Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-06-04

victory to victory driving before him the
armed millions of Asia IS young lion
might 20 out and scatter the fiocks and
herds of the pasture: Pyrrhus at the head OF
his phalanx by bis great talents and
uncomfortable spirit crushing the finest
legions of the ancient world; Hannibal
scaling the Alps, falling like an avalanche
down upon Italy and standing amidst the
Respondent blaze of his matchless genius
upon the bloody field of Came; Napoleon
at Jens, at Austerlitz, amid the plaudits of
France and the amazement of mankind at
his astounding feats of prowess; why, they
seem to be walking upon the clouds, and
they beckon us up to them with the power
of irresistible seduction.
MODERN HEROES.
II these distinguished individuals of our
race stir your most generous and elevating
emotions, what shall be the effect of con-
templating the characters and achievements
of those whom we come here this day to
honor?
They were as great as the greatest whom
have named, for they staked their lives
in gigantic struggle, not for fame or pow
er, but for the land they loved, the govern
had Inherited and wished to hand down to
their children, and their deeds are to be
heritage of honor for every man and woman
who shall bear the American name.
Alexander fought for universal dominion.
Pyrrhus fought for glory. Hannibal fought
to conquer Rome, then the civilized world.
which should overshsdow and control Eu-
Co vntp
only great fortress and permanent home of
liberty on the globe, and your victory was
the triumph of mankind.
LURKING DANGERS.
But l desire, with your permission, to
speak of matters which are practically ap-
plicable to your present interests. There
has never been time since the close of the
war; when the veterans of the Union armies
had 90 great cause to combine and stand up
in solid ranks for that justice which the
grateful spirit of the loyal element of the
nation would gladly have them receive as
now.
No one can know better or feel more
keenly than yourselves that hostile hands
have been raised against you; that they are
appraised against you now, and that it is as
necessary to avert the threatened blow, as
it was for you to resist the assault made
upon your country's life in 1861.
Your comrades have already suffered too
much from this hostility. To avoid or over
throw yeur enemy, you must first clearly
understand who and where he is. In the
present case think this is no difficult task.
Whence comes this hostility? The leopard
does not change his spots nor the Ethiopian
his skin, nor does he who was his country's
enemy in the days of distress and danger
now become its true friend or the sincere
friend of those who defended it against his
fierce attack.
You must look for your friendships
among your old friends and supporters. If
you look elsewhere you will be AS you have
been, and are now-sorely disappointed.
From the same source from which comes
enmity to our institutions, comes hostility
to you who saved them. The same
spirit which hates and fights American pros
perity and the glory of the American nation
fights you who preserved all that is Ameri-
can, and made it glorious for all time to
come. They who rejoice over hauling
down the American flag today and the at
tempt to crush out American civilization in
certain quarter of the globe, where a gen.
Grafton of American Christian effort es-
tablished it, strike at you and your COM
rades in the council halls of the nation,
through the pension department, and an an
glomaniac press.
BRUTAL ATTACKS.
Nothing could be more fierce and brutal
than the attack of the New York Times
and Harper's Weekly on the old soldiers
The rebel cannon did not boom more saw
agely upon Fort Sumter than these papers
assail the Union veterans, and there was no
more of fury, of unbounded malice in the
old rebel yell in the heart of war and in
their fendish glee over a victory for the
destruction of their country, than is to be
seen and felt in the revengeful malice Of
these attacks.
| 1t would seem that unless these men
were mad at your actions, mad because you
stood between your country aud the de-
stroying hands that were clutching for its
life, they could not display so much hend-
ishness and venom in their assaults upon
you. These attacks are not made without
a purpose. The object is to SANDER the
veterans, prejudice the public mind against
them so it may be prepared to sustain
further attacks upon the pension roll.
This is something which you should
heed. The more your enemies threat
en-, the greater the danger from
their assults, the more firmly should be
your columns united in their determination
to defend yourselves and your comrades
against every onset from whatever source
it comes and with whatever weapons it is
made.
You stand for no party and no creed /;
that is right. Love Of country, the country
which you saved, should be creed good
enough for you and for me. But as intel
ligent men we should recognize from what
quarter we are attacked. We should OBJ
serve who our enemies are, in what COL
umns they are fighting, and meet them
squarely without being diverted, just as
you fought with your faces to the foe in
the war of bayonets and bullets.
Then you knew who your enemies were,
and you conquered them. You knew they
were your enemies because their guns were
pointed and discharged at you. You can
now distinguish them by the same sign !;
you need not make any mistake.
SENTIMENTS WORTH HOLDING.
Love of country, pride in its history