Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1908-06-05
Mr.. Amev's Address.

Mr.. President. Veterans of the Grand
Army of the Republic, Women Of the
Relief Corps, Ladies of the G. A. r,
Sons OF Veterans, Ladies aud Gentle
meu:
On April II. 1861. that memorable
day, when the guns of Sump,er rang
out upon the silent Southern sky, pro-
found peace had reigned, but the germs
of a civil war, like those of an infectious
disease, had existed since long before
the foundation of our government.
From the time when Alexander the
Great watered his horse in the Indus IN
til Beauregard watered his horse in the
Tennessee from the crossing of the
Alps by Hannibal to their crossing by
Napoleon; from the death of Leonidas
and his three hundred Spartans at Their.
mopyla to the bloody angle at Spott-
sylvania from the time of C;c'ar's
crossing of the Rubicon and triumphaI
entry into classic Rome to Sherman''
march to the sea from Paul Revere
ride to Sheridan's ride; from Trafalgar
to Manila Bay; from the heights o
Abraham to the heights of San .Iuar
Hill, the history of the world has beer
the history of war.
The history of our own country fur
nishes us with graphic illustration oil
what have just said. From 1878 t.
1882, from 1912 to 1915, from 1915 t.
lS45, from 1861 to 1865, and for par
of the year 1898, our country has bee
engaged 10 mortal conflict with a great
, er or lesser degree of severity.
What is true of the United States, tn
most enlightened nation in the world
is true, in larger sense, of other less en-
lightened countries from the beginnin
of time.
And, when we reflect that space O
not more than 33 years or less than
years has elapsed between the wars @
our own beloved land, and that, durin
times of peace, We are impelled bS
sense of necessity for self-preservatio
to prepare for, as it were, another MOI
tai conflict, we pause and ask ourselve
the reason. War is hell Yet we al
all The ii me preparing for it. There
: nothing above or beneath so bad as wa
with its cold and heat, fire and waite
h disease, death and destruction, and il
o inevitable and fearful carnage.
You will reach partial solution {
! this problem if you will put man
a country where it belongs-next to h
A God.
g What is the situation of a man witt
r out a country? If he loses his HON
he can get another; if he loses h
friends, family, wife and children, /
still has a place to stay. If he is wit
s out a country, where is he? Picture tt
e great Napoleon upon the barren sane
# of st. Helena, the man who aternatel
o destroyed and established empires in
J. day and made over new in score
e years the political geography of cont
n mental Europe, surrounded by soldier
banshed and you will realize what
is to be without a country.
i There is something unusually pathet
: about the final departure of Napoleo
g from France. When you realize tn;
y he was the greatest military genius
the history of the world, you will unde
stand his keen mental suffering. Il
- had sacrificed everything to enrich IN
= beautify France. France was his lido
His marvellous conqhests had filled HI
T. Golfers with gold and her museums wit
a the choicest works of art. He had e,
e posed himself and his soldiers to intens
pain and death, He had finally los
He stood upon the deck of BIRTHS
d ship, a prisoner. Beyond his vie
r southwark. was the barren rock whel
l. he was to pass the remainder of his day
a prisoner of war. Eastward, he coul