The Portland daily press., 1888-07-02
COMRADESHIp STRONG TILL DEATH.
General Harrison Speaks EIoquently
to the Veterans,
Some OF Whom Lay Aside Party Be-
Ilefs to Call on Him.
An interesting Talk to a Deputatlon
of Colored Men.


Harrison today received deputations Of sol
diers and others. and made several short
speeches. In the course Of his remarks to
body Of veteran soldiers he said: "The com
radeship Of the war will never end until our
lives end. The fire In which our friendship
united and welded. was too hot for the bond
ever to be broken. We sympathIse with
each other in the glory OF the common cause
for which we fought. We went not as par
tisans, but as patriots into strife which In
volved the national life | am sure no army
ever assembled in the worlds history that
was gathered from higher impulses than the
army Of the Union. 1t was no sordid i'm
pulse, no hope Of spoils, that induced these
men to sunder the tender associations Of
home and forsake business pursuits 10 look
into the grim face Of death with unblanched
cheeks and firm and resolute eyes. They
were the kind Of men who drew their I'm
pulse from the high springs Of truth and
duty. The army was great on It's assembling.
1t came with an impulse that was majestic
and terrible. 1t was as great In the muster
out as in the brilliant work which had been
done in the field. When the war was over,
buO ooAdACA was hot tCAb ~ blt tdftAhs ENCiY
man had. in some humble place, chair by
some hreslde where he was loved and toward
which his heart went forward with a quick
step. [Applause.l
"And this great army that had rallied for
the defense and preservation Of the country
was disbanded without tumult or riot, or any
public disturbance. 1t had covered the
country with mantle Of protection, when 1t
needed it, as the SHOWS Of spring cover the
early vegetation. and when the warm sun
Of peace shone upon it, disappeared as the
snow. sunk into the earth to refresh and
revive the summer growth. They found
their home and enlisted into all the pursuits
OF peace to stimulate and lift them up. They
added their great impulse to that great wave
OF prosperity which has swept over the
country ever since. But In nothing was this
war greater than In that we led the race into
freedom and brought those whom we had
conquered In the struggle into full enjoyment
ana share again with them the responsible
bilities and duties of restored government.
thank you tonight, most sincerely, for this
evidence Of your eOmradeship / thank es-
pecially those friends who differ with me In
their political views that they have put these
things aside tonight aad come here to give
me comrades greeting. May | have the
privilege now without OBTAINING you longer,
Of taking by the hands every soldier here"
To the c0lored delegation General Harri-
son said II have seen the progress that the
race itself has made. When l came to In
diana to reside, an unfriendly black code
was in force. My memory goes back TO the
time when eolored witnesses were first al
lowed to appear In court In this State to
testify In cases where white men were par
ties Prior TO that time, as you know, you
had been excluded from the right to tell In
court, under oath, your side Of the story
In any legal controversy with a
white man. In every way you were at dis
advantage, even in the free States. | have
lived to see this unfriendly legislation re-
moved from the statute books and the un-
friendly sections Of our State constitution
repealed. / have lived not only to see that
but to see the race emancipated and slavery
extinct. Nothing gives me more pleasure,
among the great results of war, than this.
History will give prominent place in the
story Of this great war TO the fact that II re-
suited In making all men free and gave TO
you equal civil rights. The arts Of the poet,
the tongue Of the orator, the skill Of the ar
tist will be brought under contribution 10
tell this story Of the emancipation Of the
souls OF men. Applause.l Nothing gives me
so much qualification as a Republican, as 20
feel that In all the steps that led to this great
result, the Republican party sympathized
with you, was the pioneer for you in legisla-
tion and was the architect OF those great
measures OF relief which so much amiel0rat-
ed your condition. | know nowhere In this
country OF monuments. DcNOlu Win so
much Interest, that touches so deeply my
heart, as that monument at Washington,
representing the proclamation Of emancipa-
tion by President Lincoln. l remem-
Der your faithfulness during the time of war.
/ remember your faithful service TO the army
As we were advancing through an un-
known country. we could always depend on
the faithfulness of the black man. He might
be mistaken but he never was false. L re-
jOice in all you have accomplished since you
have been free. | recall no scene more pa
thetic than that which have often seen
about our campfres. An aged man, a fugi-
tive from slavery, had found freedom In our
camp after day Of hard work. When taps
had sounded and the lights in the tents were
out, have seen him, with a spelling book
that the chaplain had given him. lying prone
upon the ground taxing his old eyes and
pointing with hardened fingers to the letters
Of the alphabet as he endeavored TO open his
cl0uded mind to avenues of information and
light | am glad to know that the same de-
sire TO increase and enlarge your information
possesses the race today. 1t Is 10 open the
way for the race TO that perfect emancipation
which will remove the remaining barriers
and secure to you, in all parts Of the land,
square and just participation In the govern
ment Of the country. 1t cannot much longer