The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-03-01
"TBE UNION SOLDIER ;"
Senator MandersOn's Tribute to the
Men Who Saved the Country.
Following is the text of the response of Sem

Following is the text of the response of SEN
ator Henderson to the toast noted below at the
Republican banquet in New York, Feb. IL:
The Union soldier-The Republic that he ssvedin
war. he serves In peace.
Mr.. President: No sentiment more fitting
could be devised for this the celebration of the
natal day of Abraham Lincoln. Prior to April
Is, 1861, the Union soldier had no existence
Revolutionary soldiers there had been, soldiers
Of 1912 and of the Mexican war there were, but
no soldiers of the Union. No impious hand
had been raised to strike at the existence of the
Republic until the first Republican President
had been inaugurated. In that wonderful in
augural address, on that mOmentous March A,
1861 Lincoln said:
In your hands, my dissatisfied fellow-country-
men, and not in mine is the momentous issue OF
civil war The Government will not assail you.
You can have no conflict without yourselves being
the aggressors. You have oath registered IN
heaven to destroy the Government, while shall
have the most solemn one to preserve, protect
and defend it.
The dissatisfied became the aggressors. Then
came the insult to the flag and the marshaling
of the armed host to treason and rebellion. The
pen of Lincoln signed the call to arms. The
electric wire carried it to every town and ham,
let In the broad north land. 1t proclaimed the
birth of the Union " soldiery. They sprang to
arms, all eager for the fray" determined to
save the Republic from the hand of treason.
From the fertile fields of the farm they came.
"They left the plowshare in the mold,
Their hocks and herds without fold"
From storeroom and countinghouse, from
factory and workshop, from schoolhOuse aud
office they came. Their wonderful uprising has
been told in story and sung in song; needless
to repeat it here. Nor need / tell the story of
their prowess. In camp and in field, on the
march and in the battle, amid disease and
wounds and death, they did their full duty,
actuated by no desire for conquest, true to the
cause for which they fought, e pressing forward
TO the mark Of their high calling" they saved
the Republic They added to the list of the
worlds great battles Vicksburg, Shiloh, An
tietam and Gettysburg; but beyond this, they
saved the Republic.
They inscribed high upon the roll of fame
Sedgwick and Hancock, Thomas and Logan,
Sherman and Sheridan; but beyond even this,
they saved the Republic.
They seated in the highest place in the
world, as worthy successor of Abraham Lin
coin, the martyr of liberty, Hayes and Garfield
and their great leader, chief of earth's Cap
| tains Ulysses S. Grant; but beyond all this
they saved the Republic. Oh that Abraham
| Lincoln could have lived to see the great re-
suits of their labors the rich fruitage of the
seed sown by himself He was the volunteer
! soldiers best friend. When others detracted,
/ he was quick to commend. When others con-
/ demned, he came to save.
/ love 10 OWeil on Dn6 language OF Els ufSC
message to Congress on July 4, 1861. He said ::
! So large a Standing army as the Government
has now on foot never before known without
soldier in II but who has taken his place there OF
his free choice. But more than this, there are
many single regiments whose members one and
another possess full practical knowledge OF all the
! arts, sciences. professions, and whatever else.
| whether useful or elegant, is known in the whole
world, and there is scarcely one from which could
not be selected a President Cabinet a Congress-,
| and perhaps q court abundantly competent TO adj
| minister the Government itself.
Let the modern detractor of that grand old
| Union army say what his small soul may
prompt him TO say, this need of praise from
| the martyred Chief is enough for the Union
soldier who having done his share toward saw
ing the Republic, yet survives.
If the springing to arms of this host number
ing in all 2,500,000, eXcites remark, their quiet,
peaceable return to civil life exctes our wonder
and admiration. The world stood amazed at
the spectacle, while these vast armies disap-
peared as does the morning mist before the ris-
| ing sun their work performed their warfare
over, the Union restored, the Republic saved
the bronZed and worn survivors crowded all
the avenues and haunts of civil life. The
Union armies achieved their last and greatest
victory - they conquered themselves! The
hand that carried the musket soon held the
pillow or showed the plane. The deft fingers
that had gripped the saber and welded it with
destructive force, seized the pen, which, in the
counting house. the Office and the councils oil
the Nation was 70 become mightier than the
SWORD. As citizens tried and true, in the Ian
guage of the toast, they served in peace the Re
public they had served in war. Not to all
| however, has been Youchsafed the privilege Of
service. Over half million of the soldiers o.
the Union persisted during the four years o.
strife. Many killed upon the fields theil
heroic deaths had made holy ground many
many more dying from wounds and disease
at home in camp in hospital and in the pris
on pen. Hundreds Of thousands of other
doomed to a living DEATH Sorely disabled BY
. wounds and diseases contracted during the war
, or by that which came after its close to thei
worn and enfeebled bodies, the struggle Il
exist has been hard one. 1t has been a habi
of the times, especially in this great me
tropolis Of the Nation, to which all part
of the country pay daily tribute, to speal
. fippantly of the disabled veterans. The in
crease of the pension list is denounced, and tn
. metropolitan press gives bitter denunciatiol
or sneering slight to the man who demand
fair fulfllment of the Republics pledges t.
those who fought its battles True, thes
journals find high example and abundan
precedent in the action and words of b.
who, filling the highest station to-day, wa
in the past patriotic by proxy, and by the puT
. chased substitute only followed the flag, am
{ who from very inability from personal expert
:, enee, to appreciate true patriotism, sheer
/; ingly says Of the wretched ex-soldier who ha
7 received pittance through a private pension
!. bill: Whatever else may be said of this claim
ants achievements during his short militar
: career, it must be said that he accumulated
great deal of disability; and who, from very ie
] norance of wars experience, slghtingly says
i TO another disabled veteran: 1.-The number {
+ instances in which those of our soldiers VIII
D rode horses during the war were injured b
G being thrown forward upon their saddles, in
d dictates that those saddles were very dangerou
= contriyances." Could the force of heartless
e ness farther go7 Is it matter for surprise ths
: the high Democratic official who could thu
wilfully and thus ignorantly write, should i
o another ld-blooded and vindictive veto me-
;. sage declare, speaking of pension legislation
= 81 am thoroughly tired of disapproyin
). gifts of public money to individuals wht
G in my view, have no right or claim to th
a same, notwithstanding apparent congress
@ ional action" Gifts, indeed The pittanct
e fairly voted and cruelty vetoed were in corret
, ton Of that general law, which, by reason of il
o universally, was deficient, and were the pa
try sums that might save the widow Of som
n dead soldier, or the disabled veteran unable
n prove his case under the strict rules of Law
l. from becoming an object of public or privat
!; charity. Time viii not permit me to speak
]. the executive action that destroyed that ben,
n fcient act of legislation prayed for by 10000
p ex-soldiers known as the Dependent Penso
,