The indicator., 1897-08-28
M'KINLEY AT BUFFALO
HE MEETS THE VETERANS
Prominent Figur- at the q. A. Enesmp-
ment-His speech at Banquet

ment-His speech at Banquet
Buffalo. y. y, Aug. 2i.-From the
moment that the special train that
bore the President and his rctinue to
the city arrived until he retired tonight
there was one glorious and spontaneous
demonstration. From the depot To the
Niagara hotel. distance of two miles,
the streets were lined with people, and
AT the hotel. In front OF which there is
great square. the police and soldiers
from the nearby barracks had difficult
work to keep the multitude in position,
Even when. with Mrs. Mckinley and
Governor Black. the President had cn-
tered the hotel and vanished from
sight. there followed after him the
cheers uf the people, until he WAS
obliged 10 come TO the balcony.
where. after order had been restored,
he said;
Il come To greet You and TO thank
you AT The same time for your gencr-
Gus welcome The Grand Army OF the
Republic seems To hr ON foot to-day.
hut not carrying arms Those were
Ion. since laid aside. and the Grand
Army Of The Republic is to-day dedlcnt-
ed 10 peace tapplausei and the Union
forever, ! ans glad 10 lee In the city of
Buffalo with my comrades Of 81 and
~ and my comrades now. thank
you all. and bid you good afternoon
shortly after : o'clock Columbia
post, dressed In fatigue coats and white
duck trousers. arrived at the hotel and
acted a. escort to the President To the
Elliott building. where the post enter
tanned the President tu banquet.
The President when he arose 10
speak was given the Nnrmcst Of wei
comes.
Then the President snid, very slowly
and distinctly;
Mr. ToastmHStrr and Comrades and
My Fellow Citizpus-l wish might
frame fitting words to make fitting re-
spuuSc 10 The more than gracious wei
cone which YOU have accorded me here
tonight. ! come with no set form of
speech; come with no studied phrases
IA present 10 YOU, hut | come in the
spirit Of comTadeship ,applauspl TO talk
To you. ns we have often talked in the
past. around the campiirrs in war. as
wcll as at campircs in peace. To me,
| 80" hy the program. has been as
signed the toast. The Country and Its
Defenders" My fellow citizens,
blessed iS thar country whose defend
crs are patriots Blessed is that couu-
try whose soldiers fight for it and are
best that any man has, their own lives.
to preserve 1t. because they love II.
such an army the United States has al
WAYS commanded In every crisis of her
history From the War of the Rcvo-
lutiuu to the late Ciyil War, the men
followed that flag in battle because
they loved that flag and believed in
what 1t represented. That was the stun
of which the volunteer army OF 81
was made Every one of them, not on
ly fought, hut they thought, and many
of them did their own thinking, and
did not always agree with their com
mander
That young soldier. who in the late
war, upon the battle line. ahead with
the color guard. bearing the stars and
stripes, way in front of the line, but
the enemy still in front of him, when
the general called out TO the colorbear-
er. Bring those colors back to the line
and quicker than any bullet that young
soldier answered back, Bring the line
up TO the colors.' 1t was the voice of
command. there was a man behind II,
there was patriotism in his heart,
80 nigh to grandeur is our dust:
SO near to God is man.
When duty whispers:
Lo thou must, youth replies,
| can"
And 50 more than two million brave
men thus responded and made mp an
army grandrr than any army that ever
shook the earth With its tread. And
engaged in II holicr cause than ever sol
diprs did before. What defenders my
cuuntrymcn. have we nowE We have
the remnant of this old, magnificent,
matchlcss army of which ! have been
speaking. and then as allies In any
future war we have the brave men who
fought against us In southern battle
fields. The army of Grant and the
army of Lee are together. They are
one in faith. in hope. In fraternity, in
purpose and in an invlncible patriot
Ism And therefore the country is in
10 danger. In justice, strong; In poll
cy. secure. and devotion 10 the nag. all
one. My fellow countrymen. | thank
you and bid You good night"
The Presidents allusion TO the South
and its unity with tn" North was re-
ccivcd with vociferous applause, the
audience standing up in Their seats TO
cheer, and at the conclusion OF the
toust Governor Black led the applause.