National Republican., 1883-05-17

world the grand admiral of all the navies
that guarded our coasts or ranged the distant
seas. All the serted battalions, which would
have laid down their lives could not save
him, or frigato or iron clad carry him over
the river TO whose brink we all must come.
Like the humblest of his heroes--whose un-
known face looked up from the sod-the man
whose name shines on the rock of immortal
| ity, above tho waves OF oblivion and tides Of
time; the great central figure of tho war
stepped down from his high Office into the
cold waters Of death and disappeared on tho
shadowy shores of the hereafter.
But, comrades, the result is worth IL all.
Who could have dreamed that problems, in.
volving not only tho government but society
itself, could have been so soon and so salts
factorily settled Romance and poetry will
embellish and the ivy Of time make pic
| turesque the heroism of defeat; but every
passing year will make more plain the decree
Of the God OF battles that tho lost cause was
justly lost. Even now those who fought us
glory in tho strength and greatness Of that
nationality, which they proudly share aud
would willingly defend. They see the hand
of Providence in tho defeat Of cause that
would have left America, like Europe, q
groop Of warning states, and sharing In all
It's privileges and blessings, rejoice in tho
success of the war for the union. This rec
onciliation and renewed alleglance-which
conquering monarches have failed 10 win in
centuries Of endeavor-is the glory Of a re-
public.
Peace has been greater than war. The
skillful hands of science have brought into
use unknown powers of tho air aud mystic
rious forces of the earth, and the lovely hands
of art arc crowning our country with beauty.
The numbers and wealth of our people have
nearly doubled So has our territory; for tho
condemned deserts of the west turn out TO be
granaries of bread and pastures of meat for the
world. The forbidding rocks Of old geogra-
phies havo resolved themselves into mines of
silver and gold, and under their frowning
peaks are found parks, canyons, waterfalls,
and geysers !; the sublime glories of nature (;
the pleasure ground Of mankind. The genius
of America has united our distant coasts with
bands Of steel aud planted her feet on those
blue precipices, which old explorers used to
call The land of the shining mountains, be-
yond the western plains"
To this city, where they had met, the com
rades of many years were called, that they
might part You crossed the Potomac, and
turning your backs upon its banks marched
in review up the avenue. That river Of steel,
wave after wave passed the white house and
moved by the capitol, to break and part, and
return to the utmost parts of the union. But
of all those whose tattered standards 1oated
on tho air, and whose triumphal music filed
the heart with joy, how few there were OF
the faces that four years before had marched
down that avenue the other way; had
marched down TO the battle field, the hos
pital, the grave. How much vaster the
shadowy hosts of the dead, whose pale memo
ries moved with the column and kept time
! to the march. From scores of fields, conse-
Grated by their deaths, forever sacred TO their
memories, they could not come, unless IL
shall be to meet us under the walls of q city
more desired than Richmond, more re.
splendent than Washington, in the last re-
union Of the Army of the Potomac.
Gen. sherman.
Upon the conclusion of the orators address
which was vociferously cheered throughout
, the calls for sherman swept through the
house with great force, every man in the au
dience and on the stage calling for the grea
captain. The latter at last arose and said
! FRIENDS AND COMRADES IN A COMMON
+ CAUSE: One Of my neighbors, and an ole
: member Of the society, said to me to-day
mac and we don't want any 'bummers
4 aroundp [Great laughter.l Now that wa
both kind and suggestive [laughterl, and
appreciate 1t. Laughter But the symbol
/ SEQ around me 30 beautifully and plenti
/ fully decorating these walls tho name
of hard battles fought, of great victorie
. won, tho flags under which we contendet
: and conquered, are the common property
a of every soldier, whether of the army of th
' Tennessee, Of the Cumberland, ofthe Ohio, o
of tho Potomac, [Applsuse.] - There was bu
one flag for us all-but ono cause that o
our common country! (Applause 1t /
well for you of the army of the Potomac ant
: for the soldiers of all our armies to meet her
y and elsewhere in friendly reunion, and recall
. the past to fight your battles over again, an,
u recount the arduous struggles you have made
}. For we are getting old and soon must pas
9 away, and while tits yet time it is right an,
II proper that we should settle these littl
Q differences Of opinion, of statements of facts
Q of impressions that exist still-that have OK
/ listed from the commencement--so that w
/ may transmit to our children the true, un
y vanished, unprejudiced recital of the wa
l. waged for freedom and for union. And / 70
IS one am willing to cOncede what your eloquen
y and impassioned orator claimed in his speec
~ that the true place of the army of the Potoma
u was on 'the right flank" Ipresume he mean
IL by this the post Of honor. But we belong +
!. great country, and the full measure Of II
u glory belongs not to one, but TO all. Betwee
a the extremities of our nation roll thousand
'. of miles, and its grandeur cannot be measures
y or monopolized by section. We, of the wes
IL think the Mississippi is q great stream. Th
country it runs through is great and poT
ulous one filled with many and hourishn
Is cities, with tho busy hum of industry
= with bravo and energetic people
y Now / sincerely believe that whe
[. we opened the Mississippi as o unio
n pathway TO the gulf the war was won. Th
N work was not all finished then, for We mad
N another slice, pretty largo one, too, b
r. another direction, which brought us neare
!. to you of the east. And think that ever
Ia soldier in tho army of the Potomac folt bel
"a ter when he heard that tho army of tn
m Tennessee was coming. For my own part
n am pretty sure felt / was welcome when
a got to Raleigh. Laughter and applause.l
i Now, ladies and gentlemen, tho custo
"a of this army and all Others my own IL
"a cluded, Is to @ansact their own business an
Ia permit strangers only to show themselves.
# have showed myself (great laughter an
=. cheering) and will now leave you to toll you
"a stories and sing your songs around your ow
10 camp fires. General Sherman's speech wa
"a long and loudly cheored and the entire aud
10 ence was as one man singing "Marchin
A. Through Georgia." with band accompan
la ment.
10 OTHER SPEECHES.
Gen. II. w. Slocum in obedience to grei
cheering made an earnest and eloqueI
speech, reviewing the difference between {,
:. day and twenty years ago. Then all Wi
y gloom, doubt, and despair; to-day 1t is a
~ light and hope and prosperity.
a Gen. Webb was called on and responde
- - briefly, urging that the standing army shoul
- be kept up and strengthened.
- Gen. Beaver, Of Pennsylvania, was see
- and recognized on the stage and con
20 70 PEELED TO address the audience. He made
~ terse and vigorous speech that fired his al
- dience. He said the time had come for IL
~ army of northern Virginia and the army
~ the Potomac, the best and bravest blood
~ the north and ROuth tn rally around I'll