Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-10-19

trust need hardly say now great is
NV pleasure at speaking in this his
t0ric capital of your historic State;
the state than which no ether has con-
tributed a larger proportion to the
leadership of the nation; for on the
honor roll of those American worthless
whose greatness is not only for the ag
but for all time, not only for one nation
hut for all the world, on this honor ron
Eirginia's name stands above all 9TH
,rs. And in greeting all of you.
Know that no one will grudge my say
ing a special word of acknowledge
mont to the veterans of the Civil war.
A man would indeed be but poor
American who could without q thrill
witness the way in which. in city al
ter city in the North as III the South,
ON every public occasion. the men VINO
wore. tn blue and the men VINO wore
tie gray now march and stand shoui-
der to shoulder. giving tangible PROOF
that we are all now in fact as well as
in; name a reunited people. people
Infinitely richer because of the price
less memories left to all Americans by
YOU men who fought in the great war.
Last Memorial Day | spoke in Brook
lyn. ut the unwilling of the statue OF
= Northern general. under the auspices
of the Grad Army of the Republic, and
that great audience cheered every al
fusion to the valor and self-devotion of
the men who followed Lee as heartily
as they cheercd every allusion to the
,alor and self devotion of the men
who followed Grant. The wounds left
hy the great Civil War have long
nealed, but its memories remain.
Think of ii, oh. my countrymen, think
of the good fortune that is ours. That
whereas every other war of modern
times has left feelings of rancor ana
bitterness to keep asunder the COM
butants. our great war has left to the
sons and daughters of the men VINO
fought on whichever side they fought.
the same right to feel the keenest
pride in the great deeds alike of the
men who fought on one side and OF
the men who fought on the other. The
proud self sacrifice, the resolute and
daring courage. the high and steadfast
devotion tn the right as each man saw
it. whether northerner or southerner
forever the debtors of those who II
the dark days from 81 to 60 proved
their truth by their endeavor. Here
around Richmond. here in your oWt
state. there lies battlefield after bat
tlefield, rendered forever memorable
by the men who counted death as bu
q little thing when weighed in The bal
ance against doing their duty as 4
was given them to see II. These mel
have left US of the younger generation
rot merely the memory of what the!
did in war. but of what they did II
peace Foreign observers predicte
that when such great war closed
" Mould be impa ssible for the hundred
Of thousands Of combatants to return
20 the paths of peace. They predicted
c,aseless disorder wild turbulence, tn
alienation or anarchy and despot
ism. But the good sense and self-re
straint Of the average American cltl
zen falsifisd these prophecies. IN
great armies disbanded and the privat
in the ranks. like the officer who ha
commanded him. went back to take u
the threads of his life where he ma
dropped them when the call to arm
came. 1t was wonderful, marvel
Gus thing. in a country consecrated I
peace with but an infinitesimal regu
lar army. ,ntae GREAT hosts, once the'r
work done, resolved themselves int
the general fabric of the nation.
Great though the need of praise is
which is due the South for the soldier.
ly valor her sons displayed during
the four years of war, I think that ever
greater praise is due to her for wha
her people have accomplished in tn,