Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-06-01

ness that causes him to make suS" "
mendacious utterance? Did ne n.y.
know. when he 80 outrageousiy W.
famed and brutally insulted that srea'
organization of men who oHereu '.e
| last sacrifice that man can make ="
preserve the government whose pcne
flcence he enjoys, that 1t mas nesei
asked nor received one cent from ing
national treasury?
Is the Grand Army Of the hepuuns
| to be condemned because It aosoeaee
n liberal pension policy? That p"..s
| is Sustained by the sentiment oi VI"
people a sentiment of grateful 'eehne
| for brave services rendered the eoun
try in its DAYS OF peril. for display u
courage fortitudc and fidelity sucn 40
has never been excelled. Aiiis SEM
| ment seems never to have apideu III
Tho venerable doctors heart, OF coihe
| 70 his cognizance, but If he VIII IN
ouire of good men, he will ma tha'
a~ists aud is almost universal Win
even those who have been DOT" s'"ee
| the war closed. .,a 70
Where is patriotism to be iouhu u
not among the veterans OF 'n No.,
Who loves the country If not tnes
who offered their lives to save y
who can look upon a procession "
Grams such as we have seen neie'
day, he who can see them as ,hes
DERBY place the tributes from t'eii
hearts upon the graves OF thei' ."ii
radcs. and have no other feehhs IMAM
| to accuse them of mercenary mo.iNes'
may be a college president, pu' he 10
either q fool or a bad man.
II is to the credit of the Grand Army
of the Republic that 1t Indignantly re-
scnts this Islander upon its cnarac.e!'
! II 1t is not tireless promoter OF Pa''f-
| otism. then there is none and never
will be in the land
The Grand Army has not asked nor
| do believe it wants. unjust or eNtraH-
agant appropriations for PENSIONS ;,
| has not adopted or endorsed many VI
the schemes which have been presented
| for the increase of the pension ist. bue
many an old soldier is yet suffering
from want, or is living upon charity'
| and I believe there should not be one,
unless il be the result of his own fauit.
From every consideration of justice
patriotism and national pride the gov
eminent should regard with earnest
solicitude. the welfare OF the veterans
| of the Union armies who, in the PRIME
| of their Young manhood, gave their
strength and energy to the nation : de-
Tense. Their enthusiastic love of coun-
try. their gallant actions, their brilliant
| achievements, the grandeur of their
! sacrifice and the far reaching effects
| of their final victory, can never ma
adequate expression in language. They
went forth to battle for the life OF this
great republic. They carried its fate
| in their hands The hopes of the OPP
pressed of all nations were entrusted to
them. They brought back victory for
their country and for mankind.
| They deserve your warmest gratitude
and highest consideration. Indeed. !
hold that he who does not honor and
respect the old soldiers of the republic
does not love the republic itself. For
| Il anything which you value and re-
spect he created or preserved you can
not hut honor and respect the creator
and preservcr.
You never heard an Grafton or read a
poem which you admire. you never
look upon useful Improvement A
righteous reform. an cndeavor for good,
a triumph for right, but you hold In
esteem and affection the author OF
what you approve.
our forcfathers will never cease L.
live in the hearts of the American pco-
mic. for having established. by the cX-
ercisr of the highest human virtues
our institutions upon the solid sub
structure upon which they now rest
We shall forget to honor them only
when we fai! to appreciate the charac-
tor and value of the government which
they instituted and whose benefits we
now enjoy And so l say that no man
who appreciates the Union to ourselves
and to the human race, no one who Is
proud of our country's strength and
greatness today, can fail to honor those
whose valor and prowess saved II from
destruction, and fixed 1t upon foun-
datinn which we believe cannot bo
shaken. And it is one Of the most en-
coura ginc indications. one of the strong
est pledges of the continuance of OUT
government and the freedom and jus
tice which it cnshrines. An oNerwhclm-
ing ina jority of our people old and
young and of all avocations and pur-
suits hold in affectionatc regard the
survivors of that great army Of loya
mon who went to the battle front. when
the nation was in extreme peril, t.
fight and die if so it should be ordered
to preserve life and maintain the power
and glory Of their country.
This Is most encouraging to all pa
triotic men, To you who were in the
great contest it must be kcenly graf
iifying. Who does not care to leave his
good deeds recognized and recorded
in the hearts of the people? To know
that we shall be remembered for
worthy conduct is a most powerful
stimulous to virtue and grand achieve
ment. We cannot denounce the aspir-
atoms of men to become famous by
honest endcavors.
The people admire 1t. And how il
eXcitcs ambition and kindles the souls
of others to emulation. How it lifts
us up from the clay and the clod upon
which we walk in our every day pur-
suits, up from our selfshness and mar
row purposes. up from our broils and
chickering's and contentious. up out of
our own personality to the contempla
ton Of what is grander and more like
the divine. To think of self sacrifice
of accomplishing suffering, of heroic
struggle of challenging danger in the
pursuit of a great and noble end, is to