Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-06-05
ADDRESS
BY CAPT. FREDERICK COCHRANE.
Delivered at Burlington, on Memorial
Day, 1885.

Twenty times have the flowers of spring
blossomed in their beauty, and faded back
to earth again, since that April morn
when the vaunted army of Northern Nir-
ginia laid down its arms on the banks of
the Appomattox, and the great war in
which fell the comrades whose deaths
we are met here to-day to com
memorate was closed in triumph !:
and we, whom the providence of God had
spared from the bullet and from the pes
thence, could, ut last in honor face to
the rear, and march back, with JOY and
thanksgiving, to our peaceful homes
And yet, though all these changing sea
sons have come and gone, still fresh in
our hearts, Us the flowers we strew ON
their graves to-day, are the memories of
those who died that we might live. Fresh
indeed are their memories! and vivi |,
vivid as though the light of this very
hour fell brightly upon them are those
warlike scenes whose dangers and whose
hardships bound our soldier hearts to-
gether with bonds of greater strength
than even those of brotherhood. O, how
clearly do the old days come back to us
again ! | can see before me now many
old familiar faces, just as plainly as saw
them for the last time in the long, long
ago. | can hear their voices, though
hushed in death these many wears. can
see the long lines of troops, winding over
the fields of the sunny South. | can see
the stacks of glittering arms, and the
blazing camp-tlres, of the welcome hi
vouac. | can feel the strain, the awful
strain, of that dread moment, just before
the battle. | can hear the firm voice of
the old commander ring out, Battalion,
rise up forward in line. guide centre,
double quick, charge bayonets, march -
l can hear the whistle of the bullet, the
boom of the cannon, and the shrek of the
shell. | can feel the delirium of the
charge, and the flush of victory. | can
feel too the sadness of heart as | wander
over the desolate field, and search among
the dead and dying, to see if any of the
loved be there.
Yes, Comrades. all these memories are
fresh with us now, and they eyer will be
until at the trumpet call of the great God
of Battles above. we shall, one by one, as
the years roll on, lie down by the side of
those who have gone before.
Naught could be more fitting on an oc-
casOn like this, when we are met to do
honor to those who fell in their country's
cause, than to devote the time set apart
for this sacred duty, to a consideration of
that one particular virtue which moved
so many of COlumbiaS sons to peril their
lives in defence of her integrity and the
freedom of her soil-heaven- born Patriot
ism.
| am not unaware that some call in
question the patriotic nature of the mo-
tives that led the ma jurity of our soldiers
to volunteer in the army of the republic.
Indeed, Few misanthropic individuals
even deny the existence Of such Il thing as
pure patriotism in the human breast.
But, admitting that thousands especially
during the latter part of the war, We're
prompted to enlist by large bounties, and
by other more or less interested motives.
it is pertinent to ask, what cause, how
ever worthy, was ever yet without its sell
fish supporters 1t is not they who fall
i'll with movement who give it charac-
ter, but it is they who set it in motion.
The force of increasing numbers undoubt-
eddy contributes to the ultimate success of
cause but the cause itself owes its
very existence to those who first unfurl
its standard to the breeze. On them rests
the responsibility of origin. From them
comes that spirit which gives life to the
conflict. And to them belongs, in the
hour of final triumph, both the pHans and
the laurel crowns of victory. Without
assuming for myself, or my surviving
comrades, any greater share of pure pa
triOtiSm than that which Nature in her
wise provision for the preservation of ma
tons, has ever implanted in the breast of
the average man, claim that the one
thing, that first made possible the saliva
ton of the American Union, was the deep
seated national patriotism of the chill
dren of the North.
They whose memories carry them back
to the time of the rebellion can well re-
member the dark days that Immediately
~
deep gloom spread over the country
Statesmen met, and, with bated breath,
discussed the question of the hour. Com
promise after compromise was profered
only to be spurned with disdain by the
Oligarchic chiefs who long had sought to
cleave in twain the magnificent republic
bequeathed us by the fathers. State after
State renowned its fealty to the Federal
Union, and swOre allegiance to the new
born Confederation, whose cornerstone
was proclaimed to be the everlasting bond
age of the dark-hued race Within the
borders of these revolted States was heard
the tramp of armed men, gathering by
tens OF thousands, to OVeraWe the aut hOr-
ity of the old republic, and to establish
forever the new. The trained officers of
our dlmlnutlNe army and navy threw up
their commissions by the score, and hur-
ried to the hostile camps. At the Nation :
Capital covered weak and timil eNccu-
tive, holding in his palSied hand the reinS
of power. Back of the National govern
ment still stood the great free States of
the North, but generation, unused to war
and welded to the pursuits of peace, was
on the stage of active life, and thousands
upon thousands, with mute but unan-
swered pleadngs, held out in their tremb-
ling hands, to the angry and sullen South,
The olive branch of peace ut any price,
Between the passive North and the armed
South stood the border States, hating be
tween the old and the new, but with faces
set in loving sympathy with the new
The monarchies of the old world looked
with joyous certainty soon to herald the
downfall of WashingtOn's republic Like
dissolving view the great fabric of self
government in the Western world seemed
to be fading, fading from the sight, tC
leave behind not Il shadow of things that
were. The thoughtful patriot, gazing on
the scene, could only hope and pray.
But soon took place Il brilliant transfer
nation. That lirmer hand the nation had
hidden to its service, took up the rcins Of
government and proclaimed the integrity
of the Union. In answer, the echo of 4
cannon shot came up from the South, say
ing, "CUlumbia's flag is no longer ON
nag, Choose ye now, war on dissolution =
Then, like the sudden upheaval of sleep
ing volcano, leaped up the latent fires oI
Americas national patriotism. Will
here and there au ignominiouS exception
the peace-lovcrs quickly dropped thcil
sprlgS Of olive To- raise aloft their arms il
allegiance to the land OF their birth. Tin,
insultcd emblem of our nationality, tn,
starry banner was flung to the breeze
from every hOuSCtOp, and COLUMBIAN s tri