The Republican journal., 1900-08-23

| faith. Yours is the honor of the MARTYR
\ GU gave your life for the principles dear tt
| every American heart.
| 1t is true you are alive. In the trues
sense of the word, he who puts himself il
the hands of his country as you did dies
| for his country. He may escape the bulle
but he who puts his country first shall have
his name ON the martyrs roll. Death is moi
dying on the battle field but the giving OF
one Will to his nation in the hour OF peril
| We do not welcome you because you were
| brave. Others have been brave and die(
for worthless cause. You witnessed fol
an idea which is the life blood of a noble
nation. Not a child is born or shall be borl
| but is indebted to you. You rescued blind
ed, bleeding freedom from being trampled tt
| death. You We're brave in the service OF
| humanity.
The Star Spangled Banner is bunting, or
the symbol and expression of the divines1
truth concerning nations. Seen in q
| foreign land it thrills the heart. The sol
der dies in peace under its folds. The
| sailor asks to be covered with it in death
| nique among the national fags-it alone
stands for humanity, proclaims self govern
ment, the government "of the people, by the
people, for the people" far and wide. You
| brought back "Old Glory" free from stain
| the only flag that does not insult manhood
! because 1t knows no plebS, but declares all
men created equal. Jesus was the first tC
speak the word ''humanity;" our nation the
first to echo it,
The future of the republic depends upon
| the loyait! of our men to the idea of sell
government. Whoever at the ballot box
! beilttles it or aims to make men lose their self
respect, puts a knife to the nations heart
| shoots poison into the nation veins, does
| the little he can to kill human liberty
| We welcome you, the sight of you makes
us feel we have sacred trust We are not
wasting time in making sacrifices to hold
share il with others. We owe it to humani-
ty to give these object lessons. Thus we
get into the young peoples minds the idea
that must shape the nations policy No
sacrifice is too great to help young men to be
independent, self respecting men, to be
Americans.
We welcome you, for you by your deeds of
| valor kindled in mems hearts the fast expir-
ing hope of humanity. We welcome anv eff
fort to-day to make that idea shine like a
star in our mental armament. Anything
that makes it conspicuous, whether it be
the flag on the school house or the spirit of
the teacher within deserves our praise. We
must make a conscience of this idea. Brave
and knave may live together. Conscience
is the man. Man is not what his intellect
is. Man is conscience. Without conscience
at the ballot box he may be an intellectual
knave, a traitor to human freedom.
We welcome you, for your spirit still goes
forward in Cuba Our boys are there, not
to crush manhood but to wake it. The mo-
ment men in Cuba shall realize they are
menrand our equals, she will be as free as
the United States We are in the Philip
pines to make them as free as the State of
Maine. We are there to help them to man.
hood. When once they realize they are as
good as we are, our ministry of mercy will
end.
We welcome you because you are still
teaching us that a servile American is a
disgrace to his flag. He is unfit for the sacred
trust of an American Men are slow to
teaches US God is Il noble character Few
seem to master the truth. Jesus taught the
value of men to noble God. Do not grow
weary OF impatient, Witness unto death for
human freedom
Could we have the finest works of art in
this country with degraded lower class of
men, We would not have it. This world was
made for manhood. Noble men we want,
and there can be no nobility without self
respect. Self-government fosters self-re-
>pect The self-government of the soul alone
fits for a share in the government of the
people, by the people, for the people.
Would YOU, with your noble mind and re-
fined senSbility, like the environment of a
horse. To my knowledge there are spirits
that wear bodies with colored skin the
equal of amy citizen in fineneSS of nature
This morning waking they might have
ii
brute. no mother. father, brother, sister,
wife. husband, child OF home affection such
as we mean. 1t is otherwise, and because
you veterans carried to them the truth of
manhood This is why we welcome YOU
1t is little we can do. our homes are
open to You. Our people love their country,
love their soldiers, revere their God Our
hearts are wide open to men who witness
for loyalty When the Greek slave by
Powers shall have gone to the rubbish heap,
your deeds of unseltishnesS viii live in mar
bic, painting and song. We hope YOU will so
enjoy yourselves you will soon want to come
again. Go in and out our homes freely
See our handsome sons and beautiful daugh-
terS. children of liberty loving people
May the Good Angel of the L inverse YOUR
Best Friend, be with you and keep you, to
make sunshine in the shady places of life
for you, and when you depart may you hear
sounding in your ears the welcome from
your hearts.
Welcome, ever welcome gallant veterans
of the Twenty sixth.
Capt. Ansel Wadsworth of Belfast re-
sponded i'll fitting terms, returning thanks
for the kindly greeting extended, and re-
calling the stirring incidents of the past
Song by the choir, Red, White and Blue :;
address by Rev. A. E. Bean; remarks by
Lemuel W. Peters, Esq, of Boston, who
told some witty stories; song by Newton
Osgood of the Arlington Quartette, Haver-
hill, Mass, "Just before the Battle, Mother -
The following poem by Mrs. Mary E. Mayo
of Bluehill was then read
TO THE TWENTY-sIXTH MAINE
Two summer suns, with scorching heat,
winters storm of rain and Sleet
On the gathered armies had fercely beat,
Since the signal from Sumpter's gun:
The North and South the lesson had learned,
That whatever way the battle turned
The same unquenchable fire burned
In their hearts, as when war begun
The North no longer claimed to tell
How short was the time required to quell
The insurrection, they knew SO well
AT first they could quickly end:
While the Southern Chivalry now knew
That the Northern "Y anks'' had a courage
Which had not been s'reckoned' en-, tits true,
Till called our flag to defend.
The tide of war, with ebb and flow
OF vague uncertainty, moved SO slow,
Suspense and anxiety could but grow
To phantoms that would not "down:''
And the prncely Lincoln, true as steel,
To Three Hundred Thousand made appeal,
Whose hearts respond, with faithful zeal,-
His loyal helperS-hS crown.
From Western plains to the old Maine coast
Quickly arose an answering host.
SIS it men our country needs the most
md,