Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-05-22

for which these lips of mine alike TOO feeble
aud uhwurthy.
General. serept these relic. in behalf of the
people and ne Government They will be pre-
served and rhersh.d amid all the yicissitudes of
the future As nieueDiocs of brave men aud noble
actions.
All, Mr.. Chairman, all the fire of patrio-
tism that Il nned from the lips Of the war
Governor of the BAY state has not been
quenched in New England by the time-serv-
ing tendencies of these later years, and pos
terity in Massachuse tts will hold in more re-
yerence the memory of the humblest coloret!
soldier who, proudly wearing the uniform
of the Commonwealth followed the gallant
Shaw to death on the bloody slope Of Wag-
ner. than that of any man in any station
who uses her commission in furtherance of
political assault upon the pension system
that is providing for the old age OF the he
roes who were so gratefully welcomed home
with their victorious banners by Governor
Andrew in 1850.
The Realities on REBELLION.
Mr. Speaker. there has come upon the
country in its great hearted generosity,
fear, too much of disposition to weave the
garlands of romance AMI poetry about the
stern realities and horrors of that rebellion.
The man who to-day honestly desires the
prosperity and advancement of this great
nation. based upon freedom and justice,
| resting upon the loyalty of its citizens, and
devoted to the accomplishment of the great
objects of mankind, can not afford to IDEAL
i've that terrible war which was waged
against the nations life from 1861
10 1860. To argue that the war of rebel
lion against this government was justified,
that ii was righteous or cxcusable, is to de-
clare that our 800 900 brethren fell in an
unholy cause.
If that was a wicked rebellion. if il was
fostcred in a Shareholders conspiracy, if il
was based upon absolute wrong to human
Kind, if it was utterly without reasonable
excuse, if its preteIt was displeasure at the
result of an election by the people far more
representative of the popular will and far
more entitled to universal respect than that
election which is to make Grover Cleveland
and Adlai L. Stevenson, neither of whom
has been charged with overt sympathy with
the Union cause, President and vice-presi-
dent of the United States, then, Mr.. Chair
man, we do poor service to ourselves and
to posterity when we encourage any attempt
to lessen the popular conception of the
grievous wrong Of that reasonable uprising
against the government, or to pslliste the
hideous features of war which brought
dcsolation to so many homes and so nearly
wrecked the great fabric of free govern
ment.
All, gentlemen say, 'tYou must not bring
up unkind memories" Why do you reopen
them Why do you challenge this line of
reflection: Why are you eternally digging
open the graves of our loyal dead? Why
can not you keep your hands off the pension
rolls? Why can you not wait at least I'M
I'll Democrats who were comrades of these
men, like the chairman of the committee
on invalid pensions Mr.. Martin and his
colleagues, shall come here and ask for
change Gentlemen of the South. you
challenge the indignant protest of every
loyal section of the United States when you
thus arrogantly strike at the men we are
bound to hold in honor
If had time-but my time is fying-I
should like to read you, AS a duty. a de-
scription of one class of the horrors that
our soldiery were called upon to meet Here
in Prof. Diapers very powerful and able
history of the war find in volume 3, pages
5l0-5lS, that awful chapter Of Anderson.
vile. 1t ought to be read for the instruc
ton of gentlemen who seem never to have
known or to have soon forgotten what oul
soldiers had to encounter. Some portions
of i, should not be willing to read in tbi.
presence. The atrocities go almost beyond
human endurance to consider. Yet wher
the memory and the services of our soldier
are assailed the people ought to be reminded
of their suffcrings, and ! shall print will
my remarks this unspeakable story of tn,
horrors Of one of the prison pens of tn,
Confedierscy: