The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-06-04

against us every time, many lively |
,ussle have we had as the shades of |
evening fell upon the camp and we
gathered at the river in the uniform |
of nature, and opened on them all |
along the line with government soap
and Tennessee river water, and when |
we retired in good order every
son Of us was the proud !
owner and wearer OF billed shirt.
Here the speaker exhibited q faded
old battle flag, carried at
one time by the Second Iowa In
regiment to which he be-
longed.l
Mr.. Presinent, you will pardon me
il call your attention for moment
to this old flag, it has its history,
it like yourself has passed through
the fire and smoke of battle, it scaled
the nights at Donelson and waved
on the field at Shiloh, its starry folds
were shook out over the ramparts
at Corinth, it was made by q band of
patriotic ladies, it Is old now, q vet
eran among the veterans, it is nearly
worn out, you see its stripes Of red
are almost invisible. but the white
and the blue and the gold remain.
Does the red represent the animOsi-
ties, the hard feelings, the hot blood
Of war, and are those hard feelings
like the red stripes Of this dear old
flag, fading away? and does the re-
manning white figure, the peace OF
the country, which shall nevermore
be broken, by fratricidal strife, CD
and does not this ground work OF
fadelcss blue stand for the iMperisha-
the principles of human liberty won
in the name and under the folds of
golden stars, do they not indicate
the distinct unity of all the states
comprising this great nation which
shall ever remain lone and insepara-
ble,' My friends / love this old flag,
l love it for its associations, for the
recollections OF the past it recalls,
for the memory OF the brave BOYS
who fell beneath it, / love 1t for what
it stands for, and l bow with un-
covered head before it and in the
name Of my fallen comrades [ rev.
erently salute this precious old
souviner of other days, and when l
am given my discharge, l want that
Oldest boy and want him to feel
about it, as Caroline Norton's dying
soldier from Bingen on the Rhine,
felt about his fathers sword,
my father was a soldier. and even as child.
Ny heart leapcd forth to hear him tell
Of struggles fierce and wild,
And when he died and left us to divide his
scanty hoard.
let them take whate'r they would, but
kept my fathers sword.
But we turn from the past for a
momentary glance at the present and
the future, there are many things
which demand thoughtful conSidera-
ton of every thoughtful person, it is
true that thousands Of lives were sac
rifised, millions of money expended,
and much property destroyed during
the war, it is also true that the fruits
of this gigantic Offering of blood and
treasure were largely secured, the
shackles were stricken from Loco, 900
slaves, the Union was preserved, and
the government was made central:
these concessions were wrung from
our enemies at the point of the bayo-
net; but If they are to be made per-
petual, and il the safety and prosper
fly of the people in other directions
is to be permanently assured, il we
are to be saved from anarchy, from
the spewings Of Europe Of the type
Of Herr Most and his associates, the
riff-aaff of the old world, then there
is demand for the same love of coun-
try. the same jealousy Of honor, the
same vigilance, and the same faith in
God. we need to remember that
ssThc browning fact, the kinglicst act
OF freedom. is freeman's vote.''
The ballot is rightly called the safe
ty valve Of the nation, it must be
maintained in it's purity, it was for
this that, not only in the southern
states but in the great cities and CEN
ters of the north. our fallen heroes
'Braved the shafts of Gems ure and of shame.
And on the field OF honor pledged soldiers
fame"
And anything less than this is a
stain upon the country and an insult
to the memory of its dead defenders.
But must not detain you. My fell
low soldiers, our ranks are melting
away, one by one, following each
other III quick succession. we are
marching to the grave, it will not be
long before only here and there /,
single trembling form with a few
stray white hairs upon his venerable
head will be left to tell to his grand
children the story of the great rebel
lion.
"a few more years shall roll.
4 few more seasons come,
And all will be with those that rest.
Asleep within the tomb
But their swords and their fame
will descend to their children, and
upon their virtue courage patriotism,
will depend the perpetuity of our free
government and free institutions, the
child is now born that will live to see
the day when a hundred million peo-
pie will dwell beneath the shadow
and protection Of the American flag,
may these coming millions be in
spired by the same dauntless spirit,
the same love Of country, which i'm
PEELED their fathers to march with
stout hearts and firm step. Scatter
your floral offerings scatter them
freely, drop them tenderly upon the
grassy mounds, sing your sweetest
songs and speak your best words the
dead deserve your kindest sympa-
thies, for they died in defence of
your most cherished objects, your
homes, your lives, and your honor,
they died that there might be pre-
served to you, and transmitted to
your children, the unspoiled heritage
of your fathers, Il country unbroken,
from the great lakes to the gulf of
Mexico. and from the martS Of com
merce in the East to the everglades
of Florida, and the silver and gold
mines of the West, a flag without the
loss OF a single star, that shall wave
in triumph for a thousand years.
over every foot of territory in all
this broad land of brave men and
these homes of fair women.