The Republican journal., 1898-08-18
The Veterans at Windermere
Two Thousand Present. Presentation of
PORTRAITS. Stirring Address by Hon. w. G.
PhilbrOOk and Good Time Genera1


day, Aug. 18th, did not dampen the ardor of
'he "aioo county veterans and they gather
ed at Wlndermere Park, Unity, two tbous-
and strong, for the second annual reunion of
the Clough Veteran Charitable Association
Hon. Warren G. Philbrook of Watervi]le.
the orator of the day, arrived Thursday
evening and received royal welcome. He.
was entertained by DR.. A. J. Billings at the
Association building. The Brooks Cornet
| Baud arrived on the Friday norninp train
| and went at once to the home of Mrs Cor
ham Clough, where they rendered a number
of pieces. John II. Gordon of Brooks then
made. some brief remarks saying that The
| band had come there TO testify their annreci
| alton of what had been done by Mrs. Ciough
| and her husband for the Association Mrs
| Clough made very feeling response and in
vited the band to the house, where refresh
| ments We're served.
| AT 10 30 a. III. the exercises of the day be-
gan. Comrale A. P. Hatch of North Troy
| invoked divine blessing and John II. Cor
| don of Brooks was called Oh and in a very
neat speech presented TO the association
| portraits of the late Golham Clough who
had given very literally of his money to the
ASSOCIATION and for whom it was named, aud
of DR.: A j. Billings, who carried through
| the project
Ed. G Crosby of Waterville in very few
words accepted the pictures in behalf of
the association, and they were placed IN the
care of the ianitor of the building.
After selection by the band, Hon. War
ren c. Philbrook of Waterville was intro
duced, and was given splendid reception.
! He spoke for about forty minutes. His address
was able, eloquent and scholarly and was
| received with round after round of applause.
| The speaker chose as theme, The Soldier
| as Factor in the Worlds Advancement.
| Taking an introduction a brief word pic
ture of the battle of Marathon, It's effect
upon European civilization was noted, and
| hastily sketching other great events of arms,
the results of wars in promoting the ad-
vancement of various nations and peoples
were historically discussed.
| 1t was the battle of Chalons which made
out of the remnants Of Rome's rich empire
the free members OF the commonwealth OF
Christian Europe and rendered the Christian
Nisigoths of Theodore immortal; it was the
battle of Tours which rescued Christendom
from the followers of the Koran and wrote
in letters of light upon the pages of history
| the name OF Charles Martel; II was the de-
clslve blow struck at Blenhelm which de-
stroyed the threatening power of the four
teenth Louis and made the name of the Duke
OF Marlborough household word it was
the results attained at Saratoga which rails
ed thirteen colonies to the dignity of
| mighty nation and won for it the admiration
of all mankind it was the victorious leading
to the memorable scene at Appomattox
which freed a race OF slaves anu added an
other star to the soldiers crown OF glory;
and to-day the islands of the sea are testify
ing with grateful voices to the power of the
soldier and the sailor TO amelloraJe the suf-
fering of mankind and advance the civIIza-
tiOn of the world.
I'm the presence therefore OF so many men
who answered the call to arms, who left
warm tiresides for the cold damp of the
prison cell, who bade farewell to loved ones
for the possibility Of deaths embrace, by
whom the lonely sentry's beat, and the wild
charge toward the cannon's mouth alike
We're bravely met, to them We give the glory
due for heroic conduct in the hour Of conflict
and write their names upon the tablet
whereon are inscribed the names of the
worlds benefactors."
Then turning to the results of the Civil
War, many interesting facts and the forces
which they set in motion We're recalled.
1t was by virtue of our soldiers bravery
not only that race of blacks We're set free,
and slavery, with all its attendant moral,
social and political evils, was eradicated but
the entire commercial and business attitude
of the United States was placed upon diff
ferent basis. The abolition Of slavery made
radical and corrective changes i'll internal
developments, internal commerce, manufac-
lures and agriculture, broadened foreign
commerce, invited better class OF lmlnl-
grants aud III every way contributed to the
material wealth and prosperity of our Ma
tiOn.
The outbreak Of the Civil War found US
with population OF 5l,Ooo,00o souls, with
the wealth OF the country, as nature had 1t
IN store Tor us, untouched, save IN the
smallest way, with manufactures, COM
merce, agriculture and mining in their IN
fancy, and with no system Of railroads at a
competent to develop our Int rnal resources
IN the hrst year OF Grants admlnlstratlon
there began an enormous development OF
railroad systems. WhlIe the average extern
sion OF railroad lines during the previous
decade had not been more than fifteen
hundred miles per annum IN 1863 1t rose to
torty-slx hundred miles, IN 1870 to SIX thous,
and miles, and III 1861 TO the unprecedented
number OF seven thousand, four hundred
miles. Meanwhile we have grown steadily
IN population, until from 81 900 900 we have
so increased that We now boldly set the
figures at over 100000.
In loi0we stood third in material wealth
among the nations OF the earth. In 1850 we
exceeded the wealth OF magnificent France,
and now We do not yield the palm to old
England herself even when she counts IN
the wealth of her opulent colonies To-day
we do one-fourth Of the manufacturing in
the world. nearly one-half of its mining, one
fourth OF Its agriculture, and IN our banks
and storehouses is accumulated one-slxth OF
all the wealth there is on this earth.
In the face OF these figures, knowing as
we do that immigration, internal i'm
pfv # a