The Republican journal., 1900-06-07

| ~ NJ |d,,
to God that the perfumes of those flow
ers could reach those fallen heroes in
tneir sleep, that they might realize the
feelings which exist among the people
of all sections. This beautiful custom
of strewing those graves with flowers
should be fostered both in the North
and the South The privates in the
ranks We're the real heroes. He who,
without hope Of reward or honors.
faced death IN the defense of his flag.
should be honored by his countrymen.
Before the wal the people of the
| North and the South deprecated each
other. They did not know or under
stand each other. The Southerner
, thought that one Southern man could
| lick two Nanks. lie said ''When We
| uns charge you-llnS Will run like tur-
! keys" But when We-uns and yol-uns
came together. O, what a surprise. The
/ Noithemers thought that 10000 men
could conquer the south and put down
| the Rebellion in 90 days, and Secretary
Seward said the war would not last 60
T days. But What AN awakening for the
people of the North Brave men on
I the one side We're pitted against men
fully as brave on the other. 1t was
not a question of superior valor OF abil-
| ity. but he was the victor who got there
| first with the most men. The North
got there first and every true man in the
South thanks God for it. The country
is better for the abolition of slavery.
The war illuminated in one of the
most knlghtly acts Of history. TO
Names son. Gen. Chamberlain. belongs
this honor. TO him fell the duty of re
ceiving the surrender of Lees army,
and as the two armies were drawn up
face to face, the one to lay down its
arms to the other, Gen. Chamberlain
ordered his men to present arms, an
| honor never before accorded to de-
feated army. Gen. Chamberlain recog-
ed the valor and sincerity of his fore
men and honored them for it. The
southern soldiers went to their homes,
and they carried with them lasting
impression of the magnanimity of their
conquerors. Monuments to Gen. Lee
are found IN all parts of the country
and the Confederate lifts his hat to the
statue of Grant and Sherman as the
| Mon man does to Lee and Jackson.
Maine set the example of fraternity in
the war of 1877 when the commanders
of the Enterprise and Boxer. both killed
tive ships, were buried in one grave in
Portland and common monument
erected to their memory
Col. Nelsslnger then paid a glowing
tribute to the vaIor and patriotism of
the people of Name in the early wars
and III the Rebellion. and spoke of the
added courage gwen to the men at the
front by the knowledge that true-heart-
ed ana patriotic wives were praying and
working for them at home
In conclusion he said, The invitation
to me, Confederate soldier, to speak
over your brave dead is a reminder that
animosities are obliterated. In the
spanish war men of the North and the
South fought side by side, under Law
ton and Joe Wheeler, and they marched
to battle to the strains of Yankee Doc
die and Dixie Land. Soon the veterans
of both armies will all have passed over
to the eternal camping ground of Grant
and Lee, and the most valuable legacy
we can leave to our successors is peace.
We should have had no trouble in send
ing you back had you not realized the
fact that the warm and brave hearts of
your wives were beating for you in your
Northern homes They made men brave
He referred in chivalrous and feeling
and made some personal references to
his own part in the war which were
called to mind by the poem. He was an
officer iii that part of the Southern
army known III the North as ''Morgan's
horse thieves His wife was a North
ern woman i'll sentiment, who once de
cleared she would never marry Con
federate soldier, especially one of Nor
gan $ men, but she did, and he tlatters
himself that she has never been sorry
for it. At least he never has. They
have two sons and nothing would please
him better than to have them come
down into Maine and steal two of her
fair daughters. He closed by reading d
telegram just received from the Presi-
dent OF the Confederate Association of
| Kentucky then in session i'll Louisville,
! as follows:
''Old Comrade: While we regret your
absence we console ourselves with the
thought that you are conveying fratern-
| algreetings to the brethren of the North,
in which we heartily join
81 will not" he said, ''now bid you
adieu, for | hope to see you again, but
l will say Good night
After music by the Band a canvas
tent was pitched on the stage, the room
was darkened, fire started in front of
the tent and with the soldiers standing
about the stage presented night scene
on the tented field. The North Church
! choir, consisting of Messrs. Craig and
Parker Mrs. Howes and Miss Palmer,
with Miss Carrie Kingsbury at the
piano, sang 'Tenting Tonight on the
Old Camp Ground" and the audience
was dismissed by benediction by Rev.
A. A. Smith.
After leaving the Opera House the
veterans and speaker went to Memorial
Hall where clans and coffee were served
and an hour pleasantly spent in story
telling.