Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-05-30
SPIRIT
Hon. John J. Brown Pays Trib-
ute to Illinois
Heroes.
ADDRESSES THE VETERANS
Recalls the Call to Arms by Lincoln
and Reviews Impatience With
President Mckinley.

MIN VINO gave so
thought that the flowers and the flag
should be entwined together. let US
this day bow our heads in homage TO
him. He was of you; he was from
you; he was part of you. and your
hearts. He has been claimed by you.
and SO long as memory 'ides us over.
all of US viii claim him as our own
He entered the war in the vigor
and strength of manhood; he returned
TO US the gallant. brave soldier that he
was. He stood by the principles for
which you fought, and he fought He
dared upon every public and private
occasion. TO talk, work and live for the
flag and the constitution of your couIl-
try. and today We all proclaim that he
was the greatest volunteer general Oh
the army. He was one of the bravest.
he was one of the noblest, he was our
own gallant. ever intrepid, courageous
general. John A. Logan
Thus spoke Hon. John J. Brown of
Vandalia. who delivered an excellent
patriotic discourse to the veterans and
others who had gathered TO hear him.
He continued speaking in part. as fol
lows:
Military Spirit.
Who today lives in this country, who
is a true patriot. but what feels the in
spiration of the military spirit of our
country. You can not say that it is too
highly cultivated. because this country
since the late civil war has kept but
a very small standing army TO protect
the nation The very system of our
80
its people, and the public addresses
made pro and con upon this topic
would naturally neutralize the feeling
of the people of the republic.
| do not mean TO say that speeches
made against the military spirit would
deter. or destroy or mitigate against
that spirit, because | do not think thai
if thousand speeches were made i'll
your vicinity, or your country, against
the military spirit of this country. that
il would mar or jar. or interfere with
that ever broadening, continuous flow
of patriotism which is born with you.
and which no talk, oratory or elo-
| quence can ever efface from your mem
| DRY.
This country. though it has no large
| standing army, is so patriotic that the
military spirit is apparent in every boy
and girl born. and wherever the ilas
| is seen, or wherever the drum is
heard. if il means a call to arms, ev-
cry boy and girl is Immediately arOus-
ed. as well as their fathers, and the
call is Immediately answered by more
men than is necessary. This is natur-
al because when Washington calico
forth his men from forest and farm,
| there could have been no greater OBJ
| Stacles than those over which his men
| passed No wealth and no powerful
influence helped him, but with him
like all great spirits. there was that
consciousness of right which was con
tinually with him, and with his men
who fought and struggled by his side,
and after eight long years. victory
crowned his every effort, and the bells
pealed forth with joy. and the people
sang out with gladnesS, that the spirit
of liberty was not dead, and that all
the children of a great people were
| free from the yoke of king and poten-
tates.
J So when you followed your country's
| flag into and through another struggle,
after the constitution had been framed.
and the states had ratified the same
we came face TO face again with the.
| foe; and while the war did not have
much power or influence, yet the ma
ton rose from it with a broader and
better defined military spirit, than ii
had ever had before, and out OF tina
war rose a giants spirit. whose name
and fame has been bright in the an
nails of the history of his country.
| The war of 1875 produced the father
| of his country. George Washington
The war OF 1912 produced an Andrew
! Jackson: the war of 1S45 produced
| Generals Taylor and Scott. The war
of 1860 produced more men noted for
their bravery and military spirit than.
| could mention To you today, but there
| are some who stand out like great
stars in the galaxy of great men IN
this nation of ours. and it is but right
that | should mention at this moment
a few of them. whose names will live
forever. and as long as this country
shall last: Grant. Garfield. Logan and
| Mckinley.
Illinois Quota.
The state Of Illinois alone has fur
nished some of the most remarkable
military spirits of ages, and she will
always stand as one of the foremost
| states in the Union. because she has
always been able 10 produce men OF
| the hour who are able and willing TO
undertake any great question or 10 go
| through any great battle which may
/ II he ny
enemy within. or a foe without
The people are responsible for this
| military spirit. II is in no man who
| stands up in the midst Of the people
| and proclaims that il is a spirit that
| influences legislatures. or that controls
| the people in their religious or educa