The National tribune., 1901-05-30

,
ties Ger but we fight thea at Il long dis
tance, and none of our heroic adventures are
forgotten. That is to my comrades of the
war-to nobody else. daughter and great ap
plause.)
The Nation You served SO well owes you
IA debt of gratitude which 1t can never repay,
You saved the jewel Of freedom for the lam
lily of nations. You preserved with your
sword and by your sacrifices the freeSt Gov
crnmcnt of earth. The South went to wal
rather than that the Upion should live. The
North engaged in war, ,rather than see the
Union perish (applausdl' and you trunphcd.
We consider less, greet and appalling as 1t
was, what the war cost US in life and treas
urc, when what the war brought lis
in liberty, equality and opportunity. zap
| plauSe.)
Americans never surrender but to Amcrl-
cans. Great applauseJ The men who
yielded after four and half years of struS-
gle, who We're blood of our blood, finally
yielded TO their own fellow w-ctizens, and we
| are today a Nation reunited.
| Il have passed within the last 10 days over
| the track of many of the battletiedS on
which you fought. l have been greeted by
| the men against whom you fought | have
seen the beautiful Sight-bcautiful to every
lover of his cOuntry-of the members of the
| Grand Army of the Republic walking arm III
arm with the Confederate Veterans, bearing
| the American flag and giving welcome, and
each vieing with the other in the warmth Of
that welcome to the President Of the United
States, and each demonstrating in friendly
rivalry their devotion to the Government and
| to the flag that shelters all.
And so you are to be congratulated today
upon what you did, upon what you suffered,
upon what You sacrificed, that liberty and
| union might not perish. 1t cost great deal
| More than a halfmilliOn lives were given
up as u sacrifice for the preservation OF this
Union. Some things so precious and so
good that Nations which get them pay only
with blood. And what blood this Union has
cost us! But what Union it is now! Great
applaGse.)
Washington, in addressing his troops be
fore one of the battles, said to them Lib
erty, property, and life and honor are all at
stake; upon your courage and conduct rests
the hopes of our bleeding and insulted cOun-
try. Our wives, children. and parents expect
safety from us only, and they have every rea-
son to believe that Heaven will crown with
success 50 just cause
"Their cause was crowned with success
and the Union was formed. In 1864 Mr..
Lincoln at Gettysburg said: -Four score and
seven years ago our fathers brought forth
upon this continent a Nation. conceived in
liberty and dedicated to the proposition that
all men are created equal. Now we
are engaged in a great civil war, testing
whether that Nation or any nation CON
ceived and so dedicated can long endure.
That issue was settled and the principles
Of free Government live and they are bright
er and more glorious than they have ever
been before (applausel, and all due to the
courage and the valor and the sacrifices Of
Inc veterans OF the war.
II suppose in this Grand Army Encamp-
ment of California and Nevada the soldiery
of practically every State In the Union is
represented. Am l right? (RespOnses of
'Yes.D You were not all CalifOrnians in 1861
You came from the old States of the East
the Central States, the Northwestern Stat ,s
some Of you from the Southern States. All
CalifOrnianS now, but when YOU enlisted you
represented other States and here you are
today, comrades in feeling in heart in sym
m los hay iueF bn rf.Flf rnin nff.nI
that liberty was saved to mankind aud to
civilization. g,r
81 congratulate you. j cannot tell you'll
what pleasure 1t gives me TO be with you
today (ApplauSe) have been welcomed by
all Of my feOw-cOuntrymen, but this is the
first time in my long journey that / have
felt the warm hcart-tOuch of so many OF the
men with whom ! kept step from 81 to 10.
Enthusiastic applause and checring)
And having saved the Union it is the duty
Of all to keep it saved. We will not always
be here, but the sons Of the veterans Ola both
sides of our war Will be here and their sons
will follow, and this priceless heritage will
be transmitted to our latest generation. In
deed, what you won and what we mean to
preserve belongs to civilization and to the
ages" loud and continued applauseJ
The President warmly received. He
entered the hall on the arm Of the Officer
of the Day and was by him presented TO De
partmeBt Commander Mott, not as the Presi- |
dent Of the United States, but as 'COmrade !
W lilldln EI!'NlulbN. DE IINIOu IOSI. Depart
ment Of Ohio Grand Army of the Republic"
Not until the veterans, who had risen to their
feet when he entered, were ordered by Com |
mander Mott TO present arms" was bis !
official position recognized.
The Presidents attitude throughout the |
entire visit was purely fraternal, and the |
veterans whom he called his comrades, felt |
all the more honOred because OF this fact.
TEARS DIM VETERANS EYES.
His words evoked many evidences Of deep
feeling from the old soldiers and when he |
referred to the hardships and privatiOns en-
dured by them in their gallant struggle TO
preserve the Union there vas many Il tear
dimmed eye among them but when he spoke
of the necessity of maintaining the Nation
that their yalOr had preserved, their dimmed |
eyes flashed again with old-tme fire, and
mighty cheers went up from their throats
They will remember while life shall last this
heart-to-hcart talk Of their old comrade.
Secretary Hay was next introduced. The
sOldicr-statesman, whose beard |
is whitening with time. said:
Il must only say a word, for an Oc
casion like this an old soldier never knows
when to stop. My own experience had moth
ing remarkable In 1t. l went where | was
sent, and did what l was told to do. l had
no especial hardship or privation, and won no
glory. | have been embarrassed sometimes
when my boys asked me how many rebels /
had killed. generally got out of 1t by say
ing that killed as many Of them as they
did of me-
The Secretary of State continued: "It is
my pride to say that Of all the veteran sol
dleTs of many lands that | have seen in
travels about the world, there were none that
fought with more desperate courage none
that behaved with greater magnanmity to
the foe, and none that after the war became
such splendid citizens as the soldiers of the
United States"
The tribute Of Secretary Hay to the old
soldiers was brief, but telling In effect 1t
aroused great enthusiasm.
The President and Secretary Hay were
escorted to their carriages and the drive
back to Del Monte was begun.
At the conclusion of the Presidents and
Secretary Hays addresses the Department
were installed by Senior Past
Department Commander w. II. Aiken, of Lin
coin Post /, OF San Francisco, and the Con
ventlOn adjourned sine die to meet In 1902
at Hanford, Kings County, Cal.
INDIANA ENCAMPMENT.
oF ~ nro Nd W. |