Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1883-08-30


havingits terminus in the county atLANcAsTER.
thecounty seat.
on the altar of your country that the
union might survive, that the freest and
best human government ever formed
should not perish from the earth forever.
Before you left for the field of strife,
the patriotic women of this county
gave you banners, TO be borne in the
holy cause of freedom. You took those
banners, resolving to return not with
out them. And wherever the flag of the
foe waved defiance to the nations au-
thority, wherever hardships and perils
were to be endured, wherever the
storm of battle was the thiekest, in ev-
cry battle for the union, wherever the
stars and stripes were borne amidst the
din of battle in triumph to victory. you
and those whose names are inscribed
on yonder monument were there; aud,
| thanks to a benehcent providence and
your patriotism and valor, we have those
banners with us to-day-yeS, more, we
have an undivided union, stretching
from ocean To ocean, over every portion
of which the grand old flag without u
star erased or dimmed waves in the mai
esty of its triumph, proclaiming to cv-
cry free people and every people striy-
ing to be free, the sublime truth that
the foundations of our government are
immutable, because based upon the
rights of man and the eternal principles
of justice and integrity. The citizens
OF Lancaster, believing that no sight is
so pleasing, or present SO precious TO
you old veterans as that flag, to whom
it was n ''cloud by day and pillar of
fire by night, for four terrible years,
have procured this beautiful flag for
you, and commissioned me, in their
name and for them, ON tins occasion.
to present it to you.
May it ever inspire your posterity to
deeds of devotion and patriotism, as it
did our ancestors, in days gone
by, and rs it did you in the
hour of our nations peril We turn,
to-day, with prouder Joy than ever be-
fore TO that banner, brilliant with the
stars from heaven and radiant with the
glories from earth, every shred of whose
beautiful folds has been doubly died in
the life-blood of the heroes of the revo-
luton and the rebellion, now luminous
and glowing with the new and hallowed
light of universal liberty and equality
of all who seek protection beneath its
shadow.
| Well do we know, that, should occa-
sion demand, you will again defend
it rs you did in 81.
Aud now, in the name of the citizens
of Lancaster, who greet you this day,
in the name of the commonwealth
which you have honored, in the name
of all the battles your valor and prowess
won, in the name of your comrades
sleeping on every battlefield of the
south, in the name of constitutional lib
erty everywhere which you preserved, l
present you this evidence of peoples
gratitude.
Let it ever proclaim, and be recog-
nized rs the emblem of universal lib
erty and equality of all men,
Let this be done, and the time
will soon come when every one of Gods
creatures, though poor he be, wearing
the stamp of our common hui
manity, will be secure in all his rights
Let this be done, and there are those
now within the hearing of my voice,
who will live to see one hundred
millions of freeman standing beneath
the starry folds of that tri-colored ban
ner, and none dare to make them
afraid.
In response. Commander-in-Ch
Virgin said
''lt deyolyes upon me to return
thanks for this beautiful flag. l. first
heard of this this morning, and it
is hardly right to take one by surprise
who is not used to speaking / might
possibly have done better If you had not
ambushed me last night. But we GER
tainly return our most sincere thanks
to the citizens of Lancaster for this fine
banner, with which they have seen fit
to present us.
The columns were then swung back
into line for review. the Governor and
staff passed down and back along the
line, the comets sent forth their shrill
scream, the drums added their clamor,
arms we've presented, and the review
was over The line was then faced into
marching column, by fours, and passed
up Maple street, with the Governor and
| staifin the lead. The line of march was
up Maple street to Jefferson, down Jeiler-
son to the entrance to the court house
park, and from there up to the grand
stand, on the north of the court house,
where the arms were stacked and
the veterans broke ranks for the day.
THE EXERCISES AT THE STAND
opened promptly at eleven o'clock, at
which time the vast audience was called
to order by President Baxter, who de-
livered the following welcome address
to the veterans:
COfitrddcS, Lddies and Gentlemen:
Twenty years ago, three million Of
human beings were slaves in America.
To-day, by the power of your arms, they
are free and enjoy the full rights of cit
| liens. The slave states, fearing the
growth of sentiment in the North op-
posed to slavery, seeded from the
| Union, fired upon Fort Sumpter and es-
tablished Southern Confederacy, pre-
cipitating a civil war upon our land.
President Lincoln. believing in the
right of coercion, called into being the
army Of the Union, and, as a part of
the remnant of that army, we assemble
here to-day, TO renew the friendship and
associations of those eyentful wears of
toll of danger and of death; aud as
sumo we are still animated by the same
feelings and principles for which we
fought, and for which our com
rades have died, and prepared to re-
solve that "this government, of the peo-
pie, by the people, and for the peo-
pie, shall not perish from the earth.
Fellow citizens: We meet to-day as
Americans, as citizens of a common
country desiring It's best good; and al
low me 10 congratulate you upon its
condition, peace and plenty within our
borders, no foes-foreign or domestic,
substantially friendly feeling between
the various sections, the bloody chasm
forever closed, the toiler receiving good
pay for his labor, the products of the
field and the shop supplying our own
needs and our surplus helping to clothe
and feed the balance of the world. our
revenues exceeding our needs By one
hundred million of dollars, and taxes
reduced so that no industry feels its bur
den, freedom Of speech is nowhere
denied, what glorious picture Of
peace, prosperity and happiness. But,
my friends, we must not conclude that
the permanence of nation depends