The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-09-02
VETS CHEER GEN. slcKLEs.
SIASM By A PATRIOTIC
PLEA.
HARD TACK AND HARDSHIP DAYS
Recalled In Archbishop IreIand's
Speech, In Which Humor and
Pathos Blend

| idI SeSI cdHpHre OF the evening at the
auditorium last night and witnessed
a programme Of unusual merit, lasting
over three hours. The large building
was handsomely decorated, large flags
sewed together being strung across the
entire dome, leaving in the center a
field Of blue containing forty-fve stars.
Back OF the stage was the children's
chorus and Seibert's band On the
front were palms and cut flowers.
Among the prominent visitors on the
platform were Commander Richard
Meade. of the United States navy; Maj.
Gen. Daniel Butterfield, Mai. Hazard,
of Pennsylvania; T. ]. Charlton, super
intendent Indiana Reform school; w.
II. Ketchem, attorney general Of Indi-
ana, and L. L. Robbins, New York. OF
the ladies reception committee Mrs. r.
c. Jefferson, Mrs. l. L. Mahan and
Miss Mahan, Mrs. w. B. Summers,
Mrs. Newhill and Mrs Pinch also oc-
cupied chairs on the platform.
The address of welcome was made
by Rev. ]. Paul Egbert, D. D., in
which he infused an extra amount of
patriotism and made the old soldiers
feel right at home. He introduced
Gen. Daniel Sickles, the first speaker
Of the evening. The general lost his
left leg at one Of the early skirmishes
In the late war, which he claimed was
due to probably some Of the sharp
shooting of Gen. Longstreet. So the
general delivered his lecture seated in
a chair on the front of the platform.
He told his views Of the West, how he
had looked upon it as the home of
hundreds of thousands Of men who
came here to improve the cities and to
build up education and further civili-
cation. He had always looked upon
the men of the West as brothers. He
had fought side by side with them in
many battles
My friends" he said, 1--WE all love
our country. We are all proud of its
| unity, and l trust we all stand today.
the appropriate time, maintaining
unity and preserving order and ma
tional honor. I believe with Wash
lngton that there will be no North no
South, no East and no West True it
is that in this vast continent, through
this broad domain there are great in
terests. My friends I have not come
here to deliver lecture upon any
subject. The object of these campfires
is to pass few hours in recreation and
enjoyment, telling Of "reminiscences
ana recalling old days. But want to
thank the people of this city tonight
for the hospitality they have shown
and for their generous and patriotic
welcome to my comrades whom they
have done so much to honor"
The Mendelssohn quartette then
rendered my Old Kentucky Home"
! after which Miss Maud Burdette sang
a rh01 intn "a NJ
Inns recitation Of a patriotic piece was
well rendered and generously applaud
ed. The limitation of an engine by
Maj r. H. Henderson, and son was
very good. In this the major gave an
exhibition on the snare drum, and at
/ times when he laid to" many an old
veterans eyes sparkled when the long
tramps of thirty years ago were
brought back by the din of the drum
which filed the hall.
The next speaker was the Rt. Rev.
Archbishop Ireland, who gave a soul
| stirring speech and related many anec-
dotes which were much appreciated by
the audience. He said:
| II am at all times proud of my count
/ ry. I am proud Of its magnificent lakes,
| of its rivers, of its fertile plains; proud
| of it's great cities and industries and it's
commerce, but never am l 50 proud Of
| It as when see the old veterans of the
war; when L see the country in graft
| tude blessing and praising them. I
am proud of my country when see our
veterans around me. What a magni-
! ficent spectacle they are! So many
| thousands of old soldiers representing
! the millions who In the hour Of terror
went forth with aIacrity to her old
! standard and died for her veal and
| security. Those who did not pass
! through the war can scarcely under
Gfa dnI cyI4%
meet and remember older days and tell
| campfire stories. No, with the best will
| they cannot understand our joy, our
pleasure. 1t is joy, IS 1t not, to recall
those days when you marched to the
| South, suffering often Of hunger and
| thirst? When you recall the nights
| during which you slept by the dusty
roads, when you We're glad to appease
your hunger with a cracker or with
| some piece Of raw pork, that some
| 5ayhawking expedition brought back
to the camp. 1t Is a pleasure, L assure
| you, often in your homes to fancy you
are again hearing the sound of the cav
airy. 1t is even a pIasure to remember
| the days of sickness. when you call to
mind the old prescriptions of the doc
| tors, things which you did not relish
very much, but which today you love to
recall. 1t is a pleasure when you meet
an old friend and say we drank from
strangers what we drank from it,
That is our business. It may have been
| good, pure water. 1t may have been.
| very muddy water which we got where
we could from marsh and pool At
| times it NAV have heen something
better, and when we think of the weary
marches of the soldiers, we are willing
to forgive them if they did occasionally
have a. little apple jack or peach
| brandy.
You saved America from all re-
| proach. For, say what we will, it was
unfortunate that beneath the symbol
| of liberty there was slavery. IT was
unfortunate that on the soil of America
there was one single human being. de-
prived of his freedom, and so great a
| problem was slavery that without the
war it might yet have remained, and
| the stars and stripes would not be as
they are today, flag of freedom for
| all the sons of man. When you saved
| America you saved liberty and repub-
| lican institutions for the whole world.
There was much at stake In our civil
! war, and when we come together as
we do tonight, what joy there is to
see the great fruits Of our victory. Tt
| is well, indeed, that we celebrate the
deeds OF the great warrior We do it
| In no bitterness for our ancient foe
| who are now with us. The war is over
but the country needs you yet, and for
| the sake Of the country let me beg of
you to take care of yourselves. Stay
with us as long as you can. / assure
you America is in no hurry to see you
| pass away, and l say to America it
will be a sad thing when the record
shall be written, "The last of the
| Grand Army Of the Republic is no
more" For many years do I hope
we shall have national encampments,
and 1t will be well for America and