The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-26
AMajor Rebukesa Brieadier-General

n uAbJOE KNOuuACbe
Tho quality Of the Presidents short sum.
mer speeches, upon which We remarked the
other day In q spirit of friendly criticism,
has perceptibly improved by Q little prao-
tioe on his part. Ii 10 Just and proper to
recognize the fact.
At Syracuse on Tuesday, for Instance, the
two hundred words on the subject of patri-
otism which the President addressed to
the crowd at the railway station were dig.
nifled without being stilted, earnest with
out being p%latitudinous. At Buffalo his
speech from the hotel balcony was better
yet. Modest and manly, 1t Is worth pre-
serving as an example Of straightforward
and simple construction:
leone to greet you and to thank you at the same
time for your generous welcome. The Grand Army
OF tho Republic seems to be on foot to-day, but not
carrying arms. These were long since laid aside. and
the Grand Army OF the Republic IL to-day dedicated
to peace and the Union forever. I Am glad to be In
the city Of Buffalo with my comrades OF 'el and 'e5.
and my comrades now. Ithank you all and bid you
good afternoon"
So the speeches at the banquet and the
various camp fires Of veterans of the Grand
Army expressed sincere feeling in admir-
able language. The keynote was that of
patriotic "Reminiscences and the sentiment
was genuine throughout. Thu highest
level reached by the President, perhaps,
was In this passage from his response at
the Ellicott Club dinners:
blessed Is the country whose soldiers night for II
and arc willing to give the best they have. the best
that any man has. their own lives, to preserve It be-
cause they love it. Such an army the United States
has always commanded in every crisis Of her history.
From the war Of the Revolution to the lato civil war
the men followed that nag in battle because they
loved that nag and believed in what It 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 always agree with
their commander. A young soldier in the late war
was on tho battle limo ahead with tho color guard,
bearing the Starr and Stripes away in front Of tho
line. but the enemy still in front OF him. The Gen.
eral called out to the color bearer. Bring those colors
back to the nue.' and. quicker than any bullet, that
young soldier answered back. Bring the line up to
the colos.' It was the voice of command; there was
q man behind It. and there was patriotism In his
heart.
$50 nigh to grandeur ia our dusti
30 near to God Is man.
When duty whi.pers .Lo. thou mustr
Tho youth replies, y can
"And so moro than two million bravo mon thus 70.
sponded and made up an army grander than any
army that ever shook tho earth with its tread, and
engaged in . boiler cause than ever engaged soldiers
before.
what defenders, my oountrymen, have vo now,
We have the remnant of this old. magnificent, match.
less army of which I have been speaking. and then,
as allies In any future war, we have tho brave men
who fought against us on Southern battlenelds. Tho
army of Grant and the army Of Lee arc together.
They are one now In faith. in hope. in fraternity. in
purpose. and in an invincible patriotism. And, there
fore. the country is in no danger. In justice strong,
in peace secure. and in devotion to the nag all one.'
The concluding words. addressed alike to
the soldiers who wore the blue and to those
who fought in gray uniforms, rave almost
the ring of ABRAHAM LINCoLN's rhetoric.
Here is a man, high in station, President
of both North and South, who does not
share the opinion of Gen. BRADLEY TYLER
JOHNSON of Virginia, that "all the shak.
Ing Of hands and mingling of the Blue and
Gray Is bosh, pure bosh." There could be
no better rebuke, and no rebuke at a more
appropriate time and place, than Major
MCKINLEY administered to the unrecon.
structed Brigadier-General for his rancid
~utterances.
We are sure that II the President had
the decisive word in the matter the Grand
Army of the Republic would 20 to Rich.
mond In 1899 in response to the generous
and patriotic invitation which Gen. BRAD.
LEY T.. JOHNSON and a few like him have
tried in vain to discredit.