The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1891-06-26
THE ENCAMPMENT.
Some Interesting Speeches Delivered.
Judge Severance Handles La
mar Without Gloves.


the chief speaker was Gen. Baker. He
was very earnest and at times even ell
oquent and was frequently cheered.
He spoke of the great issues OF the
war, of what might have been If vic
tory had been on the other side, and
then of the spirit of peace and good
will that should prevail now. II
hope" said he, ''that l will live to
see the time when we will feel like
being more friendly with every por-
tion of the country. That is the way
every old soldier feels. The old SOL
diers appreciate what a grateful gov
eminent has done for them. You
can't find anything like it in France
or Germany or any of those old coun-
tries. Let us be careful not to impair
the confidence of liberty loving peo-
ple."
Dept. Commander Parker spoke
briefly of the increasing enthusiasm
of the G. A. r., and of the fact that
such gatherings as these were doing
more to increase the number of the
order than anything else. He spoke
again in the evening on the present
condition of the G. A. r. There are
10000 old soldiers in this state, but
only about 1000 in the G. A. r. You
should each go armed with two or
three blank applications, and when
you meet an old soldier who does not
belong to the order ask him to join.
1.-The consents present the blank appli-
cation at once; you may not see him
very soon again. We should enroll
1000 new names this year. In few
years the organization will be eXhaus-
ted, and it is beyond my comprehen-
sion how any honorably discharged
old soldier can stay away. enlisted
at eighteen along with three others
about the same age. We stuck togeth-
,er through the war, and then settled
in four different states. We arranged
to all meet at the National encamp-
ment in Columbus, o., last year, and
the reunion was as good as any ever
held with the members of my own
family. These district encampments
are for the same purpose. Always
wear the G.. A. r. button. l would
no more think of leaving home with
out mine than without my pocket
book. Every old soldier should visit
the next National encampment. The
total expense of such visit need not
be more than $40 to S25.
Post Dept. Commander Hopkins
spoke of the present political power
of the old soldier, and said that though
we should fight over those old battles
on occasions like these, there was
more to be done. The mission of the
G. A. r. is not yet fulfilled.
Judge Severance spoke next: AS l
look up and around tonight, these
scenes remind me of those | have wit
messed before. More than once have
l seen 1000 men gather in drenching
rain on dark night in dark and
dripping forest and sing "John
Browns Body" There are many
things on such occasions as these that
we can look upon with extreme salts
faction. Our population numbered
100000 at the time of the war. 1t
is now 100000. The government
once tottering is now firm. because
the principles on which it is based
were tested and held fast by the Grand
Army of the Republic. Now on
ly occasionally does a lit
tie earthquake squirt its sulphurous
fire to tantalize our enemies. / was
exceedingly surprised, and 1 tell you
fatty l was internal mad to hear the
other day about Justice Lamar's
speech to the students of Center Col
lege, in which he lauded the life and
character of Jefferson Davis. Ordi-
narily on such occasions the speaker
takes the subject of Caesar or Cicero or
Virgil or some other great hero, but
not so with him. He took the arch
traitor who caused the death of 1,000,-
900 men. The time has passed when
a Justice of the supreme court can so
far forget himself as to hold up jeff
Davis to young men for emulation.
Jeff Davis might once have been no.
BILE and true and good, but so was his
satanic majesty, but behold him now
with his cloven hoof unshod and the
horns of a Texas steer. But short
time ago we were told we should hear
the roar of Italian guns, but we
haven't heard them yet. The London
Times says we haven't navy now, but
in 3 months we could build one that
could blockade every belligerent. The
London Times has changed it's tune
since the war. Then it said the
gentlemen of the South were fighting
the shopkeepers of the North. Gen
tlemen! The gentleman of the South
was he who whipped the negro moth
er through the cotton field while her
child lay in the cabin only growing to
fit its chains. but the war wiped that