The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-20

tempt to discharge the representative duty
imposed upon me, but in view of the great
difficulty of even selecting the theme for the
brief address which l am 10 deliver here,
where so many memories crowd upon me. all
demanding utterance, will need your indul-
genee. Where shall begin?
Standing in this presence, upon this historic
ground, am conscious that no words of my
own will stir and thrill the survivors of the
great military events which thirty-two years
ago transpired in these valleys, and under
the shadow of these mountains, as will the
mention of Chickamauga, Chattanooga, Look
out Mountain and Missionary Ridge. These
names are now historically significant of great
battles, where many thousands OF brave men
of the same race and language contended with
each other for victory. At the mention OF
them the eyes of veterans, dimmed by age, will
kindle, and for the moment they win forget the
fight of time and the lapse of years, and in
Imagination again plunge into the heady
fight.
After reviewing the thrilling incidents
of the Civil War, General Palmer con-
cluded:
My comrades and countrymen, l have thus
told the story of the battle of Chickamauga.
1t is brief, and necessarily incomplete.
others in the language of romance, have told
the tale of that bloody contest No man can
know much OF the events which did not occur
in his immediate presence on field like this.
We know the names of but few of the fallen,
but we can remember the courage and gal
lantry of all who acted with us.
have said that the Civil War was caused by
the sectional challenge to American manhood,
and that challenge was accepted and followed
by years OF bloody and desolating war. In that
war the American people learned to properly
estimate each other, which is the only founda-
ton for harmonious National unity.
By that war the theory of the right of the
States to secede from the Union was forever
eradicated from orr system of National consti-
tutional government By that war African
slavery, which was the root of sectional bitter
ness and was one of the causes or pretexts for
National controversy, was forever overthrow
and the flag OF our country became at once the
emblem of freedom and the symbol of National
power. AS the result of that war the constitu-
ton was maintained, and not subverted, and
the union of the American people made per-
petual.
My comrades, we who survive to this day nav
well be grateful to that Divine Being who
guides the destiny of nations that we are per-
mitted to see an established Union-a republic
extending from the Atlantic to the Pacific ana
from the lakes to the gulf-and liberty and law
the all-perveding rule of our National Iife We
are here to-day with malice toward none and
charity for alp; we meet as citizens OF com.
mon country, devoted to its interests and alike
ready to MAINTAIN its honor wherever or how
ever assailed.
To my comrades, you who were Confederate
soldiers during all the weary struggle of the
Civil War, beg to say was proud of your gal
lantry and courage. l never allowed myself to
forget that you were Americans, freely Offering
YOUR lives in the defense of what you believed
to be your rights and in yindication of your
manhood.
lou are now satisfied that the result of the
Civil War established the unity OF the power.
full American Republic; you submitted your
controversies with your fellow-citizens to the
arbitrament OF the battlefield, and you &C
cepted the result with a sublime fortitude
worthy of all praise, and your reward is, that
peace and order are restored, and "the South y
which you loved so well, and for which you
fought so bravely, now blossoms with abund.
ant blessings.
General Gordon of Georgia opened his
address by quoting the illustrious Charles
Summers proposal in the United States
Senate to strike from the battle flags OF
the Union all mementoes of our civil war
He eulogized the broad and catholic spirit
of patriotism which inspired that PROPOSE
ton, though, he said, Mr.. Sumner rea-
soned as classical student rather than a
practical statesman. But Mr.. Sumner, he