Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1888-07-11

| lltIlo CufiuIoA Aoiu tu6lf uanuS In prayer
while we commend you to Him who wal
, wounded Tor our transgressiens, and bruis.
! ed for our iniquities; for to You which be
lieve He is precious.
Patriotic Speeches at Gettysburg BY Goy
Gordon, Of Georgia, and Gov. Beaver, Of
Pennsylvania.
Il The following eloquent and patriotic
speeches made at Gettysburg, Penn, Mon.
day, July End, 1888, by Gov. John B. Cor.
don, of Georgia. and Gov. Beaver, Of
Pennsylvania, will be read with thrill ol
interest and patriotic emotion.
u. GOV. aoRDoN's SPEECH.
"MR. PREsIDENT AND FELLOW SOLDIERS
IL greet you tonight with far less trepi.
dation and infinitely more pleasure than in
the early days of July, 1868, when I lasl
met you at Gettysburg. came then as
now to meet the soldiers ofthe Union army.
It would be useless to attempt utterance of
the thoughts which now thrill my spirit.
The temptation is to draw the contrast be-
tween the scenes which then were witness
ed and those which greet US here to night;
to speak of the men with whom then
marched and of those whom we met; of
those who have survived to meet again
twenty-five years later and of those who
here fought and fell; of the contrast made
by this mass of manly cordiality and good
fellowship, with the long lines of dusty uni
forms which then stood in battle array
beneath bristling bayonets and spread en-
signs moving in awful silence and with sui
len tread to grapple each other in deadly
conflict. wonld speak of all these and the
motives which impellsd each of the sway
ing tides of the three days battles, of the
final federal victory and of it's preponderat-
inginfuence in turning the scales of war.
| "The nature of the pleasing duty assign
ed me forbids this. There is, however, one
suggestion which dominates my thought at
this hour to present which ask brief in
diligence. Of all the martial virtues the
one which is perhaps more characteristic of
the truly brave is the virtue of magnanimi.
ty. My fairest earldom would give to
bid clan Alpine's chieftain live,' was the
noble sentiment attributed to Scotland's
magnanimous monarch as he stood gazing
into the face of his slain antagonist. That
sentiment immortalized by Scott in his
musical and martial verse will associate for
all time the name of Scotland's King with
those of the great spirits of the past. How
grand the exhibitions of the same generous
| Impulses that characterize the victors upon
this memorable field.
"My fellow countrymsn of the North, il
! may be permitted to speak for those whom
| represent, let me assure you that in the
profoundest depths of their nature they re-
ciprocate that generosity with all the man.
liness and sincerity of which brave men are
capable. In token of that sincerity they
join in consecrating for annual patriotic pill
grimage these historic heights, which drank
such copious draughts of American blood
poured SO freely in discharge of duty, as
each conceived it, Mecca for the North,
which grapdly defended it; a Mecca for the
South, which SO b1avely aud persistently
| stormed it. We joining you in setting
apart this land as an enduring monument
of peace, brotherhood and perpetual union,
l repeat the thought with additional en-
phasis, with singleness of heart and of pur-
pose, in the name of a common country and
of universal human liberty, and by the
blood of our fallen brothers. we unite in
the solemn conservation of these battle hal
lowed hills as holy eternal pledge of fidel
ity to the life, freedom and pnity of this
cherished Republic.
81 am honored tonight in being select
ed to introduce one of the distinguished rep
resentatives Of that spirit of magnanimity
of which have spoken. present to you
soldier without fear, reproach Or malice,
soldier whose blood was spilled and whose
body was MANNED, though then but a boy,
while he bravely and gladly obeyed his
country's commands. I introduce to you
statesman whose services are distinguished
and whose record is stainless. introduce
to you patriot whose extended hand and
generous heart are ever open to all his coun-
trymen. Soldier, statesman, patriot, /
present them all in the person of General
Governor James A. Beaver, of Penn
sylvania."
GOV. Beavers SPEECH.
When Governor Beaver hobbled on his
crutches to the front he was received not
less enthusiastically than his predecessor,
and he also was broken in upon by the
hearty cries of the spectators. He said:-
"MEN VINO WORE THE GRAY-I have
been commissioned by my comrades of the
Society of the Army of the Potomac, who
wore the blue, to address you in their behalf
few words of simple and sincere welcome.
Although perhaps less dignified, you will
allow me for the sake of simplicity and
clearness to use the language of direct ad-
dress. A generation ago you and we lived
together as citizens of one country, subject
to the provisions of compact which had
been made three quarters of century be- |
fore by our forefathers-itself the result of
successful revolution-which we called the |
constitution of the United States. From |
the beginning that compact or agreement |
had been the subject of divers and diverse |
interpretations. There came time when, |
in our judgment, the administration of the |
affairs of the Government organized under |
that agreement would not be conducted in
accordance with what you considered fair
and just Interpretation. Could you dis |
solve tie partnership and keep share of
the property? This was the question.
THE ARBITRAMENT OF BATTLE.
"Ordinary tribunals could not decide it. |
You yourselves, as We think and as you will |
doubtless admit, determined the tribunal
which should try it. 1t was dread tribu-
nal-the last resort among civilized COM
munitiss; dernier resort among brethen.
You offered the gage of battle; the offer
was accepted-the issue joined. You don.
ned the gray; we put on the blue, and the
place upon which we stand to-day is the one
upon which the great argument in the long
contest was made. There was more or less
of intense feeling involved, and yet think
speak the words of truth and soberness
when say that 30 far as we were concern.
cd there was nothing of personal animosity
or bitterness or hate involved in the con-
test. My own case is that which will
doubtless illustrate many, many similar
ones. My mother lived in Pennsylvania.
She had three boys who wore the blue. Her
only sister and the only other child of her
father lived in Virginia. Her three BOYS
wore the gray. They served in the Army
of Northern Virginia; we served for the
most part in the Army of the Potomac.
| Our deadly shots were aimed at each other
| in many battles of the war in which those
| two armies confronted each other. Did
that fact, think you, obliterate the love
which those sisters bore to each other or
that which animated their sons? Nav,
verify. On our side the war was one of
principles, of abstract ideas largely. On
your side we admit, with your views, of
what was to be expected in the future, your
property rights and private interests were
directly involved, and hence the more in
tense feeling and ardor which you display
ed. You, as honorable men, have stood by
aud are bound to stand by the decision.
We, as honorable men, are bound to see to
it that that decision is respected aud that
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