The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1896-06-04


day is, that from Maine to California
and from the Lakes to- the Gulf, the
stars and stripes-the old red, white
and blue floats in majestic triumph.
The story Of this flag is the story Of
our country. a century Of progress,
and all the achievements of this great
nation have been wrought out under
its majestic folds. During long years
Of peace and prosperity it waved a
benediction over field and Preside, ana
through the dark days of gloom and
disaster it floated in proud majesty, in
spring the faint-hearted and making
the patriot invincible. We have room
within our borders for everything
good. We have room for people from
every nation and land and tongue be-
meath the sun. They are welcome to
our shores, if they are industrious,
virtuous and good. We have room for
scores of cities greater than any that
now dot this fair land. We have room
for schools and institutions Of learning
without number. There is a place on
every hilltop for a church, but in all
this vast domain we have room for only
one flag. No rival flag longer dis
putes its supremacy. In years gone
by, the flags of England, France and
Spain claimed allegiance from various
portions of this vast domain, but one
after another they disappeared before
the flag of destiny. For four desperate
years treason assailed it's stars, with a
heroism worthy of better cause, but
not one star was lost. They were as
hard to wrest from their place upon it's
azure blue as are the planets from
their ordained course in the heavens.
Victory has always rested with those
who fought under it. No power on
earth can overthrow it; but its blue
field will continue to widen, its stars
will multiply and its stripes broaden
until the whole world will behold it's
glory and make haste to share in the
blessings and benefits of its folds.
And while I rejoice to see it float over
our school houses and public buildings,
and from so many homes, Ireioice the
more that in every cemetery and
country graveyard, however obscure,
IN which a soldier of the Union lies
buried, can be seen to-day, often half
hidden in the luxuriant verdure of
sprlngtime, little fag-the flag that
costs perhaps a penny standing guard
over the sacred dust of the dead. a
tiny flag, one that a prattling babe
could wave in its glee, but neverthe-
less flag under whose folds the child
could defy the world.
The children and youth of our land
cannot be taught too early to love and
reverence the flag of their country, the
flag under which their fathers fought,
the flag for which so much blood was
shed, the flag that will right every
wrong, the flag under whose folds the
faintest cry for justice can. be heard.
Let it never be put to unholy uses or
regarded as common thing. y
z And now I must speak of another
flag, that to some Of us to-day is dearer
than our life. I refer to the battle
flag. The flag we followed for so
many weary months through sunshine
and rain. The flag we tenderly folded
by our side when we slept on the cold
ground, under unfriendly skies. The
flag so often carried into battle, and
under whose folds so many of our com
rades died. The flag so often stained
with blood, but never with dishonor.
The flag riddled with shot and shell,
discolored by the smoke of battle,
tattered and torn. The flag which at
the beginning was entrusted to the
care Of a thousand brave, stout-hearted
men, but which was returned by a
mere handful of heroes. In the pres
ence of that flag our eyes fill with
tears and our hearts with unutterable
emotion.
In 1868 the flag of the Pennsylvania
regiment to which [ belonged bore
many evidences Of the severe cam
paigns through which it had passed,
and Gov. Curtin visited us in camp for
the purpose of presenting the regiment
with new flag. There seemed to be
some uncertainty whether, in accept
ing the new flag, we would be required
to surrender the old flag to the State.
The major who was in command of the
regiment at that time was a man of few
words, but when the presentation took
place felt that some reply must be
made to the eloquent words of the gov
ernor, so, in stammering way, he
said: "This is a pretty flag, and we
will take it if we do not have to give
up the old flag, but if we have to give
up the old flag we will not take the
new flag, but will keep the old flag y
While the language was a little awlz-