The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-07-04

SNNeaAO equality WlluOub
moral deterioration, growing indifference to
the authority of law, and destructi on of the
uemocratlc- republican principle. If ignor-
s al ana seml-Darbarous dominance be fatal
10 clVlllzed communities, not less so is con-
slant and deliberate defiance of law In
NATIONAL union OF states where fair elections
are assumed, systematic fraud or violence or
suppression OF votes, in the event Of a closely
confessed poll would inevitably destroy the
cenVletlon that the apparent result repre-
scented the actual will of the legal voters, and
tnat result would be challenged amid violent
disorder; II Is not enough that a national
vietion that ii is fair
No honest man should delude himself with
the the0ry that this is a local question.
In New \ ork there is very large class of
Ignorant, un-American voters, who barely
speak our language. who have no knowledge
OF practlce Oh Tree, popular institutions, and
WHO are AMEN In tradition, sympathy and
SPIRIT. IL is class of no single nationality
put Is gathered from all other lands. 1t is
large enough to control the State, and as the
ELECTORAL vote of New York is very import
ant,lt might easily decide national election.
put Whatever its ignorance or degradation,
thls is a class OF legal voters. They have
Deen entranchised by the law upon which
resi- Ia an our rights, and II by fraud, or force,
or by any Illicit method, this class Of voters
snould De deprived of their legal right, it
would not be a New York question alone.
virginia, Mississippi, Maine, Minnesota
wouia De equally concerned. The national
pace would be imperilled until that depriya-
tlon ceased, and either the right to vote were
legally annuiled or freely exercised If there
pc national question, question, which vi
itally interests every American citizen from
tne enoDscot to the Rio Grande, question,
MuiIn WINE americans are Americans, will
not pc set aside, but must be honorably en-
tertalned and periodically adjusted, il Is the
question OF free legal ballot
:. Inc practical remedy for its coercion or
l. L.
The citizens of this magnificent common
wealth. cannon reach across the Potomac and
impose their will respecting the suffrage up
on the mother Of States, nor can the States
o. New England dictate legislation to the
knows that the Pennsylvania is virtually
interested In his action. Iowa and Wiscon-
sin knows that Maine and Rhode Island have
common stake In such local laws, and as
Washington and Pickney, Jefferson and
Madison and Martin took counsel with Alex
ander Hamilton and DIR. Franklin, and Ru-
fus King, and Roger Sherman, bent upon a
common purpose but with due regard to ev-
cry local condition, so will their sons confer.
fraternally forbearing, until the great prob,
lem OF the suffrage and all other problems
are solved. This is the auspicious result
which would appear everywhere in the coun-
try ADJUSTING the bltterest differences If the
spirit OF this day and of this field should be-
come the spirit of our politics and then. by
the grace OF God, as the essential reason Of
Sectlonallsm disappeared with the war, its
disappearance, in fact, in feeling, and in
p e actlon, would be the crowning glory
OF Gettysburg.
Fellow citizens, so far as lies in us, shall
not such be the spirit of our political conten-
lons? Can we wrest from the angel Of this
nouI any blessing SO priceless as the common
resolution that we shall not have come to
TINS consecrated spot only to declare our Joy
and gratitude, nor only to cherish proud and
tenqer memories, but also TO pledge ourselves
70 Union IN its sublimest significance?
Here at last is its sacked secret revealed. 1t
lies In the patriotic instinct which has
brought to this field the army of Northern
Virginia and the army of the Potomac. 1t
lies on the manly emotion with which the
GENEROUS soldier sees only the sincerity and
courage OF his ancient foe, and scorns sus-
plclon OF a lingering enmity. 1t lies in the
perfect freedom of speech and perfect fra
ternlty OF spirit which now for three days
this enchanted air. These are the forces
tnat assure the future OF our beloved country
May tney go before us on our mighty march
Pillar OF cloud by dsy, of fire by night.
Happy for us, happy for mankind, if we and
our children shall comprehend that they are
the fundamental conditions of the life of the
republic. Then, long hereafter, when in a
country whose vast population covering the
continent with glory of civilization which
the imagination cannot forecast, the compile
ted century of the great battle shall be cele-
brated, the generation which shall gather
here in our places will rise up and call us
blessed. Then, indeed, the ieeting angel Of
TINS hour VIII have yielded his most prec-
ilous benedicton: and in the field of Gettys-
burg. as we now behold it, the blue and
the gray blending in happy harmony, like
the mlngllng hues of the summer landscape,
we may see the radiant symbol of the trium-
phant America OF our pride, our hope and
our joy.
The number in attendance today is not
IN largo
is much less plentiful. Tonight a banquet
was served at Springs Hotel. The following
monuments were dedicated today: 9Th New
York Cavalry, near Round Top, General
Hammond, Colonel j. N. Penfeld, Major S.
b. Ryder and Colonel A. H. White taking
part; lac New York Infantry, "Ganard
Tigers" on Little Round Top; 9th New
York First Long Island Volunteers, known
as Beechers regiment, on Culps HILL Rev.
Inomas 4. Beecher, Of Elmira, N. Y, ora
tor; Sd New York Independent Battery, near
Bloody Angle" Major General W. S. Rose
Grams, orator; Battery B New York Artil-
iery, Rev: W. M. Beauchamp, orator; 18th
New e York independent Battery.
Inc signal Corps Association of the Army
OF the Potomac held crowded meeting here
today. and determined to erect an imposing
tablet on Little Round Top, a short distance
to the right of the place where the bronze
oe".uO "a OOll. W. n. warren Will De unVell-
ed in October, commemorative of the work
done by this important branch Of the army
In battle. They also elected Gen. Jesse Mer-
rill president, and decided 10 hold annual re-
unions at the time and place of the National
Encampment of the Grand Army of the Re-
public.
Gov, j. b. Gordon of Georgia was com
PEELED by his official duties, to leave for At
isnta this afternoon. Before going, he said:
This meeting was a great success. If these
reunions between the soldiers could occur
yearly, they. would serve to cement the
friendly feelings Of the Blue and the Gray
more closely and bind North and South SO
firmly that there would be no North and no
South, but one country, linked together by
chains of indiss0luble friendship,
No exercises are scheduled for tomorrow,
and the day will probably be quiet as far as
the Army OF the Potomac is concerned. At
business meeting of the department in the
cemetery today, it was decided to hold next
summer an encampment at this place, the
time TO be determined at the winter session.
The First Corps is taking steps to erect
monument to Gen. Wadsworth.