The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1907-10-17
ADDRESS OF WELCOME
By M. J. Dow Esq at the October meet
ing of the Waldo Veterans Associa.
finn in Rro0ks

BY NJ. ]. Cow Esq at the October meet
ing of the Waldo Veterans Associa
ton in Brooks.
| ERANs ASSOCIATION. Gentlemen: 1t il
| with emotions OF sincere pleasure that we
as citizens of this town and of this commu-
! nlty welcome you to our hearts and to our
homes Ii is privilege which we most
, nlghly appreciate to have the worthy and
honorable mono gentlemen who compose this
OOuy as our social companions and as our
guests OF honor upon this occasion. Certain
~ no body of men in this fair land of ours
Is more worthy and more honorable, or
more highly to be esteemed, than those who
rlsked comfort and health, and life itself, to
preserve the nation. Every man of that
Grand Army who, upon the land or upon
the sea, In that time of our nations deadly
peru, Dravely performed his part wherever
u might De, whatever may be his social
STATION IN life, is enshrined in the hearts of
ms countrymen as hero and worthy of the
,ii9hest hOnors. AS recognition of their
heroism and in loving memory of them as
our friends, we who can remember those
dark days of the Rebellion, scatter upon the
graves OF our dead soldiers fair flowers,
ana consecrate them with our tears But
they heed not, nor can they understand.
Yet, happily, we still have with us their
comrades, who were just as brave and self
sacrihcng as they, and who still live and
can appreciate what we may saw and do in
their honor. And to you today we gladly
tender our tribute of respect and our senti-
ments of generation. From our own com
munity and our own homes went our own
beloved ones, who in the camp, on the
weary march, and in the smoky hell of bat
tie, acted well their part. Many of their
BODIES were left on the fields of conflict,
ana by doing honor to you we also record
tribute to their memory. We can but realize
as we look upon you today that the men,
bers of the Grand Army of the Republic
are growing old. The passing years have
left Their mark upon you as they have upon
us all; The time when you, as young men,
PROUD OF your conscious strength and
physical power, sprang with all the energy
OF young and ambitious manhood to defend
our country in the hour of it's greatest peril,
Is today but the memory of something that
comes to you from the misty and distant
visions of the past. The memories of those
scenes in which you participated, unfOrgot-
ten though they must be, come to you as
though they were but dreams The cycle
OF time with its unceasng revolutions, has |
relentlessly swept over its course. New !
generations of youth have grown to man.
hood and now control the destinies Of the |!
nation. We are but keeping step in the !
ranks of the vast and never ending process
sion marching from the cradle to the grave. !
There is no delay-it is onward, ever on
ward.
Matters of vast Importance today are but
ancient history tomorrow. New issues and !
questions of vital Importance to the nation |
and the world occupy the attention of the
present generation of young men, test theft
ability, and absorb their energy. To the
majority OF the men now in active business
life, the fearful times of the bloody and
fratricidal Civil War are but matters of
ancient record, to be read about and dis
cussed, as are the other important events of
our nations history. While they may to
some extent realize the Importance of the
conflict and understand the vast issues at
stake, yet from the circumstances of the
case they can have but little personal SYM
pathy in the matter They have no person
al recollection of those fearful times when
the entire northland was pulsating with the
electric thrill of feverish anxiety as they |
waited with frenzied Impotence for the
news from the battletields of the south.
They have 20 personal memory of the mis-
sives received from the trenches on the fir
ing line, written upon scraps of soiled and |
ragged paper, perhaps, but just word |
from some soldier on the field, and perhaps |
the last, to the loved ones at home. They |
cannot understand the agony that came to !!
the home when a message was received !
from another, breaking the dreadful news
that the soldier had fought his last fight.
but to you, the remnant OF the Grand |
Army, which dashed to the rescue of our
nations honor, it is matter of intense
reallSm. lille the long vista OF years
stretches out between the present and that
eventful crisis in our nations history, while
the rough, thrilling and dangerous expert
ences of those campaigns may have become
softened and ameliorated by the distance of
the retrospective view, while you may choose
to dwell upon the pleasant and humorous
rather than upon the dark and terrible
scenes which you were personally obliged
to witness, and in which you were person
ally engaged, yet to you, while memory
shall last, those scenes will remain fear
full, tangible reality. 1t is the one eventful
crisis and tragical experience of your lives,
which has dominated all other events, and
has Influenced your entire existence since
its enactment.
Enjoying the same pleasures and sharing
the same discomforts and dangers, the feel
ing of comradeship has grown stronger and
stronger until it is akin to that of brothers.
No wonder then that you so highly cherish
these reunions. No wonder tn It you come
to prize the association of your comrades so
highly. No wonder that the spirit OF fra
ternity which binds you together is stronger
than that Of any other society, and that the
signal of member of the Grand Army in
it comes from total stronger. We, who do
not have that honor, are glad to show G. ur-
tesy and respect for those who have that
proud privilege, and are happy in your en-
joyment of these fraternal occasions. IN
this spirit we welcome you here today. And
you may rest assured that the memory OF
your valor and heroism shall ever remain
fresh in our hearts.