The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-07-05
PATRIOTIC FOURTH
OLD SOLDIERS CELEBRATE THE DAY
WITH A PICNIC AND SPEECHES.
Corporal Tanners Able Address
Speeches by Charles r. Grim, J.
G. Adams and John McGregor.

Soldiers Mutual League. There was an ar.
tllery salute at 7 a. m, conducted by the
German Veterans organization. At 8 O'Clock
there was an assembly service conducted
by Colonel Sam Laing. and at 9 O'Clock
there was d band concert, at which patri-
otto airs We're played. The grand stand ex-
ercises at 10 o'clock were opened by prayer
by Rev. u. r. Lucas, and after the singing
OF America" Rev. d. r. Van Buskirk
read the Declaration OF independence. IT
was heard with deep attention. and its
inspiring periods were applauded.
At IL o'clock Chester Webster, who was
presiding. introduced Corporal James Tan
neT, ex-Commissioner of Pensions, and one
OF the most prominent ex-soldiers in the
country. His theme was The Soldier
and it was handled most effectively. The
speaker showed the qualities OF an orator
Of rare ability. and had bis audience in con-
ttnuous applause At times the eloquent Pc
RODS caused nearly every one to feel a stir
ring emotion. Emphasizing the point early
IN his speech that the war was fought in
defense Of the common welfare, and that
II was not a selfish war, but one that made
prosperity and liberty for the entire race,
he showed that the rights for which the
North tooa up arms were the logical ante
N oh0 COuScIsOIS Ol liberty 6SldO-
lished by our forefathers. He recalled that
in the formative processes that finally ce-
mented the North to one united effort to
subdue. the rebels. it was well that no CON-
promise out of the many that were offered
had been successful.
Il thank God" exclaimed the speaker.
that we got licked all along that line. 1t
brought US to the realization at last that
God had a hand in the StruoDla and that
1t could not end unil it ended right, with
all the results hat so great a sacrifice of
blood and treasure needed as a compensa-
ton. 1t was not to stop. we then saw, I'M
til all of the soil of the United States was
free. We came to realize that the duty OF
the hour was expressed in the poets words:
LAS Christ died to make men holy, so we
die to make men free
I'VE fought on this line and in the name
of God and liberty we piled the shackles that
had bound men and women. mountains high.
We made the flag in fact the flag of the
free. 1t had formerly been only the flag
Of the free white man. We won a victory
that lifted the flag higher than ever before,
so nlgh that 1t never can come down, and
We trust that upon the foundation thus laid
for succeeding generations it may be lifted
still higher. But u Is in a proud position
now. II is SO high that all must look up
II COST OF WAR.
Corparal Tanner then dwelt upon the cost
OF the war. He said it was an awful price
that was paid for its results, entailing
death or wounds or sickness to $4,000 HUI
man lives. Tn land. he tsaid. was peopled
with widows and fatherless children. Lam
entation spread over the length and
breadth of the country, and it was filed
with sorrow. yet the consensus OF opinion
was that the price paid was not too much
for the glorious results of a reunited coun-
try, where its professions Of liberty were
no longer a mockery. Mr.. Tanner spoke
with especial emphasis of the errors that
are allowed all too frequently to be in
Sucated in the hearts of the youth of the
land. Some have taught that the men who
fought the battles OF the Republic did so
at the cost not only OF life, but OF the NOR
ais of the soldiers; that the life of the sol
der means that every virtue that makes
up thes peaceable and honorable citizen
vanishes under the terrors OF warfare. The
speaker was especially eloquent in denying
chisel which brings out of the block OF
human character many OF its finest and
c aSTt li na%irs ssIs bed .q qsef IS e aralts for t5e
citizen TO disguise the more uncomfortable
qualities OF his being. He may pass through
life without meeting circumstances that
show what there Is in him TO justify the
friendship of his fellow-men. But in army
life that is impossible. If a man were mean
III COulClIptlDlcs 4 WOulu SHOW llctll, anu
generally pretty early, in the relation of
comrades. oh, how many little gods of OIL
GERS were humbled and rumbled in the
dust when brought to the test OF action!
How often, when the man was wanted for
some great occasion, some modest, unknown
fellow would spring TO the front and accom-
plish the work. 1t showed that we had
unconsciously been touching elbows with
one of Gods heroes"
The orator said that it was his fortune
in the struggle to be early carried away
from its scenes to a bed of pain and SUI
fering. He was not one, he said facetious-
ly, Ihat put down the rebellion, but he was
on the farm and kept track Of the progress
OF the war, that he had participated TO
some extent in the contest. And when the
end was near, he said, and it was generally
known that the result would be a victory
for the North,it made him indignant when he
would read IN some editorial about the awful
cost of the struggle in the morals Of the
soldier. The returning veteran was some
times held up as an outlaw with whom the
right of person and of property no longer
had weight. The boys were coming back,
he had read, without any OF the attributes
of true men. They were held TO have for
gotten in the storm and stress Of camp and
battle, the pure. sweet teachings of their
mothers. They were an example, ii was
thought, of anything but the survival Of the
nttsst- The land would be overrun and the
boys came home.
Most of you," said the speaker, sweeping
away the aspersions upon the citizen SOL
shore and have watched the waves come in
piling mountain high and seeming to threat
en- to overthrow every obstruction. 1t seems
as If they had an irresistible force which
would tear away every thing within their |
reach. But you have noticed that when the
shock of contact is over the waters fall in
g~entleness and silently sink back into the
great body OF the deep. Thus 1t was with
the citizens who became soldiers to pre-
serve their country. When the shock of
the contest was over and victory permitted
the great armies to scatter TO their homes, |
the armed forces melted IN a day and re-
that the life OF a soldier who fights for ma
tive land and for liberty had wrought out
in him. He dropped the pursuits and usages
of war AMI sunk back into the pursuits OF
civil life, giving his strength and hardy
skill to the development OF the country
whose progress since then has been so
marvellous, and with few exceptions has
been so constant on the upward trend"
The speaker touched upon the need OF
proper teaching of the ethical side of the
war in the school histories. and he said he
was glad to know the veterans of Indiana |
are wide awake TO the Importance OF the
subject. He delivered a scorching reply to-
the man who taunts the soldier with the
fact that he was paid for fighting. He |
showed that the pay for standing up to be
shot at was IS cents a day. The money of
the Nation. he said. was so deprecated at
the same time that the Secretary of the
Treasury had TO accept 50 cents on the dol
such was the service the soldiers endered
the government was afterward able to
pay the face value of the bonds, and when /
during Ganeral Ha-riSOn's administration /