The Republican journal., 1901-08-15
fighting for home that overshadows all

In the gigantic struggle which deluged
the southland in fraternal blood the great
army OF the North, of which you were no
lnconsplcuous part, fitted itself to the in
equality OF surface and circumstances and
could not be moved from such a situation
Beauty, sublimity, variety: in fact every
element which man cherisheS with an affec-
tionate regard, fired the soldiers of the
North with unquenchable enthusiasm for
their country, their affairs and their hearth
stones.
The masterful struggles at Gettysburg,
Antletam, Port Hudson, Irish Bend and
scores OF other no less important attested
the vigOr and indomitable force and cour-
age Of our soldiers. They loved liberty
which had its birth among the hills of New
England.
] There is something in the American mind
which wilt not tolerate the exactiOns of
arbitrary authority. That which they can
not consent to they will resist.
| have no doubt this tribute may truth
fully be paid to those men who composed
the army OF invasion, who, though wrong
upon every question involved, fought with a
desperation and courage that caused the
world to marvel at both victors and the van
! quished.
All just and righteous judgments as to
| the merits OF the contending armies must
necessarily be based upon comparison. The
greater the foe the more glorious the victo-
~. The history of the wars since time
began does not record greater victory
| one that has wrought more powerfully for
mans material welfare and the lustre of
which ages cannot dim-thah that which
| brought final and permanent peace at Apo
mattox. 1t was the grand consummation
for which all loyal hearts prayed.
! Peace, however, hath her victories no less
renowned than war. The great victory Of
peace, second only to that achieved at Ap-
pomattox by the prowess of arms, consisted
| in the orderly manner in which our soldiers
laid aside the weapons of war and took up
the implements OF peace and resumed their
their days of war had been they were law
abiding citizens in time of peace.
The great army which passed in review at
the conclusion of peace departed in a day,
and the great conflict in which they had
participated became but memory.
The reunion of the survivors of the Goth
Maine Regiment in this city is especially
gratifying to the people, not only of Belfast
but of Waldo County, from among whose men
six out of every ten of that famous old regi-
ment were enlisted. From this county were
chosen the first and second in command OF
that regiment, both distinguished in war
and in peace: One has gone to his final re-
| reward; he has fought the good fight, he
has finished the race, he has kept the faith !;
while the other, though absent from us, still
lives and prOsperS in Americas vine-clad
occident.
Mr.. Hoyt N. McCauley of Ellsworth re-
sponded as follows:
| VETERANS OF THE 26th REGIMENT.
The sincere welcome that has been extended
to you, sons of the Goth, is, am sure, char
acteristic Of this typical New England town:
the people of this vicinity and city the
same spirit Of patriotism that prevailed in
| the sixties, when she sent her gallent COM
pany to the front. Fresh in your memories
| still are all those days, with all their stir
ring scenes, all their inspiring thoughts.
those who are still among us; how their
words rang with unheSitating loyalty.
Little did they know the whole of what was
coming; but come what might, they were
ready for it. Everywhere the flag waved ;
over church and dwelling, over school house
and hall and above the traffic of the stores.
In October the Belfast company went out.
The elders of the town sent them forth with
a blessing that was full of lofty hope.
Soon they were in the field as Company l
Of the 26th Regiment of Maine volunteers.
| To-day as the few remaining numbers of
your regiment meet in this pleasant, home
like city to bind more closely the friend
| ships OF the former days, you must feel that
this is the consummate day of all the year.
You talk of and recall the days when you
placed your lives in the hands of your coun-
try and did actually as much for your coun-
try as those brave comrades who were left
on southern soil That does not detract
from the honor of the hoDored dead, for
their memory is precious. Their names are
garnered. But none the less inspiring is the
sight OF union soldier to the true Ameri-
can. He is instantly reminded of his re-
sponsiblity to him. He desires to be self
respecting to be a true American. Neither
are they less honored who shall bear
through life the marks of wounds and
| sutferingS.
| Na+hor ana,,1a++a nor haduo c On honor
able as wounds received in a noble cause.
Many man shall envy him who henceforth
limps. so strong is the transforming power
of patriotic ardor that one shall almost
covet Disagreement. We see crowds give
way to the crippled veteran and stand with
uncovered heads in the presence OF feeble
ness and helplessness. We see children
| pause in their noisy games, and with loving
reverence honor those whose hands can
work no more and whose feet are no longer
able to march except upon that journey
which brings men to honor and Immortality
| have read down the record, and know
that this county of New England was al
ways up to the duty of the hour. No call
of the great war governor echoing the sum-
mons of the noble President, ever found
her listless or discouraged. The 26th is a
| Waldo county regiment and L would
like to know what county in our State
has done more toward the building up Of
our national character and life than Waldo
At every point, every where, first and last,
her men were manly, straightforward, sober,
patriotic men who knew what it all meant
and rejoiced in their tasks. But let us re-
member not alone the deeds; let the men of
war be present with us always. Let
us be glad we lived under the same sky,
drank from the same stream, ate from the
same fields with them, SO shall we get the
truest blessing of their lives How fast
the men of the war have passed away. The
greatest men of the rebellion went first.
When the great ship had hardly rounded
into port, while standing on the shore
of peace you could feel the solid
earth still rocking under your feet with the
remembered heaving of the sea, they who
had watched and labored for her safety
through the nights and storms out on mid
ocean one by one, as if their work was done,
began to pass to their reward What have
they left behind them, they and the hum
bier dead, whom votive monuments and
| tender hearts remember still in every town
and hamlet of our land? Not only what
they did, not only even what they were, but
new tasks like their own are for us who stay
behind. They did not merely clear the
| field of treason. By the same labor they
| built new possibility of national character.
| So those men have left and these men will
| leave the new national life for us to guard
and develop. Let us not allow their mem
| Ory to die. Let not cynical skepticism scat
! ter the enthusiasm with which we honor
them. Let us freely idealize their characters,
| by purer social life, by finer aspirations, by
more usefulness, by heartier hatred of cor