Mexico weekly ledger., 1886-02-25

FITTING FINALE.
The G. A, R. Banquet a Decided
Success,
THE ELOQUENT TOASTS OF ARM.
STRONG, TRIMBLE AND CLAY.
Everybody Delighted " tn the Conyen.
ton and the Hearty Welcome
Accorded Our Guests.

elected: Col. Cole, of ~. Louis. was
reelected commander on the second
ballot Col. Z. c. kimball, of Ne
vada. was reelected ). V. command
er bv acclamation. Capt. Hirsm
smith, of Cameron. was elected j. Y.
commander. Dr. 4. Vanmeter was
elected medical director. Rev. Jno.
5. Ferguson was reelected chaplain.
The official staff, as elected. Is as
f. lows: Gen John Mcneil, A. A
G.; Arthur Driefus. Inspectnr; Ira
X Alderman, Judge Advocate; c
c. Gardiner, Chief Mastering Officer
A. Wllhartiz, st. Louis Nv. H. Day,
Mexico; j. c. Smith, Kansas City !;
A Hufnstine, Greenfield, and Joseph
Wisby, Marshfeld, were elected
Council of Administration.
The Ladies Relief Corps elected
the following officers: President.
Mrs. Sarah j. Martin, Brookfeld !;
senior vice, Mrs. Agnes Sterritt, ST..
Joseph: junior vice, Mrs, Georgia
Crandall, Brookfeld; treasurer, Mrs.
Alice Burton, Nevada; chaplain,
Mrs. Lingle, Cameron; council of
administration, Mrs. Kingsbaker, ST.
Joseph; Mrs. Stark, ST. Louis; Mrs.
Powell, ST. Louis; Mrs. Burnham,
Cameron; Mrs. Jones, Kansas City.
The next meeting will be held at
Springfield, Mo.
The entertainment Thursday night
for the benefit of the Ladies' Relief
Corps was q success and very neat
sum was netted for this worthy or.
ganization. Every seat in the house
was taken and all were loud in THEN
praises of the performance. After
the entertainment the banquet in the
basement was enjoyed and there was
truly feast of reason and a flow oi
soul. The beans, coffee. pork and
hard tack we're duly cared for, aftel
which came the toasts, which wer,
all neatly responded to, but none
more eloquently and fitly than those
answered by Mexico orators which
were as follows:
| "The Americar Soldier" Response b!
Rer J. G. armstrong.
Mr.. CHAIRMAN. LADIES AND GEN
TLEMEN: My decentralization, an'
perhaps my only one, to respon'
to this sentiment is that I neve
was a soldier and never expect t.
be. l speak from the standpoint o
disinterested ignorance. Still
an American must have a heart a
cold as the winter of 1884 who /
not stirred to enthusiasm and gen
uine patriotic pride as he review
the achievements of the soldier,
of this great Republic.
| Perhaps I ought to say a wor
| in praise of a great many Amerl
cans who have not had the oppol
tunity of being soldiers. Durin
1.-The late war, when the calls bot
north and south were frequent an
urgent for volunteers, there wer
thousands of men who did nc
respond; but their failure is n
Impeachment of their valor. The
were as brave of soul as any VIII
lived on hard-tack and mule steal
but some of them had cowardl
legs and some had pressing bus
ness engagements over in Canada
Their very souls painted to NEE
the foe on the bloody sands, b,
inherent tendencies and unavoid'
BILE circumstances robbed them
, the laurel wreath and black cotfe
for which their patriotic spirl
were hungering. Their mer
shared a common fate
Full many a gem Of purest ray serene
The dark unfathomed caves of ocean bear
| Full many flower is born to blush unseen
And waste its sweetness on the desert all
t So these brave fellows must pa
away unhonored and unsung.
proof that they were brave, l nee
1 only remind you that they a
the patriotic fellows who are ST
carrying on the confict-fortunat
1 ly a bioodless conflict as long
they wage it. When the tV
armies laid down their arms al
:. sat down in peace under our COZ
mon flag, these soldiers who d
not fight, commenced stirring t
dead ashes to make a smoke, le
somebody should doubttheir bra
cry. And just here l nave SUI
). bled on one of the finest traits
J. the American soldier. He Is
friendly in time of peace as he
T. brave in war, Inspired by sol
patriotic principle on the field
r, battle he fights as only an hone
brave man can fight. When
battle is over and the conflict
principles is settled, he has
narrow, bitter prejudices to q
his goodwill and full fellowsi
for his late foe. To him neitl
: victory nor defeat is the distr'
r. tion of ofmanhood.
Our country has had but Il
I wars that deserve the name-s
!. with Great Britain, one with M
Iico, and little affair all our o'
, I need not say much about TINS
tie bit of family history We W