great war, and believe
that the results of tho two great battles Of
Marathon and Saamis were the turning
points in the christisp civilization of man
kind. [Applausel w honest conviction is
that they turned the tide and gave the world
a christianity and civilization that, if the
tide had turned the other way, would have
|
was waged between the union people of the
country and those in rebellion against them,
however much we may depreCate it-and we
all do--was fight between Ameri-
cans-between kindred who should have
had different feeling from the one
that produced bloodshcd. Yet that, in
my Judgment, no matter how many tears
have been shed and how much this country
has been draped in mourning for the men
! who gave up their lives for it, will be bcneh-
cial to the country in the future, and il has
taught the world two things: first that
slavery cannot exist among intelligent peo-,
pie, and second, that u republican form of
government is the strongest that can be made
by man. [Great 'applause.l Tho stability of
the government is based upon the affections
of the people, and though political fate
! may decree that its officers may
be changed from one class of thinkers to
/ those of an opposite class, ii moves and will
/ ever move smoothly along. The people feel
that republican form of government guar
, antees to themselves and, their posterity the
! privileges and benefits of everlasting free
dom. Great applause. The government
, has grown steadily IN the affections of tho
. people since the rebellion was subduod, and it
will grow and grow until no power on earth
can overthrow it except the people them
, selves. Great applause, Noone deprecated
| the war more than myself, yet | know il
will serve rs n lesson to mankind. 1t has
given the other peoples of the world
, food for thought and reflection in reference
TO that Which is best for themselves, so far as
the great idea Of liberty is concerned. The
time will come when the people of the coun-
tries that to-day give power, not as it flows
upward from the people, but the power given
from the head down to the people, will shake
of the shackles, The chains are being loos-
ened day by day, and probably before you and
, l pass away we shall see some OF
these people strike for liberty as the
, people of this country struck for liberty
and independence. Tremendous applause,
After the applause at the close ofGen. Logan's
l speech had subsidized, addresses were made by
Col. Case and other gentlemen, and the can't
fire was put out and the post held a business
| meeting. Gen. Sherman will deliver an ad,
, dress at the next camp fire in April.
O Colony or MRlnys in Louisiana.
+ There is in the current number of Harper'
r Weekly some interesting pictures of the lacus
trino dwellers of st. Malo, Louisiana. The pic
u lures are accompanied by an article which
v tellg the story of the strauge npnnlp who liy,