Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-06-09
AN ENTHUSIASTIC MEETING
Held in the East End After the Street
cmonstration.

Held in the East End After the Street
! demonstration.
The column after returning from the
| South Side proceeded to the corner OF
| Byron and Fourteenth streets, where a
rousing patriotic meeting was held.
| The Immunes, after stacking their
arms in the Cathedral high school yard,
were drawn up in line in front of a
| large platform which had been taste
fully embellished for the occasion in
the American colors. The platform
| was occupied by the speakers, Mayor
| A. L. Sweeney, Capt. A. A. Franzhelm,
! Congressman B. B. Dovener, Col. Robt.
White, Rev. d. A. Cunningham and
others, and was surrounded by large
assemblage OF people. All the adj
: dresses were listened to with interest
and much enthusiasm was displayed.
| Several patriotic selections were rem
dered by the Opera House band, after
which the meeting was called to order
at 1890 o'clock, Mayor Andrew t.
Sweeney presiding. After beautiful
prayer, very appropriate to the occa-
| sion, had been made by Rev. DR.. d. A.
| Cunningham, pastor of the First Pres
byterian church, Mayor Sweeney made
| a few pleasing remarks of welcome on
| behalf of the citizens. The speaker
! briefly stated the object of the meet
! ing, and in addressing the Immunes,
| said: 1T is to express cur appreciation
| for what you have done. If you have
had any doubt of the esteem in which
/ you have been held, feel sure that this
mornings demonstration has dispelied
| it. Soldiers are entitled to the great
| est credit for their services, and l thank
| you on behalf of the public
i Congressman FL. B. Dovener was
| then introduced and made a very
| thoughtful address in his usually pleas
ing way. His remarks in part were as
! follows:
| Soldiers of the Republic, Citizens Ladies
| and Gentlemen:-
| This nation has been blessed with loyal
| subjects. At no time has the flag been in
| danger and never was there an. appeal to
| the Executive, that there We're not many
| souls WHO We're ready to protect the
country: When that Supreme Being divid-
| ed the dry land from the water, l believe
| that He put it into the heart of the navi-
gator to go out on the fathomiesS deep
| to discover this continent / believe that
| he put it into the hearts of the Pilgrim
| Fathers to land upon these shores. / be-
| lieve that He put INTO the hearts of those
who adopted the Declaration of Independ-
| In the interest of civilization and hui
manlty, | welcome you, my comrades,
| who have come home, who responded to
the call of the explosion; you VINO desert
| ed your mothers and sWeethearts to go
out to suffer privations you were not used
| these sacrifices. We to-d;--- welcome you
| home because you. on the field, and others
| on the ocean, have lifted the country
| higher and higher until we are the grand
! est nation on the. face Of the earth. From
| our heart of hearts and our very being,
| we welcome you home.
The next speaker was Col. Robert
White, who spoke in a very interest
| ing vein, as follows:
1t was one of the greatest privileges of
| my life to have been chosen TO give you
! the good byes of this people, when, about
| a year ago you boarded the train at the
| Baltimore q OHIO depot to go to war, in
| the service of your country, and TO invoke
| the Father of us all. Providence has tru-
! ly answered the prayers of the people
! which that day were made. He has pre-
| served you from battle and from blood
| she'd and has taken, no ore can tell why,
| but one of your company to the .'other
SIDE, one dear soldier boy, to be buried
| in mighty oceans depths. 1t is to-day d
| great privilege and pleasure TO stand here
! on this platform, and,Tn the name of this
people, voice their heart-warm welcome
| to you upon your return TO them, TO
your homes and the hearts of your loved
| ones 1t has been told of John Howard
! Payne. the great author of the tenderest
!
| when the sweet singer, Jennie Lind, sang
| in Washington, in the Hal of the House
| of Representatives, he went to hear her
| songs and modes5ly seated himself far
| back in the crowd, to listen, and that
| when the songstress arose, she in ten
derest notes. began TO sing his great song,
! Home, Sweet Home, he broke down
| with the feelings that crowded upon his
| heart, and tears, great tears, welled from
| his eyes and .tr.ckled down his cheeks.
| So, know whilst you were far. far away,
| dong your duty as soldiers of your loved
| country, when you heard the notes of
that sweet song fail from lips; or Played
| your eyes, as you thought of home and
| the loved ones there. | know, too, that
| your hearts bound with tendsrest graft
| tude, as to-day you can sing that other
| song of home:
| Home again, home again,
| From d foreign shore,
oh! it fills my soul with joy,
| To meet my friends once more"
| One scene L witnessed to-day awaked
| my memory of the day when l returned
| to my own home, thrty-four years ago,
from war, not as YOU do to-day, to be
| welcomed by rejoicing people, amid
! flags flying, music swelling on the ar,
and the words of friends, who only want
| ed voice to giye you welcome" but a
| four long years of war and desoation,
| the soldier OF lost cause, to be wei
! comeG by the tender love OF a mother,
| who pressed me TO her bosom and shed
| tears of love and gratitude, only such as
J a mother can shed. And to-day, when
! saw the mother of one of you clasp you
| TO her heart and shed her mothers tears,
my heart was touched with its tenderest
| memories, and my own eyelidS melted
| with the tear of sympathy
l Was told to-day | had been selected
| to represent, upon this occasion, those
| who IN the great struggle of thirty odd
| years ago, wore the gray, whilst my
| friend, the gallant soldier, Captain Dove
| ner, would so well represent those who
wore the b.ue. All! my friends, l am glad
and proud to represent my Old comrades
| and their people here this day. knew
| when the Confederate soldier gave his
parole, at the end of this great struggle
! ne meant what he sad: / knew that
| he would return to his home, and turn
| his sword into a ploN snare | knew
| that the old soldier. who had been a hero
| upon many d blood-bought battlefield
would do what he said for his parole was
the parole of honor. | knew that If ever
the flag of this, his country, was Insult ed
ard the call of the government was made
1 to defend and do battle for it, he would
prove the manner OF man he was and
| hasten Ito defend her TO the last" And
] / have lived TO see the day, when mis-
| country called, he FASTENED to obey that
| call. and to leave home. friends. ALL to
| do battle for her, under that flag the
| emblem of her liberties, and of Christian
| humanity.
| Yes, from the far off hills of the frozen
north, TO the sandy plains of the sunny
| south, when the call came, men of the
north and men of the south rallied under
! the folds of a common flag, TO maintain
| the honor and do battle for a common
| country Tell me not that we are NOT