The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1888-06-01

maintaining in their purity ana strength
the great principles for which our soldiers
battled. For the discharge of this high
duty every veteran soldier should erase from
his heart all the bitterness of the past. bury
ing its antagonisms in his efforts to build up
the mighty fabric of a government 'sof the
people and for the people and by the people
IA government that shall endure TO chal-
lenge the admiration of the world, aud in
which no semblance of sectional hate or
animosity shall find Il dwelling place. There
was a thrilling scene enacted not long ago
in the city of Cincinnati that illustrates
just what | mean In this connection. The
great music hall of that city was crowded
with an immense audience, half of which
were representatives from the South and
the other half from the North. At one
time during the evening the great or
chestra struck into that stirring old air of
"Dixie's Land" with its soul-tlirlling asso-
Citations and memories. For moment there
was hush among the vast crowd. The old
soldiers of the North and the old soldiers of
the South looked at each other. and the vast
throng was still. But before the second bar
was struck the emotions of the gallant south
erners oyercame them, and almost simuta-
neously they sprang to their feet, more than
thousand strong, and the old southern battle
cry made the lofty arches ring again. Side
by side with them stood the northern hosts
and cheered with them. Again and again the
men of the South broke forth, as the CAV
measures woke their enthusiasm. But Just
as that old rebel yell was at its loudest, the
orchestra struck into that grandly patriotic
alr to the stars and stripes, and as they poured
forth the strains of
"The star spangled banner,
On, long may 1t wave
Ger the land of the free
And the home of the brave"
The vast audience rose as one man. and tbe
old Union cheer blended with the old rebel
yell to the notes of our national hymn; and
the men who had faced each other on many
u crimson battlefield. under the stars and
stripes and the stars and bars, clasped hands
and the sound of the orchestra and organ was
lost in the eXutant shouts of reconciliation
and common patriotism. Politicians may seek
to obstruct the work of pacfication, but the
soldiers, with better patriotism and Il truer
wisdom, know no other policy than concilia-
tion. The Union is re-estabished in all its
ancient strength and glory, not only in the
supremacy but the 5enificence of IT'S power.
not merely over the wills but in the hearts of
the people-and of all people. Its privileges
and protection are now everywhere restored,
and the loyalty of South Carolina can be
counted on as surely as the fidelity of Ver-
mont. Henceforth the South is only a geo.
graphical expression. If ever the cloud of
war should again appear in our political sky,
the dust Of Union and Confederate heroes
alike would urge the millions forth in defense
OF our common interests. And so. over the
graves OF buried bygones, it is possible for us
now to rejoice as soldiers and citizens that
we know no North, no South, no East, no
West, but simply one country and one flag.
1t is true that as soldiers Won cannot do other
Wlsesfhan cherish the recollection of the bat
ties fought and the victories won: but. as be-
coming true soldiers, it is your joy to remem-
Der that the conflict was fought mainly to
perpetuate the nations oneness, and so the
first duty of this day of peace is to seek the
preservation of that oneness. | have seen
somewhere the lessen seek to enfore drawn
| from the course of two European rivers - the
| Rhone and the Arva. One stream comes
down from the Helvetan Alps. and in its
! progress of few hundred miles leaps down
| four thousand feet, beating in its turbues
descent its waters ints foam, and then E.s
current carries it the whole length of the lake
of Geneva. from which it flows out river
of pure and heavenly blue. From an opposite
,direetion. there comes down from the Savoy
4 Alps, through the vale of Chamouni the grey
waters OF another river. After going through
forest and field. and over cascades and cata-
racts, 1nese Two rivers approach each other
| near the city OF Geneva, at which point the
| Hhone and Arva the blue and grew. mingle
their waters; below Geneva thev completely
blend, and thenceforth these two mountain
torrents with common destiny pursue their
harmonious course triumphant to the sea. So
lo-'d. anu the grey, Forgetting
the bitterness of the past in the thought OF
the country's oneness, pursue an harmonious
course together, until the star of empire,
having no further West to 90, pauses over
our united land to she'd forever the light of
its benediction on our institutions Then NAV
we lift our dimmed eyes from the graves of
our patriot dead. and grow even ;oyous and
strong in the vision of that future their death
has made possible-that future in the midst
of which America stands as the Messiah
among the nations. no longer despised and re.
jected and coronetted with thornS and pierced
with spears. but wearing for Il crown a con-
stellatlon OF martyr souls which shines as the
stars, having for her robe the rights of man
woven out of the righteousness OF God shod
with the sandals of peace. no fetler left un-
broken on the feet of her millions, baptized
in the spirit of the Lord to preach an eVangel
of brotherhood to the world. opening the
prison doors of the captive, setting at liberty
them that are bruised, and flinging the music
of her song round the earth.
"Thrones of the continent isles of the sea.
Yours are the garlands of peace we entwine;
Welcome once more to the land of the free.
Shadowed alike by the palm and the pine.'
Then the quartette sang "Sleep Comrades.
Sleep" by Clark, music by j. Henry DYER.
and the line of march was taken for the mon
ument at the common:
First Regiment Band
Chief Marshal, Geo. f. Selleck and Aids.
Estey Guards as Escort, 30 Men.
GIator and Invited Guests in Carriages.
Department and National Officers of the G.. A. K.
Committee of Arrangements.
Sedgwick Post, G A. r.. 95 rten.
Old Soldiers and Sailors.
Battalion of 200 School hi dren.
Fuller Battery (dismounted) IL Men.
West Brattleboro Band
Tyler Camp. Sons of Veterans.
Citizens.
The band and the Sons of Veterans ap-
peared for the first time in their handsome
new uniforms. while the West Bratteboro
band agreeably surprised our people
by its marked proficiency and the progress
it has made. The First regiment band on the
street rendered new French March which
it had learned only the night before. and of
course it goes without saying, that even with
this brief practice. the execution was supe-
rior. Arrived at the Monument, the school
chidren's sweet voices under the leader.
Miss Annie Wyman sang Rev. c.
O. Day offered prayer. especially in behalf of
that grand soldier and patriot Phil Sheridan
who laid stricken at his home in Washinton,
and the quartette sang the following ode.
composed by Geo. A. Hines.
OUR HEROIC DEAD.