Mexico weekly ledger., 1886-02-18
dress of welcome which was well

MEN The object of my presence here
to-day Is moi to edifs or inspire you,
for such is beyond nay capacity, 4
hundred men of our town could do the
subject greater honor and entertain YOU
| more elegantly If an Grafton of any
style or eloqnenee had been required,
as an incentive 10 tho promotion of
your eession. or the pr iit of this grand
eneamnment. | am sure your comrades
ot this eneampment would not have
hoaored me- with this privilege, but
! they have seer fiji TO show this courtesy
10 Que SO inexperienced AZ |, therefore,
/ l come III behalf of our city aud COM
! rades of Post 80 TO welcome YOU, and |
/ do so the more cherrfuty because |
! speak the sentiment of the larger part
| OF our community.
| We have invited you to hold this ses-
| sion of your encampmeat with US. AS
our guests us but meet and right that
We extend TO you, on this ecGa ion, the
haspttallties of our clty. We welcome
| YOU not for any political preference for
understand pDiitica has nothing TO
do with eligibility to your order
| Neither are YOU religlousiy sectarian,
but as soldiers who fought Tor the cause
you deemed right III our late civil war,
you are b ,und together for mutual aid,
protection and benevolenee. Old sol
diers love to meet on all occasions, and
| they enjoy the reiteration of events in
cident TO the life of camp, march and
field
But the object of this meeting we be-
| lieve is not SO much of u reunion and
pleasure as of business, and while /
trust your time may be spent protitably
with us, hope the social feature will
not be neglected by our citizens, and
that the attention given you by your
brethren of this Post will be more than
seconded by the entire community. Its a
| worthy cause for your mutual benefit
and should have the hearty support of
every good citizen, may lie have worn
the blue or the gray. Our interests are
one; citizens of one commonwealth,
blessed with the privileges of free
American citizenship; united we stand,
divided we fall.
Those of US who can appreciate home
and freedom certainly would not fail To
do honor to the man who left his b ONE
and its comforts TO fight for the cause
dear to his heart. The sacrifices itself
suggest tile honesty of his purpose.
Many of this community left their
homes and fought equally valiant for
! the lost cause, others of us aided and
sympathiZed with them; they were
actuated by principles as sacredly J
held and esteemed and as dear TO their
hearts as were those held and fought
for by those who bore the grand old
: flag of our inion, but what greater hon.
or can they show than to welcome You
in the same brotheriy spirit as that
shown by them of your own rank and
order? They open their doors and say
come in, you are welcome. Some years
: ago when the great city of Chicago was
a sheet of fire and her magnificence was
laid to waste, Southern city was the
first to telegra ph, draw on US for $5,-
600 or SIC, 1000" With equal mtgn tnim-
ity when that dreadful yellow fever
plague swept over the South and desc
lated the Southern sister, the Queen Of
t the Lakes re-echoed the electric stroke,
draw and your draft shall not be dis
honored." Again, when our beloved
. president, the lamented Garfield, was
called to meet SO untlmely grave, who
was it IN all this land that did not feel
+, the pang? In an instant whole nation,
regardless of party or politics, was in
mourning~no sectional feeling in that
E hour of great Calamity.
1 | speak of these practical demonstra-
0 tions of fraternal feeling because they
. prove that We IA citizens of the greatest
L republic of which the world can boast
l. are bound together by ties unhroker
by any dIscord of the past. and that the
:, cable cord of steel that binds us to-
r gether, though, at times, elastic, vIbrates
with no uncertain strength. What seemed
q at one time would be separation, has
l, only served to make as wise, and WE
stand to-day monument to liberty anC
u freedom Our Institutions of church ant
e state rank with those of any country OIL
the globe. Gentlemen, the heart OF ever,
< true American citizen should beat will
l. gratitude, love and devotion for thu
\ privilege of living in such u God-favore,
J. land as ours. What was once mer
speck in the political world has grow
in one short century to be the grandes
nation on the earth, and We to-day enjo,
Is privileges and blessings surpassed b.
none. We look with pride and tru
patriotic feeling to the grand nation il
which we live, and especially are W
blessed in living in this the great Stat
q. of Missouri, the garden of the West
younger by far than others, yet rich i
e. every element that goes to make up
great State And what does all this sug
geSt? Home, happiness, peace an
plenty for all who will put forth an homes
s. and fair personal effort. And to whol
are we under obligations for so man
blessir gs and privileges? The man wht
In the fear of God and the love of h
country, did defend and at the expen>
of bodily suffering, did leave all that WI
near and dear to him, and fight for tt
principles he held SO sacred. We woul
not fail to show our appreciation of evel
clement that is essential to a happy an
prosperous people. Our institutions
lin learning, the press, our commercia
farming and manufacturing interests a.
all necessary, but there are times wht
those that bear the sword are vital fat
tor to them all.
,,d Why is it that the heart of every Amer
can citizen is touched and rendered at Il
name of that humble man who wro
Home, Sweet Home? You know instinc
ively-the answer-becauSe he embOdi
in those lew lines the most precious Sc
timent and strongest desire of the hea
of every man, woman and child. Hon
Home, Sweet Home.
| wonder if there is one present, WI
like the author, never had home. If 5
have no doubt but he feels more tn
any the passion and the longing to reali
the precious blessings of a home.
welcome you because you laid upon t
altar of your country the most endeari
ties of manhood, and we to-day enjoy
blessing of the reward of your offeriI
Those who bore arms against you
here to-day offering you the hospitalit
of their homes and are anxious to SCI
YOU in any capacity that will tend
make YOU feel welcome. and assist in
profitable performance of the duties in
dent to the worthy carse in which "
organization was founded The ties q
ere bind You together are the more sacl
. at because when II gap is broken there is
filling it up. One by one you will p;
awav, reminder of the probation
,w- state in which we live, and when yr
w roll by and you are reduced to a slr
band with silver hairs and faltering st
,rd, NV ,hrv tnok back with a tender hrofh
4, F. lv pride to the association with tn
V, who have but gone before, and are Wa
w ing tc welcome them to the untried tie
beyond !; and may your last battle
Ioh' crowned with a more glorious vict
EAR, than any earthly arms can boast
Vm, Ladies' and gentlemen, we welcC
you and trust your stay with US, tho
short, may be ever remembered by
U" and US with pleasure and profit,
X. though our town be small as compa
son. with others that have had the pleas
ynn of entertaining you, trust we will III
your stay SO agreeable that when we
sen again candidate fer your entertainm
the there will be but one solid "aye."
Again, | bespeak a pleasant and pre-