Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1895-09-18

private friendship; the all-subduing inf1u-
ence of home and church and school, of
wife and child. have eliminated in such a
closely-knit web of interests and affections
| that none of US care to disentangle the
threads that compose it, and few of US could
| do so if we would.
'sGod Bless the Flag"
"And the flag God bless the fagl AS the
heart of McCallum More warmed to the tar
tan do all hearts warm to the fag Have
you upon your round of sightseeing
missed it hereabouts? Does it make itself
on any hand conspicuous by its absence?
Can you doubt the loyal sincerity of those
who from housetop and rooftree have
thrown it to the breeze? Let some sacri-
legious hand be raised to haul it down and seel
No. no, comrades; the people en- masse
do not deal in subterfuges they do
not stoop to conquer; they may be wrong
they may be perverse; but they never dissem-
BILE. These are honest flags with honest hearts
behind them. They are the symbols of ma
tionality as precious to US as to you.
Welcome of the South.
..It is with kind of exultation that fling
open the gates of this gateway to the
soulful l bid you welcome in the name Of
the people whose voice Is the voice of
God. You came and we resisted you; you
come, and we greet you; for times change and
men change with them You will find here
scarcely a sign of the battle, not
Renaissance of it's passions Grim-visaged
war has smoothed his wrinkled front, and
whichever way you turn on either side,
deepening as you advance-across the Chap
lin Hills, where Jackson fell to Stones
river, where Rosy fought-and on to Chat
tanooga and Chtckamauga and over Mis-
sionary Ridge, and down by Resaca and
Rennesaw and Allatoona where Corse held
the FORT as a second time you march to the
sea-pausing awhile about Atlanta to look
with wonder on a scene risen as by the
hand of Observation-Disclosures returning by
way of Franklin and N.shville-you shall
encounter, as you pass those moldering
heaps, which remind you OF your valor and
travail only the magnanimous spirit of dead
heroes, with Grant and Sherman and Thomas
and Mcpherson and Logan looking down from
the happy stars, as if repeating the words of
the master: Charity for all, malice toward
none
I'VE, too have our graves, we, too, had our
heroes! All, all are comrades now upon the
other side, where you and must shortly join
them; blessed. thrice blessed we who have
lived to see it fulfilled"
Touching Scene.
When Mr.. Watterson concluded the
tears were streaming down his cheeks
Many of the veterans wept with him,
and when he turned away, overcome
by his own emotions, he met the
white-haired wife of the Black
Eagle of Illinois, VINO grasped his
hand, her eyes filled with tears, and
said: II am glad that have been per-
mitted to live to hear that speech"
Veterans on the stage crowded about
Watterson, those in the hall stood on
their chairs and shouted and wept,
those in the aisles threw their arms
about each other, and the crowd in teh |
galleries looked down upon one of the |
strangest and most touching dramas |
that ever grew out of the great civil |
war.
Annual Address.
The hall was then cleared of all not |
mem bers Of the G. A. R.. and after |
the business session of the en-
began. Commander in Chief |
in his annual address, touched |
on many subjects of interest to the |
veterans. On the subject of pensions
he said:
I'VE know that all the legislation enacte |
by congress in the interest of the old soldier
has been brought about by through the in
f1uence of this great, powerful organization
the Grand Army OF the Republic-and those
Of us who are more fortunate physically than
others propose to keep it up just as
long as we live And while we are not asking
for any new pension legislation, we do ask
and insist that when law Is passed by con-
gress it's provisions as intended by them
shall be carried out and not misconstrued and
misapplied by any man or set of men of any
party who may be in power. am not lawyer
but know the verdict of any court of loyal
a m has fur.
nished the proofs and has been granted
D pension that pension cannot be taken
away from him without due process of law
know this is being done, however, all over the
Iand for have seen evidences of it In every
department. in which have been-pensions |