Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-09-02
TALKS TO VETERANS.
MkINLEy RESPONDS TO 4
TOAST AT BUFFALO.
Old soldiers Give q Banquet In HE
Honor-rhree Hundred and Fifty
Thousaad People I'm Attendance
8lst Annual Eucam pmcnt.



"Put 'Em on at Buffalo,"
The incoming rush Of Grand Army vet
Grams and their womcnfolk to attend the
national encampmcnt Mt Buffalo was AT
It's height Tuesday. The different rail-
roads centering there gave estimates OF
the number of passengers landed In Bur
falo during the twenty-four hours ended
at midnight. The total footed up 145,OOO.
AS all the railroads expected arrivals Tor
Wednesday at least equalihg those OF the
previous day, 1t was estimated that there
would be at least 10000 more arrivals
before the big parade, which would bring
the grand total of encampment visitors up
to 100000.
President Mckinley was the lion of the
hour, it being the first time in the history
Of the organization that a President OF
the United States put in an appearance
at the national encampment. Tie ban
quet which was rendered Tuesday night
to the President and other distinguished
guests was Il notable affair. Covers were
laid for 800 guests at the Ellicott Club.
The hosts were representatives of every
department in the organization and sub
scribed literally toward the function.
The President was escorted from the
Niagara Hotel to the club by Chicago
post and an impromptu reception preced-
ed the banquet. Speechmaking was in
order at o'clock, as the President dc
sired to leave early to attend some camp
meetings. COL James A. Sexton of Hi
nois was the tOastmaster. President Nc
Kinney responded TO his toast as follows:
wish might frame fitting words to
make suitable response to the more than
gracious welcome which you have accorded
Inc here tonight. | come with no set form
OF speech; come with no studied phrases to
present to you; but come In the spirit OF
companionship to talk with you as we have
so often talked In the past around the camp
nres In war, as well as the camp-hres In
peace. To me, l see by the program, has
been assigned the toast, ''The Country and
It's Defenders" My fellow-citizens. blessed
Is that country whose defenders are patriots;
blessed Is that country whose soldiers fight
Tor 1t and are willing to give the best they
haye-the best that any man has-their own
lives, TO preserve II because they love It,
such an army the United States has al
ways commanded In every crisis Of her his
tory: From the war Of the Revolution to
the late civil war the men followed that flag
In battle. because they loved that flag and
believed In what Ii represented. That was
the stun Of which the volunteer army OF
81 was made. Every one of them not only
fought. but they thought; and many OF
them did their own thinking. and did not al
ways agree with their commanders. Note
that young soldier. who In the late war,
upon the battle line. ahead with the color
guard bearing the stars and stripes away In
front OF the line, but the enemy still In front
OF him. The general called out to the color.
bearer, "Bring these colors back TO the line, I"
and quicker than any bullet that young sol.
der answered back, Bring the line up TO
the colors." 1t was the voice Of command .
there was n man behind II, and there was
patriotism In his heart
$50 near to grandeur Is our dust,
So near to God Is man,
When duty whispers, 'Lo. thou must,
The youth replied. Il can Z"
And so more than 1000. 900 brave men thus
responded and made up an army grander
than any army that ever shook the earth
with Its tread and engaged In a holier cause
than ever engaged soldiers before. What
defenders, my countrymen, have we now!
We have the remnant OF this old. magnih-
cent. matchless army of which have been
speaking, and then as allies In any future
war we have the brave men who fought
against US on Southern battlefelds The
army OF Grant and the army OF Lee are to-
gether. They are one now In faith, In hope
In fraternity. In purpose and In invinci-
BILE patriotism. And therefore the country
Is In no danger. In justice strong, In peace
secure, and in devotion to the flag all one.
Secretary of War Alger, speaking TO
the toast, ''The Army Of the United
States" said in part:
1T is hard for me to speak about the
army with the President present. The
army of the United States, as far as it
went, was the best on Gods footstool.
He had been i'm London, and had been
asked what il the United States was at
tackled by the great military nations. l
answered that in thirty days we could
put millions of fighting men in the field
and back them up with n wall OF fire in
the persons of the veterans. At the same
time he thought that the army should be
strengthened somewhat. He compliment
ed the national guard and said that it
would prove great bulwark Of the nation
in time Of need.
G. Porter Johnson Of Chicago respond
cd TO the toast, THE Volunteer" Henry
Estabrook spoke to the toast, THE Gen
eral." Charles w. Anderson. coiored
orator, spoke Of the colored troops, and
John s. Wise spoke upon Under One
Flag" Mr.. Wise, who was n Confcder-
ate officer, was received with much enthu-
siasm. Archbishop Ireland was the last
general toast orator, and was received
with vociferous applause.
The feature OF the morning was the
second parade of the celebration and the
first in which G. A. X. men took part
The Naval Veterans Association and the
ex-Prisoners of War Association, to-
gether with the survivors of Erie County
regiments and other organizations COM
posed the Grand Army contingent Of the
parade. The naval veterans wore the uni
form of the United States naval service
and made n splendid appearance. AS they
passed through the streets in the rolling
gait Of men-of- warsmen the crowds cheer
ed them TO the echoes.