Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-09-21
BUSINESS MEETING BEGAN.
The Encampment Attends to Preliminaries
-Palmer's Address.

Inc htte11stS TO
-Palmer's Address.
The official body of the encampment met
to-day and proceeded To get into working
order After the usual appointment OF
committees. COMMUNICATIVE Chief Palmer
proceeded to deliver his annual address.
He said that there was scarcely battle
field in the great civil war that was not
represented in this gathering THE differ
ences in rank which the army reflected are
lost in the CAPABILITIES of a free and common
citizenship. The dominating thought is
patriotism. Its principles appeal to patriots
of every name and party. 1t = peculiarly
befitting that we should meet once more in
the beautiful capital city of the nation,
where the representatives of siNty-five mill
ions of freemen gather to enact our laws,
and to look backward over the perils sur
mounted, and forward to the growing
greatness of a redeemed land"
Citizen the Greater Title.
Continuing, he paid a tribute to the
Grand Army and to its annual meetings,
and then said: I'VE meet with no desire to
boast of our services in the past We cher
ish no feelings of animosity or revenge
against the men of the south. / know /
speak the sentiments of every true soldier
when say whatever pride we have in the
past, whatever pride we brought back from
the battlefields, we ioyfully laid it aside
upon one altar and gladly merged the title
of soldier into n greater one-that of Amer
lean citizen.
A Peculiarly Appropriate Gathering.
at is peculiarly appropriate that the sur
vivors of the Union armies should gather
again at the capital of the nation, which
through four long yeals of bloody strife
they defended at the peril of their lives;
and it brings to our minds wildly 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 pens of victory
We're still sounding in his ears he died, a
martyr for his country, leaving behind him
a fame which will brighten with the lapse
of time, ana coupled with the name of
Washington will be the name of Lincoln
so long as America shall be known among
the nations of the world.
silent Heroes Near at Hand.
almost within the sound of my voice,
there reposes in that beautiful spot on Ar
Iington Heights. where the green sod lies
gently upon the breasts of the silent
sleepers. IL. 900 patriotic dead. 1t recalls to
our minds the enormous price paid by the
American people for the preservation of the
nation. -Four thousand graves are marked
with the saddest of all inscriptions-un-
known We meet today with the consola-
ton that the nation was saved and pre-
served by the valor of these men, and we
feel exalted by their achievements and re-
generated by their Iife's blood. If their
spirits hover about US today they must be
filled with gladness-and could they but
speak they would say It's well we died, the
nation still lives, we'll sleep again; it will
not be long before you will join us; and
we shall all meet on the resurrection morn,
to bs Judged by Him who ruleth armies and
nations"
The Lesson of the Dead.
The G. A r. emblem was silent pro-
test against sneers at the old veterans and
should be worn at all times to announce
the fact that men still live who deserve to
be remembered. Death had been busy in
the ranks and the example of those who
died should be an incentive to the living TO
SO live as loyal citizens that when they also
responded to the summons future genera
tions should read with wonder how two
great armies, after contending for four
wears had melted away into citizenship.
Visits to the Departments.
The speaker referred to his work during
his official term, saying that he had visited
twenty-five departments. He particularly
mentioned his visit to Augusta, Ca, and
the warm greeting given him by ex-Con-
federates He referred to the invitation to
visit the Columbian exposition and called
attention to the fact that the Union soldier
made it possible for such an exposition of
the achievements of united country to be
held.
Compliments the Women.
The work of the loyal women of the
country in behalf of needy veterans and
their families was warmly approved. The
trouble over the color line was referred to
by a declaration that in his action he had
only the welfare of the order at heart in
enforcing the DEGREES of the national en-
campment. For statistics the members
were referred to the staff officers reports,
and the effort to secure pensions for army
nurses was Endorsed heartily and much
qualification expressed at its success.
Close of the Address.
The address closed with reference to
Memorial Day: "The American people
honor the dead Union soldier, not because
he slew SO many of the foe, but. because he