The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-09-20

every cline and Of every tongue earnestly prayed
for It's triumph in its heroic struggle that Gov
eminent of the people, by the PEOPLE and for the
people should not perish from the earth The
soldiers os tie Revolution freed or fathers from
British tyranny. and established the Republic; the
soldiers OF tie Mexican war gave an empire; the
soldiers Of the Grand ARMY Of the Republic by
suiferlngs by their blood preserved us Nation Of
free men. he fathers declared; That all men
arc created equal; that they are endowed by
their Creator with certain uuslienabie rights;
that among these life, liberty and
the pursuit OF happiness; that 20 secure these
il was not until tho Grand Army OF the Republic
buried treason and slavery in tie pot.ersiIoid Of
nations tEat these "seif-evldent truths became
living vital principles, maSsu- al our citizens
equal before Tho law from gulf TO kcs and from
ocean 20 ocean, making buman slavery incompa.f
hle with, avid UcF75nJi liberty iUscparablc from
every inch oil American soil.
he enduring evidence al tAc loyalty Of the men
VINO composed that army shines forth from every
sss'I "tH q "t'Aien ot tts HASef OF JafolsH Hp9u
every stripe If the Nations Sag. The uusic Of
prosperous industries be'i''i&S with Teeas Of ozs-
Ing peace, coming Up rom Nation Of s2,tJJtlJ
OF free men, voice the results 1f lucr devotion 70
the Union Of the states The silent tents of
green, where sleep 10000 Of their comrades who
went out iu 81 . and B. bus di1 not return are
the eternal Witnesses Of their pa,riotism.
Four hundred thousand of Tie brave
Made this our ransOmed soil their grave
They were Americans, the loyal sons Of the Re
public the representatives Of the largest liberty
the TUrest Christianity, and Tie highest clv.iiEt-
/ ton Known 10 nations.
Duty 30 humanity, duty to their country duty TO
their God was their pillar Of cloud by day and Oh ire
/ By night" In following that pillar whether under
I the leadership of q Meade a Hancock, Thomas,
! a Logan, Meiherson, a sheridan, sherman or
! Grant, .hey marched forward with as much cOG-
hdcnce as did Moses of Old Their achievements
"a Liberty cause shall so down in song and story
! beyond the time
/ When The war-drurn throbs 10 longer and the
batt!ei!aEs arc tJricd.
In the Parliament Of man, the federation Of the
world
Their victories have done much to hasten the ful-
\ hlmeut OF the prophecy OF Charles Summer OF the
/ giad coming time when the whole continent,
with It's various States shall bs Plural Unit with
I one Constitution, one liberty and enc destiny"
/ IueIr indomiiablc cOuTa1e Iu battle was equaled
by their magnaHimjty "a victory Grant, the great
tiein-hAFsal, voiced their sentiments and his own
Ia the memorable words OF uHPar4IIeled generosity
/ to Lees surrendered army Fake your horses
Win you you VIII need them Tor Sprlag ptoTFlEg.
The war ended the army did not remain Q
menace to civil liberty. It melted away as snow
in Summer before the Ti.eu sun az Peace; The
veteran soldier Of yesterday retGrncdlto the shop
the work bench, the field the office, Tie school
room, The bar, the bench, the pulpit gladly assum-
Ing the duties Of civil life which le had but tenn
poFaIy LAID aside to go 10 tie touted field At his
country 5 call, the American volunteer imbued
WITH the patriotism OF an Arnold NHkelreid and
/ tue daunLes5 courage of a Marshal Eey.
Minerva, the Goddess of Wisdom, who presided
over and developed the useful and ornamental arts
Of the Atheniaus, mythology tells US sprang full
grown from the brain Of Jupiter. so the American
citizen. fully armed and equipped for the duties
! IN every walk In civil life spTaug from the dis
banded Union army. He and his comrades had not
sunk the citizen ia the soldier. They cOmpre-
hended the principles for the maintenance Of which
they fought; they returned home fully capable OF
perpetustIBg them Tor the honor and sa1ety Of our
country. With malice toward none" they re-
suncd the duties Of civil life With the high resolve
" TO bind mp the Nations wounds, to care for him
VINO shall nave borne the battle, and Tor his widow
and orphans"
The spirit Of fraternity charity and loyalty that
had made them comrades in sunshineund storm
they took with them 10 their homes. This spirit
that had bound them together as brothers in
frozen camp, III the haFdshp5 and prvaiiou5 Of The
march ia the pam and suffering OF the hospital in
the dark and untold agCnies Of the prison pen
this spirit that had been tried ia the ire OF battle j.
the Cornerstone on which rests the -ergrfle,l civil r.
organization of the woTlJ-ihe Grand army Of the
| Republic. It's membership is the Nations roll OF
honor, roll erblaZ9ued with the most iIIustriCUs
names OF the It's doors open to every hon
ra6ly-at5ch3Tged soldier or sailor Of the war Of
the rebellion provided he has done nothing. as q
citizen casting stain upon his honorable service,
rendering INN an unit associate for his old COM
rades- lntTns. 10 bures all seCtariau and political
differences in the spirit Of fraternity and charity.
! binding one another in eomradeship by memo
| ries sweet"
It's fraternity and charity are shown not by words
which are tie children of the wind - but by deeds
| that warm the cold, clothe the Raked and feed
the hungry, - deeds that are the daughters of
the soul" IL holds that there is no higher oblig-
| ton OF the Government than that Of providing Tor
/ It's disabled and destitute veterans. The Nation
S4yNiii bittS 10 sec one OF them Inmate OF
/ ainishOuse, or his widow or orphan begging
/ bread. The Nation owes them debt, which,
/ with bOuateous hand was kindly lent - IN the
day OF tile Nations extremity; a debt that should
be freely and not grUdgingiy paid a debt that
| should not be avoided by tschnjcaiities.
The Grand Army Post IS the old veterans love
feast, where in spirit Of sodieTy fraternity they
light their battles over again; where the old and
broken eomrade may shoulder his crutch and
show how fields were won -; where the General
ana the private meet equals. The highest rank
known to the Order Is that of cOmrade. over this
banquet presIdes the General of the Army Of the
United States, the acknowledged military genius
Of the age, comrads Of the Grand Army of the
Republic. His name is inseparaby linked with
the Union; around Il cluster the grandest tTumphs
OF tie Republic all of which he saw aud great
part of which he was" His fame is in all the land
and IS secure in the hearts Of his cOuutryI1en,
I beyond the reach Of the hOneyed phrases Of the
/ hatterer and the enveuomed tongue Of the
calumnator The Grand Army Of the Republic
sends him greeting.
Sir comrades are growing old death Is
making rapid inroads in their ranks. In the score
and three years that have elapsed since the war,
more than zoo COO of the old veterans have march
ed across that invisible and shadOwy line 5eparat-
/ ing time from eternity, and have pitched their
tents on the eternal camping-gTOuud on the other
| side But a few weeks since they and those who
had gone before were joined by that incOm parable
cavalry leader; that grand soldier, our beloved
comrade, Philip H. Sheridan. Gods finger
touched him and he slept" And amid Nations
tears softly from his cottage by the sen 81 Two
angels Issued where but went in" when
think OF our comrades dead we worship God
when we worship God think Of them" and
feel the spirit OF fraternity, charity and loyalty
strengthening the tender bonds of COmTadeShip
that unite Us TO our comrades living.