The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-04-09

WHeIc lIlG llSlllS sun BlluS lHe nlSlOrlC
heights OF Bunker Hill TO where the
majestic portals of the Golden Gate
gaze westward across the broad Pacific
as IL in greeting to our solitary post
at Honolulu. 1000 miles away in mid
ocean; in every state and territory
where are assembled the honorably dis
charged veterans of the Union army,
they will be found banded together In
loyal observance of our principles, still,
as of old, the saviors and defenders of
our republic.
Their fraternity and charity have be-
come household words in every por-
ton Of our land-their loyalty as an or
ganized body has been less actively
displayed for lack of opportunity, but
individual instances are frequent in
every walk and condition of life-and
in every emergency, calling for the
faithful performance of duty and self
sacrificing devotion wherever there has
been demand for truest heroism, for
unquestioning obedience to the call of
duty we may be sure that the call has
been obeyed and the demand nobly
met by men wearing above their loyal
hearts the bronZen star of the G. A. r.
Though the winter of age has silvered
our hearts and times busy fingers
traced wrinkles on our brows, yet the
springtide of soldierly affection is still
fresh within us, the old time memories
of the camp and march and the battle
field are still cherished, an everlasting
influence for good in all our hearts, and
as the years go by they seem to bind
our very souls closer to the true spirit
of fraternity which is the vital es-
sence of our order, which is as
fixed and unchanging as the stars
above u.s. the fraternity which prompts
to that noble charity which ever heeds
the cry of the widow and the orphan,
that charity which, shrinking from os-
tentatious aims giving for public COM
| mendation, tenders it's pure and holy
offering in the highest sense practical
exemplification Of the golden rule, that
charity which inspires us with spirit
| of loyalty which swears that no true
comrade shall hide his honorable scars
| In an almshouse or sleep in a neglected
| grave in a "potter's field" that loyalty
| which says that every man who risked
| his life to preserve from dishonor that
grand old flag may live beneath its
protecting folds an honored American
| citizen, and when he dies his grave
| shall be crowned with the same loved
emblem of our country's honor and
made fragrant with the floral offerings
of grateful people.
Such in brief, was the origin, and
such are the objects and principles of
| our beloved order, organized in this
| state in 1867. We have a membership
of nearly 1000. This may seem but a
small percentage of the $1,000 who
marched under the vine emblazoned
banner Of Connecticut but the great
movement to the western states ct the
close of the war took large majority
| of our returning veterans, while many
more sleep all over the sunny south
| land, honored members of that vast
| army of martyrs ''who gave their lives
for liberty" and truth and justice
| But though weak in numbers we are
| strong in faith and works our hearts
| yet thrill with love for our country and
our flag, our ears ever quick to hear
the cry of distress and our hands are
| prompt to offer help in every emer-
gency, no matter how remote.
The flooded far n lands and submerg-
! ed homes of the Ohio and Mississippi
valleys, the chorela and yellow fever
ravaged districts of the far south, the
earthquake ruins of Charleston, the fire
scourged states Of the great west. and
the destruction of Chicago as well as
the corpse strewn slopes of that valley
of death whose purifying exhalations
so long poisoned the the air of doomed
Johnstown, each of these great ealam-
tiles bear equal witness that our char
ity has been broad, full, generous and
free, unstinting in all things, and has
not been, in any sense, confined to
| members of our order.
Our home work of relief is also more
| active, our disbursements showing a
| generous Increase with each passing
year; our widows and orphans share
our bounty equally with our needy
comrades; our campfires burn just as
brightly as of old, and our hearts are
just as keenly alive to all the vital in
terests of our order while each succeed
ing Memorial day gives ample evidence
1 that our dead comrades are still re-
membered in the truest comradeship
and with a truly fraternal regard
I am glad to see some Of my G. A. r.
comrades here (and sorry there are
not more), for I know they feel deep
interest in the continuance Of our loyal
work and we cannot ignore the fact
that our days of active duty are fast
drawing to a close.
In our frequent post meetings the old
familiar faces seem just the same. We
are still "the boys of 81 vet we have
to admit our failing strength and note
the fast increasing rapidity with which
our comrades fall from our ranks in
our daily march of life, and thoughtful
minds have long been busy with the
question, "To whom can we safely en-
trust the performance of our loyal du-
ties?"
1t has been we'll said, What is every
body's business is nobody's business -
and so we look to you, my brothers of
the S. o. ", our present co-laborers
and natural successors, to unite still
more closely with us in all our work
We know we make no mistake in So
Letting your cooperation. We know
you are loyal sons of patriot fathers
and to you we bequeath these sacred
duties, even as we must soon entrust
to your loyal hearts and willing hands
all the duties of citizenship and the
destinies Of this great country, with all
the vast responsibilities of it's glorious
heritage of freedom.
| To haf fbo -