St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1893-07-13

emergencies, its endurance of hard
ships, its alertness in movement, its
getting there on time, it quick COM
prehension of the cnemy's plans and
its swift conception of the proper
method to thwart them, it's ready
compliance with assigned duty, its
dash, its daring, its personel, its
morale and its esprit-de-corps?
summon as witnesses Cedar Greek
and Donelson, Antietam and Mis-
sionary Ridge, Gettysburg and Cor
NTH, Mobile and Spottsylvania,
Port Hudson and Vicksburg, Ticon-
deroga and Cowpens, Buena Vista
and Lundy's Lane, and set them
over against Blenheim. Moreno,
Valmy Sadowa or Balakava, and
counter-claim of you to know if an
army passionately loving home and
flag will not fight harder, longer
and better than one caring little for
either.
The war of 1861, in which the
veterans of this post had an honor
able part, has fully demonstrated
the wisdom of our fathers in lodging
the protection of our flag in the
hands of the people whose sovereign
ty it symbollzes. The rank and file
on both sides had clear conception
of the exact issue involved in the
contest. and were each, without
doubt, in all sincerity firm believers
in the rightfulness of their cause.
The overthrow or perpetuation of
slavery was not the result contend
ed for on either side. A radical diff
ference as to the scope and character
Of the Union, a difference that had
vexed the craftsmanship of the
nation for generation, was to be
settled by an appeal to arms.
The South maintained that our
Union was a mere confederation of
states, with no common umpire TO
settle disputes, and that therefore,
each state might lawfully decide for
itself as to the remedy to be applied
for wrongs complained of. The
North said that the Union was not
a confederation of states, but COM
pact of peoples, and that an umpire
was provided in the constitution, to
which all controversies were refer
able. The volunteer soldier Of the
North did not believe that the Union
was a rope of sand, and did believe
that the flag which saluted his
earliest years, and fascinated his
youth and early manhood, typifed a
nationality that made his boast OF
citizenship prouder than that of the
Roman and nationality that
should endure through the everast.
ing years of time. Saturated with
these differing theories, both sides
responded to the call to arms with a
zeal never before recorded in history
From the shores of Casco Bay to the
rivers sailed by Cortez, from the
head springs of the father of waters
to where floats his deluge on the
waves of the great Mediterranean
from plantation and farm, eschew
ing all differences of political faith
forgetting all differences in religion:
dogma, ignoring all distinctions il
social life, in the twinkling of an eye
the citizenship OF a nation was trans
formed into a body of armed men
and at the close of the contest a:
speedily resumed their civic function:
c,t nF
Should any one of the standing
armies of Europe be suddenly dis
banded, reign of terror unequallec
by the horrors of the French Revo
luton or the rapine of the Vandal.
would at once be inaugurated.
Not only this much for the ex
ternal life of the volunteer soldier
but see also the bonds, stronger thar
steel, that bind the volunteer:
together in traternal love anc
fraternal charity
See that comradeship, born il
the community of common peril
and in the co-partnership of com
mon hope, comradeship that il
life wells forth a common sym
pathy"-binds up the broken hear
and pours out the oil of gladnes:
, everywhere and always, in tn,
hospital, on the march, on the tielc
of action, in the hour of victory ant
in the humiliation of defeat, in tn,
} welcome of peace, in the home of re
, sumed citizenship, around the i'm
: provised camp fire, in the beautiful
, liturgy of Memorial Day. A com
) radeship that does not end with
: death, but builds yonder monument
at once an inspiration and benedic
ton, plaudit to duty already wei
done, and an idea for the patriotism
of the future.
Has the professional soldier al
this or any such reward?
This Grand Army Post enjoys tn,
unique distinction of bearing upor
the rolls of it's membership probably
. the two Oldest volunteer soldier.
: affiliated with any post in New
England. Their presence, i'll thu
fitness Of their years, and the ripe
ness of their experience, lends grace
and adds dignity to the exercises o
this occasion.
Pardon me, veterans of Chamber
lin Post, if | assume that theirs was