Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-06-01

brothers was the same which prompt
ed the merraof rs to go forth and do
battle with the mother country" The
speaker assured the Grand Army that
the news generation which had grown
up fully appreciated the service which
had been done in defence Of the
country's honor and that their memory
| would always be bright.
How 1t Marches, the Flag of the
Cnion," was then very effectively rem
dered by the chorus of school children.
Lol. G.. II. French was then intro
duced as the speaker of the evening.
He opened by saying that il was an
honor of which any American citizen
should feel proud, to address a gather
ing of the heroes of the Republic on
such an occasion.
The war in which these heroes of the
Republic took such a part was too
great an event for the men who par
ticipated u realize it's greatness. The
Pilgrim Fathers, the soldiers OF Crom-
well, the common farmer of lI16, the
soldiers of Wellington, those who
fought with Napoleon at Waterloo,
We're unconscious Of the significance Of
the events in which they took rIrt.
OF the worlds great generals he said
that all these men had had their histo-
rians, but the historian was set I'M
born to do justice to the great piano.
rama Of war from Bull Run to Apo
mattoX. This is an age of great wars.
The cycle OF time through whose last
quarter we have just passed will be
Remembered as TIE age Of combat, Of
awful. majestic and terrible WAY.
"Out of them have grown united
Germany, a renasccnt Greece. and
dyin.: Turkey UauShter). Tho seeds
os the great American Rebellion were
soWn in the Constitution itself. We
fnught-North and South alike-for a
cause, a sacred principle.
The right and the wrong of that
great American struggle are forever
distinguishable, and woe to him who
shall attempt to mnele them. The
people of the South contendcd for what
was 10 them a sacred principle. They
gave to the treason Of heresy the hos
pitable shelter Of honest hearts.
We were one people before the war.
we are enc people since the war. In
All those sad years of fratricidal strife
there is one page ut least To which we
may turn with pride. The founders OF
the COnfedcracy turned to that Consti-
tuition which they lad cast aside ana
elnbodied its principles in thu new
Constitution which was adopted by
them.
There was treason to the govern
mcnt, but no treason to the fun1a-
mental principles. There was one
phrase which was not lost in all the
madness Of that mad rebellion, We the
people The Confederacy did not pro-
pose to found an empire. it preserved
all the forms and principles If popular
government. There is not another in
stance IN all history Of a rebellion thus
inaugurated.
1t is the only rebellion in all history
that derived its credentials directly
from the ballot box. 1t is not too much
to say that the Southern states in
going out left the gates aiar for an
early returning"
The speaker had recently visited the
battlefield of Fredericksburg, where
more men were killed in less time and
in less space than on any battlefield of
history.
The speaker then drew a word picture
of the battle ending with a poetic
description.
He next described Andersonville
prison which he characterized as an
"undiluted, concentrated, quadrupled
qr!intessence of Rebel hell"
The speaker presented a gavel as
reminder of Andersonville to the
G. A. r. Post of Waterville, the head
from q tree which had drawn its nour-
ishlnent from the spring which had
almost miracuously sprung up during
the imprisonment of the Union soldiers.
and the handle from the stOckade
which had fenced them in from Gods
pure air and glorious sunshine"
Take this, Mr.. Commander in MEM
Dry of the soldier of the North, and
forget the tragedy of the war;" said
Col. French.
Continuing he said: 1T has fallen
to the lot of America to initiate new
order Of monumental commemoration.
The New World seeks to commem-
crate the deeds of the private soldier"
This the speaker compared with foreign
countries where commemoration was
bound up in the personality Of great
commander.
The speaker repeated more poetry in
which the references to 1.-THE boys from
Maine" We're roundlv applauded. and
closed with very brilliant and elo-
ornnt neroration. 1sE
The address of Col. French created q
profound impression and was listened
to with the closest attention.
The gavel which Col. French pre-
scented during the course of his address,
was accepted on behalf Of w. S. Heath
Post. q. A. r., by Comrade Sl1s
Adams. ~
The band then played "The Star
Snangled Banner" and the Rev.
Charles w. Bradlee pronounced the