The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1893-03-02
The I6Ist.
The Sons of Veterans Cell
ebrate the February
Holiday. in Feast
and Speech.
Il GREAT CROWD ON HAND.

Ever since George Washington was
53 years old his birthday, February %,
has been observed by general public
celebration in this country. 1t is inter
esting to know in this connection that
not only is our first president the only
American whose birthday is generally
kept but the only human historical
character who is so hOnored anywhere
in the world.
In an old Bible covered with strired
Virginia cloth is written: George
Washington, son to Augustine and Mary,
his wife, was born ye 11th of February,
1872, about 10 in the morning, and was
baptized the April following. But 20
years later the British government
adopted new calendar, which changed
the date to the 22d, and either contrib
uted eleven days to the life of the father
of the country or filched eleven days
from him, as you may be able to figure
| it ont.
The anniversary was very properly
observed by the Sons of Veterans here,
Wednesday evening, at Grand Army
hall, where splendid audience gather
ed to partake of the bountiful supper
served between six and seven, and to
listen to the song and speech that fol-
lowed.
Promptly at 8 o'clock Captain Kis-
sick delivered brief address of well
come, and was followed by Rev. 1 P.
Teter, of the fighting Seventh Iowa,
who voiced the nOblest of patriotic
sentiment in the following address,
which was applauded to the echo:
Sons Of Veterans, Ladies and Gentle
men Patriots and patriotism always
have been and always will be the pre-
servers and conserverS of the liberties
and rights of mankind.
16I years ago, was born in Virginia a
baby boy and they named him George,
who afterwards was called the Father
Of his Country. Great in war, great in
peace, great in the hearts of the people;
so long as republics live, so long as men
love liberty, so long as the flag of our
nation floats on land or sea, this day
will be hOnOred; so long as patriotism
and love of country is first and highest
in the souls of freemen will the name
| of Washington make bright the
annals of our nations history. Heroes
in all ages have been knighted. Their
names and their fame have been per-
petuated along the march of the CEN
turies. No country nor age of the
worlds civilization has ever shown
ic,,
patriotic sacrifice to the flag of their
than your fathers, hOnOred by being
soldiers of the republic. Out of one
hundred and eighty thousand imprison-
ed soldiers with hunger stealing over
their frames like the chill of death,
their intellects almost reeling in the
thrOes of idiocy, with gates open to the
man that would desert his flag and join
the ranks of the enemy, great God,
was ever such measure of patriotism
reached by any men on the face of this
earth before? Not one per cent ac-
cepted the offered bribe.
1t is beftting that we meet to re-
member the dead; not that we can bene-
fit them or add anything to their i'm
mortality. They do not need us, but
we need them. The glory that trails in
the clouds and that is EMBODIED in this
grand old flag after their sun is set,
falls with its benediction upon us and
it is to commemorate the Immortality
of the principles for which they fought
and to look with emotion of patriotic
pride upon the stars and the stripes of
triumphant flag, at one time dimmed
and torn, but now resplendent with the
glory of a united country. Let the
memories of the illustrious dead and
the greatness of their achievements as
seen in the unparalleled growth and de-
velopment of the nation kindle anew
our love of the flag that so majeStically
waves over land and sea. Says Web.
ster: Patriotism is love of ones
country, the passion which aims to
serve ones country either in defending
it from lnvasions or protecting its
rights and maintaining its laws and in
stltutions in Vigor and purity. Patriot
ism is the characteristic of good citi-
zen" the nObleSt passion that animates
a man in the character of a citizen.
Let me therefore say to you, my friends,
let love of country rise above all per-
sonal ambitions, above all political
affiliations, above all self-seeking. To
be citizen of a country like ours is to
assume high responsibilities, and to
meet them demands intelligence, virtue
and patriotism. Let me emphatiZe this
thought, every citizen a sovereign
and the humblest may reach the highest
exaltation. Intelligence, virtue and
patriotism is indispensable to tie citi-
zen possessing such power and possible
to such possibilities. Without these
decay and ultimate disintegration will
come sooner or later to the republic.
When Napolean drew up his troops be-
fore the Mamelukes in Egypt under the
shadow of the pyramids, he said to his
soldiers, remember from yonder heights
forty centuries look down upon YOU"
Are we not surrounded by great cloud
of witnesses, are there not voices speak
ing to us from more than a hundred
battlefields, are not all the stars on the
azure of our flag brighter, may we not
look up to the heights to which the i'm
mortals have ascended and receive a
new baptism of devotion to our coun-
try, and higher conception of what it
is to be citizen of the republic? ? What
vast expenditures ofthought, of sacrifice,
| OF treasure and of blood have been given
to build up this great century of civil
ization. 1t is for this generation to say,
shall it want for intelligence, virtue
and patriotism? No, mol Never while
God is revered, while memory lives and
liberty is loved and the rights of man.
kind are respected.
Let me, friends, say, in few brief
sentences, just where possibly our ship
is in danger. At peace with all Europe
and entering into fraternal and COM
mercial alliances with all peoples on our
own hemisphere, no danger from
without, our flag is respected wherever
the sun shines, shield of protection in
all lands and upon all waters, to every
citizen of the republic, however humble.
Let the pulpit, the press, the schools
and the legislators see to it, that it
means as much in every state in this
union as any where else upon the face
of the globe. Our danger, if danger
there be, is from within, internal unrest.
Let our flag float over every school
house, from every church steeple, from
the dome of every capitol and let its
glory be set to music. Let the nation
become school of patriotic teaching.
Then we are safe.
Miss Pearle Meade gave the story of
John Burns in happiest recitation, and
to the pleasure of all.
Robert Kissick then gave in detail the
history of the life and military career
of Gen. S. A. Rice, illustrated by map