Charlevoix county herald., 1904-09-24

WIS spoken of very highly by those
who heard IL and for those who were
unable TO be present, we herewith
publish same in full.
Mr.. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen:
To me has been given the honor Of
representing our Village President ia
the exercises and saying to you those
words Of welcome that may be said.
Let me say to you all that the citizens
you with them for this reunion. They
one and all, l think, appreciate
what these gatherings mean tn the
old veteran and are glad that they
may take some small part in showing
to you the Countrys graft .ude for
heroic services. AS one Of them and
as their representative let me say to
you that you are welcome to East
Jordan and all she has. The town Is
yours to do with as you will
SO long as you leave us enough
to do business with again after
you are gone. II anything may
be omitted, through carelessness for
your entertainment or comfort, let me
ask Of you that you consider it an
omission Of the hands and not of the
heart.
Nearly four decades have passed
since the close of that struggle that
your meeting here today commence
rates and reckOned by the calendar OF
time they have been short indeed but
when reckonsd by events they have the
longest Of any similar peroid Of history.
Well may you cong ratnlate yourselves
that you have lived when you did. 1t
was the most advantageous time of
all time to live except one and that is
the present. but say TO you that it
seems very improbable to me that one
will ever see such changes Of vast
magnitude as you have had the priv
ilege of taking your part in.
My friends, the war is not closed.
While the fierce personal strife is
thing OF the past and forgotten and
the shedding of human blood is STOP
ped the results Of that struggle have
not stopped and never will SO long as
time can chronicle events. l do not
need to tell you OF the difference i'm
conditions your sacrifices have made.
You know them as we'll as /. You
found nation supposed to be a Union
of States but it was questioned; you
found feeling of hatred existing be-
tween those that should have been
brothers; you found a country with
no commercial standing and no navy
to support trade; you found country
with no standing with other powers OF
the world; you found a country sup
posed to he weak making a sublime
effort to uphold those principles o.
American liberties guaranteed by our
TORN of government. The question
was put TO you sQuarely and you said
I'VE believe those principles are cter-
nal and we are willing to give out
Ife's blood if need be, in order to
protect and n0uriSh them. You were
met squarely by strong and earnest
opposition. You did lose your blood
as the red flowers Of many Southern
battlefield Will testify, but you pre-
vailed. Eveu then it was doubtful if
the results obtained were worthy the
sacrifices. You did not despair but
firm In the hope Of bright future you
took up the peaceful labors OF the
the citizen. The fact that today We
have united country in every way;
that we are the richest nation of the
earth; that our commercial supremacy
is recognized by all nations; that we
have the best equipped army and havy
and that our people are the best gov
erned, the best clothed, The best paid
and the best educated of any people
all go to evidence the fact that your
sacrifices and labors were not in vain.
Neither should we forget those who
lacking strength for the strife of the
front, were filled with love Of country
and fought the battles of home while
you fought those OF mortal combat. 1t
is not taking one star from your crown
when / say TO you that those at home
play ed as much part in the final sue
cess AZ you did. You know better
than Of the hardships and the strug-
giles of mother, wife and sweetheart
that you left behind you. You can
feel yet the warm moisture Of the
Loving kiss, the firm pressure Of loving
arms as they gave you that last en-
brace and sent you forth TO fight vour
country's cause. They had smile
and God Speed on their lips but
their eyes were dimmed with tears
that fell after you left. Not the least
of a country's success In battle fields
depends on the prayers of those al
n L..