Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-12-20
TIE LOYAL LEGION.
Formation of an Indiana Commandery oil
War Veterans


INDIANAPOLIS, December 19th.-At $50 O'Clock
the charter members of the new Indiana Com
mandery OF the Loyal Legion met Commander
ln-Chief R. B. Bayes presiding. The new Com
mandery was duly created and inaugurated
MajorGene5al Lewis Wallace of Cravfords.
vile, was elected Commander General Harri-
son was among the members present, and
participated in the formation of the new Com
mandery Commander Hayes address was as
follows:
ADDRESS OF II. B. HAYES.
General Hayes, beginning his address, spoke
briefly Of the history of the Loyal Legion and
future of this order?" said he. What will be
its influence on its members and our coTntry-
men and especially upon the young who are
growing up to take our places? 1t is not and
will not be- political organization The Ioval
Legion Is essentially an organic expression of
our comradeship in sacred waZ. Our honored
companlon-who is so largely, at this time and
in this place. in all our thoughts-in his terse
and emphatic way gave the whole pith of The
question:. said General Harrison: Politics can
not break the bond of comradeship' In this
the General made no mistake The 1inlts
that unite us were welded when we stood
together as comrades fighting for the eternal
right. Where is the holy ground If anywhere,
It is where man freely dies for his fellow men.
Ihat sublime privilege was the crown of Lin
CONS fame and we of the Loyal Legion and
comrades OF the Grand Army, can reverently
thank God that we were permitted to stand by
Lincoln in the deadly crisis of our nations his
tory. What shall be the teaching which the
Loyal L gion will give to the companions of
this Order? 1t goes without saying that the
ideas we fought for are the principles of the
Loyal Legion. Those IDEAS without regard
to sect or the party of our choice.
we hold to. Our faith is that the
American republic in the language of the Sn.
preme Court, is AN indestruetible union of in.
desructable States The general Government
was threatened by the doctrine that the allie
glance of the citizen was due only to his State
Our faith is that the citizens allegiance is to
the United States, and that the United States is,
IN authority and duty, in the fullest possible
sense nation. The contention of our adverse
ries was that slavery WAS national, perpetual.
and OF divine origin. Our faith is that no stat
ute and no Constitution can make void the false
and fatal phantasy that man can holu property
in man. The cornerstone of the saye-hoding
system was the impious dogma that MIGHT
makes right The trail of the serpent is over
all human society, and is found where the foot
print OF slave was never seen. The faith -of
the Loyal Legion is that universal suffrage is
essential to liberty, and that there can be no
fitting exercise, and no full enjoyment of the
rlght OF suffrage without universal education.
The weaker nations around us with whom we
DEAL the Indians. the children of misfortune of
poverty, of evil habits and of crime
who are at all our doors-the faith we learn in
the school of war with respect to them all is that
they are the offspring OF our common father
and that social distinctions. wealth, learning
and other advantages outside of character were
of little avail in the bloody trial. and that eyery-
thing then deferred to manhood. Therefore we
would incu.cate sympathy with manhood and
respect for manhood wherever it is
found. Above all, our faith is in
America and American principles. We have
no quarrels with Europe or any foreign people,
but we p'efer that their notions follies and
vices should remain on the other side of the
Atlantic. We have enough vices, follies and
perils of our own We import from Europe al
together to many. We believe in the American
home ard in the character and virtue of the
American women, which makes American
homes happy. When the great trial came and
calamity was to be met, Mr.. Lincoln could say
If all that has been said by orators and poets
since the creation of the world, in praise
of woman, were applied to the women of Amer
lea, it would not do them justice for their con
duct during the war God bless them FINALLY
one OF the mistakes of the rebellion was unduly
to exalt what they cal ed the sovereignty of
the States They thought each State should
have its own flag. bach would represent sep
arate Government, and ali of them would wave
helplessly and miserabiy over States discord-
ant, dis evered and bellgerent.' The faith of the
Loyal Legion is the reverse of all this. We be-
lieye that the whole of the American republic
every State, and every acre in every Ssate-be-
longs 10 one flag. the old flag. the stars and
stripes. the flag of Washington and Lincoln the
flag of the United States. il represents people
great, prosperous and happy, whose heritage
viii be-as long as they are guided by wisdom
and justice-the enjoyment of an unbroken har-
mony and perpetual peace"
At the conclusion of General Hayes speech
the banqueters stood and drained their cups to
the health and longevity of the LOYAL Legion
Ioasts were responded TO by Lieutenant James
;. Ostrander, Captain Eugene Garry, of Chicago;
Colonel d. William McClung and Colonel D. p
Dwyer, of St. Louis.
The attendance of distinguished soldiers from
all over the country was very large.