The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-05-30
RIBUT

An Eloquent and Tender Need of Praise to
Soldiers Living and Soldiers Dead.
From speech Delivered by, Col. Robert g. Ingersoll.
at Soldiers Reunion, In Indianapolie, In 1876.
THE past. as it were. rises before me like .
dream. Again we are in the struggle for ma
tional life. We hear the sound of preparation
the music of the boisterous drums-the silver
voices Of heroic bugles. We see thousands OF
asssmblaees, and hear the appeal OF orators; we
see the pale checks of women and the flushed
faces Of men; and in those assemblages we see
all the dead whose dust we have covered with
flowers. We lose sight of them no more. We
are with them when they enlist in the great
army of freedom. We see them part with those
they love. Some are walking for the last time
in quiet woody places with the maidens they
adore. We hear the whisperinRs and sweet
vows of eternal love as they lingeringly part
forever. Others are bending over cradles kiss
the blessings Of old men. Some are parting
with mothers who hold them and press them 20
their hearts again and again. and say
nothing; and some are talking with
spoken In the old tones to drive away the awful
fear. We see them part. We see the wife
standing in the door with the babe in her arms
standing in the sunlight sobbing-at the turn
ing high in her loving hands the child. He is
gone and forever.
I'VE see them az they march proudly away
under the Haunting flags. keeping time to the
Wild, grand music OF War-marcnlng Gown tne
streets of the great cities-through the towns
and across the prairies-down to the fields Of
glory, TO do and TO die for the eternal right.
I'VE 60 with them one and all We are by
their side on all the CORY fields, In all the hos
pitfalls of pain-on all the weary marches. We
stand guard with them in the wild storm and
under the quiet stars. We are with them in
ravipes running with blood-in the furrows Of
old fields. We are with them between contend
ing hosts, unable to move. Wild with thirst, the
life ebbipg slowly away among the w1thered
leaves. We see them pierced BY balls and torn
whirlwind Of the charge, where men become
iron with nerves OF steel.
"We are with them in the prisons OF hatred
and anime, but human speech con never tell
what they endured
I'VE are at home when the news comes that
ow Of her sorrow. We see the silvered head of
the old man bowed With the last grief.
The past rises before as. and sec we 4, Zoo. 900
Of human beings governed by the lash-we see
them bound hand and foot-we hear the strokes
of cruei whips-we sees the hounds tracking
women through tangled swamps. We see babes
sold from the breast OF mothers- Cruelty I'M
speakable! Outrage in6nitel
-Four million bodies in chains-four million
souls in letters. All the sacred relations of wife.
mother. father and children trampled beneath
the brutal feet of might. And all this was dens
under our own beautiful banner Of the free.
The past rises before US We hear the roar
and shrek OF the bursting shell. The broken
letters fall. These heroes died. We look Instead
OF slaves We see men. and women and children.
The wand Of progress touches the auction block.
the slave-pen, and the whipping post. and We
see hones and 6resides, and school houses and
books. and where all was want and crime. aud
cruelty and fear. We see tho faces OF the Tres.
These heroes are dead They died for
J Hhss,y-thsy died for ~ They are -