The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1897-09-02
Name and Price stamped on sole
of eyery shoe.
The Grand Army's Year.
Commander ClarkSOn's Annual Address to Il
Veterans.


Commander Clarkson's Annual Address to the
Veterans.
| BUFFALO, n. Y, Aug. 26. At the morn
! ing session of the national encampment, G..
A. R., Commander-in-Ch Chief Clarkson made
his annual address, speaking in part as fol-
| lows:
Once more we have assembled in annual
encampment to render an account of or
stewardship, to renew old associations to
| legisate for the present, to plan for the flu
ture. We meet in fraternity, charity, and
! loyalty, and may all our hearts unite as one
in sustaining the great object Of our order.
| The last national encampment did we'll in
| selecting, as the place of holding the thirty
| first encampment. this beautiful city of Buff
| falo, so representative as it is of the business
and social interests of the great Empire
State. The work of the volunteer soldier
from 1861 to 1865 is matter OF history, and
can be read by every one. In my public adj
dresses l have confined myself to the work
of the grand army OF to-day and l have been
gratifed and hattered at the reception ac-
corded my remarks.
| may be permitted to make special allll-
sion to my visit in the southern departments
where | made it point to come in contact,
as much as possible, With the men who Wore
the gray and their friends my conception of
American manhood and American bravery
has been greatly magnifed. / met no warm
er grasps, no heartier Goispeeds in patriotic
work than from our once enemies, now
~. 81
her stars as bright, her stripes as broad in
the Southland as at home. My sentiment,
tone country, one flag, one people, one des-
tiny, met as hearty response in Georgia
as in Massachusetts, and more than once,
after my public receptions here. I repeated
to myself over the work OF the Il. A. Il. in
that country the doxology praise God
from whom all blessings flow" The Grand
Army of the Republic can do no grauder
work for their country to-day than to
strengthen in those good people their devo-
ton to the land we all so dearly love, to
help to blot out the resentments of the past.
"It has been my proud privilege during
| the year to participate in the last tributes to
two of our great military leaders and COM
IdutSy at Tue UtNlCdtIbu Ol llt lutlllOlIdl
tomb of General [. S. Grant in New York,
and at Chicago the uuveiling of an eques-
trian statue of General John A. Logan.
Upon this latter occasion the greatest inter-
est was added to by the invitation to parti-
clpate in the parade and exercises, extended
by the committee of arrangements to the
Confederate veterans, and accepted by them,
l,ar ba
rade under the escort Of post of this order.
Their participation shows that the world
loves a brave soldier.
Upon this occasion l invited Gen. John
B. Gordon, Commander-in-C Chief of the Con-
federate veterans to ride with me, that all
the world might see that the war was over.
1t was source of great regret to both that
other engagements prevented his attend
ance. | also invited him to come to Buffalo
and assist in the review of the column and
speak at campfire. l know you would
! have made him welcome. | know your
broad American spirit would have given
him a warm reception, but he could not
come. He was engaged in work elsewhere.
! set out early in my official year TO secure
the attendance at this encampmeEt of Com
rade William Mckinley, President of the
United States, believing that his presence
would add much to the interest of the occa-
sion, and to the high position occu pied by
our order. His acceptance of my invitation
was prompt and cordial, and he entered
into every detail with such apparent pleas
ure, as to more than convince me that there
is no tie so strong as that of cOmraaeShip
welded in the fire of battle. His presence
here has been an inspiration to us all, and
we hail with delight the dawn of new era
of prosperity which we see breaking on all
sides. Let me call your attention here brief
| ly to the condition of membership, as report
ed by the Acknowledgements:
In good standing, June 80, 1896. $40, 10
Gains since, by muster in............. 10 534
by transfer. .............. 1851
by reinstatement. IL POI
| by DELINQUENT reinState-