Huntsville gazette., 1892-09-24
General Palmer spoke as follows:

was packed.
General Palmer spoke as follows:
Comrades-The national encampment
of the Grand Army of the Republic
brings together representative soldiers
from all over the loyal land. There is
scarcely battlefield of that great civil
contest but has its representatives here.
Within its ranks are men of all political
parties and religious creeds. The differ
ences in rank which the army reflected
are lost in the equalities of free and
common citizenship.
The dominating thought is patriotism.
Its principles appeal to patriots of every
name and party. 1t is peculiarly be-
fitting that we should meet once more
in the beautiful capital city of the ma
fion, where the representatives of 65,-
| 900, 900 of freenen gather to enact our
laws, and to look backward over the
perils surmounted and forward to the
growing greatness of a redeemed land.
Rightly it is named the Grand Army;
grand in the justice Of the majestic
cause for which it fought: grand in the
greatness of It's magnanimity and it's
chivalry; grand in the valor, the forti-
tude and the heroism which has shone
through all its career of defeat and vic
tory grand in the fidelity with which
the citizens were blended with the sol
diers' memories.
1t still sustains the principles it car
ried to victory; grand because it saved
the capital of thS nation, kept the coun-
try undivided, the flag unsullied, and
assured Us a commanding place among
the nations of the earth. These animal
gatherings of men who rendered loyal,
devoted and patriotic service to their
country in the hour of peril, if they
serve no other purpose they will impress
upon the minds Of the rising generation
a profounder and deeper sense of the
perils through which we passed to pre-
serve the unity Of the nation.
It demonstrates to all the obligations
resting upon us. 1t gives renewed
strength to patriotism, tends to elevate
and adorn our national character and
makes us stronger each succeeding year.
We meet in no spirit or exultation of
false pride. We meet with no desire to
boast of our services in the past We
cherish no feelings of animosity or re-
venge against the men of the south know
/ speak the sentiments of every true sol
dier when / say whatever pride we have
in the past, whatever pride we brought
back from the battle fields, we joyfully
laid it aside upon one altar and gladly
merged the title of soldiers into great
er one-that of American citizens. We
were citizens before we became soldiers
and volunteered at the call of an imper-
lied nation that we might fulfill the
highest duties of citizenship, and the
lessons we learned amidst the storm of
tNr41 IL 1.ry In Il e
our duties as citizens.
1t is a laudable pride, therefore, and
not an overweanlng vanity which i'm
pels US to meet year after year to COM
memorate the incidents of our country's
salvation, ''a part of which we were and
all of which we saw" and we can never
forget the result Of all the trials and dan
gers through which we passed, or cease
to feel the strength of the ties which
bound us together as we trudged along on
many weary march on the lonely
picket, in the midnight bivouac, the
prison and the hospital To perpetuate
these ties, to cherish love Of country, to
keep undying the memories of the loved
and lost who perished while III service.
we meet in a spirit of fraternity, charity
and loyalty, invoking heavens richest
blessing ON every portion of.our beloved
country.
1t is peculiarly appropriate that sur
vivors of the Union armies should gather
again in the capital of the nation, which
three or four long years of bloody strife
they defended at the peril of their lives,
| and brings to our minds vividly the
name of that great man who, under the
| providence of God, successfully guided
the affairs of the nation through the
crisis of its fate.
While the peans of victory were still
sounding in his ears, he died a martyr
for his country, leaving behind him a
fame which will brighten with the lapse
OF a~e, and coupled with the name of
Lincoln, so long as America shall be
known among the nations Of the earth.
Almost within the sound of my
voice, there reposes in that beau
tiful spot on Arlington Heights.
where the green sod lies gently upon
the breasts of the silent sleepers, sixteen
thousand patriotic dead. il recalls to our
minds the enormous price paid by the
American people for the preservation Of
the nation. Forty thousand graves are
! marked with the saldest Of all inscrip-
tions-"Unknown. We meet with Ihe
consolation that the nayi1h was savaa
and preserved by tie valoi of thesenien.
and we feel exalted by these achieve
ments and regenerated hy then hfes
blood
Commander IalsSer stated that ,lt,riis..
lis official term he hal visited twenty
FIVE departments. atfsr!ed GnineroE.
reunions alll p0biic stil5 rings .ant;:
inr mont ~ ~ sTlNNg 49,.