The Portland daily press., 1890-02-05
and the valor and bravery of those men, ,wh,
by their heroism, saved this county,
Mr.. Rradbury's Speech.

anu Tue vaior anu bravery OF those men, who. 4.
by their heroism, saved this county.
Mr.. Bradbury's Speech.
In responding for the bar Hon. J. W..
Bradbury of Augusta, said:
Before the adoption of the constitution the
states were independent, sovereign states
ana the .confederacy they formed, had no
power OF legislation, no national authority
over the cltlzens OF the states, and could
delegates of the states assembled at Phila.
delphia and in patriotic spirit of compro-
mise, with superhuman wisdom, framed the
constitution, the most admirable basis of
government ever devised by any nation.
1t delegates to the United States sovereign
ty, the right to exercise sovereign power in
specified cases essential to nationality and
gives to Congress "the power to make the
laws necessary to carry the granted powers
into execution, and provides that the powers
not delegated to the United States by the
constitution nor prohibited by 1t to the state,
are reserved by 1t to the states respectively
or the people thereof"
The United States is thus made sovereign
with the scope of the delegated powers, and
the states retain their sovereignty for the ex-
erclse of the powers reserved.
The adoption of thu Constitution by the
people of the states made the United States
a nation, with power to maintain its author
lty at home and abroad. 1t created the I'm
lUu, Cdil6u IL luLU lll6, anu Tile ldlbnIul MAIN
tenance Of 1t as it is in all its provisions and
limitations. is the surest guaranty of the
perpetuity of the Union. Let 1t not be in
fringed one iota by friend or foe. 1t makes
us citizens Of the United States as well as
citizens of the states where we reside.
We all owe it allegiance. To obey and
maintain it in peace and in war is duty, the
duty of every citizen.
As you love the Union, revere the Consti-
tuition that gave it birth as you desire the
&c ITxSs. IL
fend the Constitution that gives it life
1t would be noble motto to be inscribed
on the banner of every post from the Allan
tic to the Pacific: "The Grand Army, De-
tenders of the Constitution and the Union"
Gen. Stephenson's Speech.
Gen. Luther Stephenson responded to the
toast National Homes as follows:
The people of this country, with liberal
ity unexampled in this history of nations,
among other means of testifying their obli-
CATION and gratitude toward the defenders of
the Union, have established National Homes
where the veteran. when he becomes help
less and unable to support himself. may find
refuge and shelter for the remainder of his
life. Established originally to provide only
for those directly disabled by wounds and
sickness incurred in the war of theRebellion,
their benefits are now extended to all veter-
ans who cannot support themselves by man
ual labor.
A curtain is thrown over the period since
the close OF the war, and they stand as they
stood at Antietam and Gettysburg, Murfrees-
boro and Nashville, simply defenders of the
Union. Only one question is asked-wheth-
er they served their country in the War of
the Rebellion. Only one credential is de-
manded-an honorable discharge. Only one
condition Is imposed--that they furnish ample
proof of disability preventing them from
earning their living by manual labor.
| saw the doors are Onpna0. and the S0ldinr
finds provided for him everything he needs
for his comfort and welfare; Il give the
brightest side of the picture) well ventilated
apartments heated by steam and lighted by
electricity, comfortable beds, food of excel
lent quality which is dispensed with liberal
hands; a hospital in charge of skillful
men, supplied with the best appliances
and drugs that experience and science
can furnish; a chapel devoted to the SER
vice of God. for worship and praise, con-
Quoted by earnest hearts and eloquent lips;
library filled to overlooking with books
suited to all tastes, and replenished constant
ly with the current literature of the day; ta-
bles covered with the best magazines and pc
riodcals, with newspapers-nOt only local,
but from all the large centres of the coun-
try.
On the first day of this year, 16,543 men
were enrolled as members of the National
Homes, with hundreds of applicants wait
ing for vacancies to occur.
One million nine hundred and ninety-six
thousand dollars will be required for the
next fiscal year to support these homes and
to erect necessary buildings. When look
upon these magnificent memorials of ma
tlOn's gratitude, and think OF the millions
that have been and are being paid in pen
siOns and state aid when / consider the spe-
cial privileges that are given to the veteran
soldier, marvel at the magnitude of the pa
triotism and gratitude displayed by the
American people The danger, comrades. is
not that the great heart of the people of this
land, throbbing with patriotism, gratitude
and liberality will fail to respond to any just
call we may make upon it; the peril is with
us--that we are forgetting the noble i'm
pulses that sent US forward to meet the foe
without hope or promise of pecuniary re-
ward: that the fires of disinterested loyalty
are being quenched, and that the pure gold
of sincere patriotism is becoming alloyed
with the baser metals of selfshness and
greed.
Comrades, said that was giving you the
brightest picture in my description of the
Soldiers Homes. 1t would not be just to
you if fail to point out some of the shadows
which partially obscure the brighter colors.
told you that the soldiers of the Union
met at the Homes on common ground: the
cultured and the Ignorant, the good and the
bad. The ribald jest and cruel taunts
from the profane and vicious, annoy and
comfort of scores is destroyed by the selfish
ness of the unprincipled debauchees. This
class COMPEL strict rules and regulations
which are irksome and an annoyance to men
who have been accustomed to freedom of
action and purpose.
rades, say to you, and through you send a
message to those you represent and it is
this:-
Only when the family circle is broken,
when the companion of your life, has passed
to the better country, when your children
are scattered and can no longer perform the
offices of filial love and duty, when your
hands refuse to work, your feet move feebly
and your brain falls to respond to your bid
ding, when you are poor. sick and weary,
with the expectation of finding real home,
but only resting place near the end of your
journey toward the home beyond
Mr.. Heath's Speech.
Hon. Herbert M. Heath, in responding for
the Sons of the Veterans, after appropriate
ly referring to Hon. Hannibal Hamlin, Lin
coin, Grant, Sherman, Sheridan and others
of the great leaders, paid an eloquent tri-
butte to ''the grand army of private soldiers,
the pride and glory of America" Continu-
ing, he said:
Every year your ranks are thinning. The
terrible strain of four years hardships deci-
mates your lines. Who will take up the tat
tered flags? Who Will guard them tenderly,
and with bated breath tell to posterity the
story of their honOred deeds? Who but the
sons of the veterans of '61?
1t is nearly three decades since the lurid
| ellis bursting over Sumter's fated walls set
ablaze the fires of Northern patriotism. The
| children of '61 will soon guide the destinies
| of America. They were born and bred in
| times that tried mems souls. They saw
| their fathers clad in the blue torn from the
| liberty-lovlng sky of heaven. They knelt
| at night to pray in lisping numbers that the
| God of Battle would succor the right and
| protect the loved one on the tented field.
Even as you, they were educated in the stern
school Of war, shorn of its tinsel glory.
| They approach the duties Of manhood, loyal
| to you and your immortal cause. Sentiment
| it may be, but sentiment rules the world.
They believe that the nation should be not
| generous, but just. They believe that in
distributing federal patronage the govern.
ment has no right to say "In '61 we accept
ed the offer of your life; in 80 you cannot
enter the public service" They be-
lieve that the blue-coated veteran should
be preferred to the broadcloth politician
They believe the holder of a bond Is no bettel
than the holder of musket. They have seer
the nation keep, ay, more than keep, it,
| promises with its creditors. They have LIVED
to see, and blushed to see, pension system
so snarled with red tape that poverty sits al
| unhiddan guest at the tahln of too manv M