The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1886-06-17
A UNITED PEOPLE.


Villas Grand Oratioa on Decoration
Day-Honor to the Forgiving, Brave
Conquerors and Honork to the Brave
Conquered-Tender Tributes to Grant,
Mcclellan and Hancock.
President Cleveland and his Cabinet
attended the meeting at the Academy
of Music, New York, which was held
upon Decoration Day, Postmaster
General Villas de-1verIng an affecting,
broad-minded and brilliant grafton,
from which the following extracts are
selected:
'.Mr. President, Comrades of the War, La
1ies and Gentlemen: The day has bean taken
from our eager labors for the future to testi-
" our reverence for the past. In decorous
parades, with music and with banners, with
solemn pomp and show, amid every circum-
t. hs s s sNe %
memory of the Nat .on's saviors. And now
sy s5s bo
ored ceremonial, tie spirit of the day rules
sae thought and points the theme
since the dread alarm Of civil war rang
through our land. A new era has begun. q
see now everywhere in ali your daily walks,
active men, whose hands arc ON the levers OF
affairs, who carry no useless memory of tho
events OF those direful years. By many q
fres:de, amid circles of blooming children,
sit happy mothers who can tell Of the great
chlldhood. Of our present population, more,
by millions, were in that period not existent
here or possess no remembrance of its scenes,
the compass Of the Union. History has fore fore
rades, and to the Nation of to-day they are IS
the actors OF that mighty drama now fall
from the column of living men. Yet few
years more, and none shall be to hear person
n witness a Saf he Rnv>
lic Of the trying hours of her deliverance.
1T is . duty and privilege of two-fold
of the patriotism, purposes and grand results
by which our Union soldiers gained their
title to the veneration of their countrymen
their rightful glory bright and pure; and then
TO living men and to our children, by emulous
quickening and better understanding Of tho
love and duty due our country.
1T is not from their soldiership alone that
the sheen of their renown is SO bright; their
their 1aioroas Courage @ and % gallant asss aeeds II
ennoblement. These they shared with their
many a hard-foughr and bloody field, worth
1ly comPetes for its equal place on the page
Of military fame Beyond the soldiers quail
who wrought by arms the salvation Of this
Government raise nobler claim to gratitude
spirit of their sacrifice for the liberty and
progress of man, and in the vast, far-reach-
ing benefits bestowed by them on their
their acceptance of conditions never before
imposed in human affairs; conditions exigent
of more generous, self-forgetting national
cred chiefly by other men in after times
than liberty or philanthropy ever demanded.
conceive could be ofrered I by % any NJ numerous au -
wide spread people to such a cause alone. In
the calm of history, now that the clouds Of
contemporaneous turmoil have disappeared,
we may distinguish. in clear view, the
s height Of o the great argument to which their
tion 8 history as peculiar titles of honor to the
soldiers of the Union. But, comrades, it
would be false as vain-glorious to arrogate rs
are the property of the Nation. Patriotism.
high purpose and great sacrifices in the time
Of war were shared by all, however varying
the outcome of results has been incumbent
wholly on the patriotism and conduct of
those of the faithful States alone. let it be
Justly remembered but of the South as well.
Vanquished as well as victors had to bend
than to bestow, forgiveness and magnanimity,
requires the generous mind. The trial of tenn
per, wisdom and character has been unex-
ampled, but the issue has been triumphant,
and the great purposes of the war have been
secured by magnanimity on the one hand and
sns n
remaining duty is fraternity and mutual hui
man love- The best and bravest OF the sol
of the soldiers of the South, long since sine Joined
their friendly hands, honoring each other q
valor, proud of their common nationality,
their spirit and pride to the traditions of the
Nation. and pledging themselves to its future
power Hs and aSd glory I They who have justified
enough to trust and worthy to be trusted. In
brigades and divisions they have marched on
across M ' the e dark valley to the my mysterio1s I,
land of DEATH In that unknown world, If
our hopes and faith for the life beyond have
assurance of their condition there and In
joyous happy union they possess the realms
of bliss. Shall their children left behind pur
legacy Of their reconciliation The % past aa car
not be altered; tho future, under God, Is in
our hands. The hope Of that future is in
union of fellowship, cemented by interest. by
patriotism and by pride. Reproaches fol
deeds beyond redempt on. for conditions
gone gone forever; owe M sighs ,or, for hopes once enter
worse than folly-they may become q crime.
Whoever gives his voice or his example tc
light or fan flame of sectional discord among
this fraternal people aims at the Nation'i
peace and life He has spoken treason though
not dared to act it who from the one side
filings vain taunts and SCOTS, the lingering de
mons of the past, or on the other sentimental
ly PIRATES of the resurrection of the molder
Ing MUMMY num- the G lost cause Set, Let him whs III
coming years over the prosperity, the gran
deur of this land teeming with multiplied
iightened by weli-dirused Knowledge. and
happy in developed life, and as he coDtem
plates the safely y-moving tram OF human hap
obstruction on its track. Rash with enthusi
asm and inexperience, we sent out our earli
est body Of troops as if victories in war re
quired only feverish desire. They soon re
turned in panic, and the land Quivered with
tremor of humiliation and fear
Mcclellan took the mob, and an army came
info hainR never anrDaaSa6 in all the N
war. That splendid corps was his, the Army o1
the Potomac. From the beginning to the END
trained and best led enemy. In checkered
| fortune, it bore the direst shocks and blows OF
war, but none could break its spirit or its
| it gained the triumph Of the age and took the
| sword of Lee. Never more magnificent than
career s sa Ii apr2&SSh all its
| loved him as its father to the end. And
| though cruel fate denied HIM but to look upor
| the glittering cap tai promised to its prowess
| the glory of his army that won it will forever
| irradiate b name.
dread constable who summons to the grave
| The superb Hancock! The beau ideal oi
| manhood's spIendor! Fancys figure of the
| fighting General! Bred in all the learning OF
| the martial art, pract ced in its exercises, in
| stature, port and speech, the soldier and the
| gentleman in lustrous perfection. His
% heroes of S the BATTLE 6attle,fieid, whom miro from n bott I
| sides. history has chosen for the armament
of military fame. In that great combat or
| which. more than any single one beside. the
Nations safety hung, the supreme moment
! of decision was committed to his conduct
His command sustained the desperate assault
which Pickett led. stalking the battle on the is
sue; with bloody penalty, drove him bach
and won the momentous day. And there
| stricken with a grievous wound, his owl
blood poured upon the earth. But it fell upor
| the roots of his renown, and among thu
laurels of the field of Gettysburg Hancock'I
| springs immortal.
"Upon the rocky side of your majestic Hud
| son another sepulcher has been builded, az
| urn of mortality inclosed within it. And
| thither, through coming ages far beyond the
stretch of human ken to tell the patriots o
| ours and the great-sOuled of every land IL
| unceasing pilgrimage will hold their way tt
feel the toucn of glory there. For, in tina
| shrine of Immortality are stored the ashes o
| the invincible instrument of God, who's
| genius ruled the whirlwind of war to thu
| salvation of the Republic. There, partet
| from the sight of his lamenting countrymen
| the perishable form of the unconqueret
| Grant
| Let us pause for a brief space to view tn,
| outlines of the character and deeds whicl
t<,h nod hY1yv,