The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1908-06-11
The Veterans Meeting in Morrill,.

June 4th. The attendance was large, thu
weather perfect, and the people of Morril
left nothing undone that would contribut.
to the pleasure and comfort of the visitors
President A. Stinson called the morning
session to order about II a. m. in Honest,
Grange Hall. The report of the last meet
ing was read by the secretary and accepted
and remarks were made by Past Command
er d. o. Bowen of Morrill, and A. E. CLARK
of Belfast, the latter commencing highly
the sermon by Rev. Adolph Rossbach, pas
tor of the Unitarian Church, on Memoria
Sunday before the Belfast veterans and
Ladies of the G. A. r. A recess was then
taken for dinner, and a bountiful repast
was served in the dining room.
The afternoon session was held in the
church. The exercises opened with an or.
gan voluntary, followed by prayer by the
chaplain, Rev. J. W. Vaughan. Thirty
five children then gave a flag drill in which
they acquitted themselves finely and we're
heartily applauded Commander James G.
Harding then gave the address of welcome,
as follows:
Mr. President, Comrades, Ladies and
Loyal Citizens: In behalf of the citi-
zens of Morrill, | extend to you cordial
welcome-a welcome to town whose citi.
| ZenS were loyal and patriotic in time of
trouble and are loyal and patriotic today.
| We have looked forward with pleasure and
| anxiety to this day; with pleasure because
you were to be with us, and anxiety for
! fear we might not be able to furnish reliable
weather; but our prayers nave been
| answered, (aS the prayers OF the righteous
always are) and we extend to you today
the welcome that has long been in
our hearts, and we hope to make
your visit so pleasant that you will
remember with pleasure this June day visit
to our peaceful village. We welcome you
| for what you have been in the paSt-bTave
| soldiers; we welcome you for what you are
in the present-true and loyal citizens
loyal young men and boys in 81, still loyal
and boyish, but no longer young in 1908.
| When we think of what you were called
upon to pass through, ana what you achlev-
! ed in those momentouS years from 81 to IS,
we should be less than human if we were
not imbued with the principles of F. c. &
| l.. so dear to each one OF YOU The younger
| generation cannot realize all you sacrificed
and suffered for the preservation of the
| Union. But they can realize that our coun-
try is free from the blight of slavery and is
still government by and for the people. In
all our schools and churches our children
are being taught the love of God and of
| country. The Stars and Stripes, the emblem
of freedom, floats over them during all the
| school year. Zone Country and one Flag"
| Each egiment that went from our State
| was presented with battle flag, and patri-
| otic women charged them to keep it unSul-
| lied, and bring it back to the State. 1t is to
| your credit that all these flags came back. l
wish this younger generation might see
| these banners in their glass eases in the
| State House at Augusta. Torn with shot
and shell, stained with smoke and blood !;
| but not one stained with dishonor. Think
| of the many members of the color guard
who were shot down, whose last words
| were: "Save the Flag" There may be
| some people on earth to whom the love of
| the flag is mere sentiment; but to you who
have followed it into battle, suffered for it
| in rebel prisons, made breast-Works of your
bodies to defend it, there is deep rooted
| love for it that will abide with you until
time is no more 1t has been we'll said that
| the safeguard of d Republic lies in the
education and intelligence of its citizens.
| Your presence here with us today should
| teach US to love our country and its flag,
maintain its principles of freedom and
equality, ever remembering that Eternal
| Vigilance is the price of Liberty"
| Again [ bid you welcome.
| President StinSon responded in his usual
hearty manner, ing the citizens of Nor
riII for their generous hospitality,aDd speak
ing eoquently of the mothers, wives and
sweethearts at home during the Civil War !;
of their trials and tribulations and labors in
vocal solo by Miss Bertha Hatch, reading
| by Mrs. AddIe NJ. Hall. a vocal duet by
! Masters Homer and Floyd Daggett, and an
address to the children by Rev. William
| Vaughan, who held the close attention of
both old and young. He said that he was
| only six years old when the war broke out,
but that he well remembered the awful
time. His mother made him little SOL
dier's uniform and he had wooden gun
and with several other little boys formed
regiment and felt that they were the whole
| Union Army. This, he said, showed how
patriotism. He remembered when the
news came that Lee had surrendered and
how our glorious general, when victory was
his, sent the defeated army back to their
homes. He remembered the awful news of
the assassination of Lincoln, and how the
dreadful tidings swept over the land and
darkened for time the very sun: How
one man had said, "LincolD is dead, but the
country still lives and the flag still floats
| over Washington" Many sacrifices were
made during the war, but the greatest of all
| was Lincoln. In conclusion, he said that
we were now one land, North and South
| together, and that all could shout for our
beloved president, Theodore Roosevelt.
After "a solo by Miss Maude Daggett, Capt.
John 0. johnson of Liberty sang, to the
tune 0I - Qe GOOu OIU summer lime, Gue
audience joining in the chorus, the following
song written by him for his surviving CON-
| radeS of the Civil War:
THE OLD GUARD DIES BUT NEVER SUR
RENDERS"
We are the guards, the old old guards,
Our members are but few,
Our standard is Old Glory,
The red, the white, the blue;
For many years we stood by it,,
The enemy to Subdue,
We ask you now to stand by US,
As we have stood by you.
CHORUS
AS we have stood by you,
AS we have stood by you.
When this good land of Uncle Sam
Was well nigh rent in two.
We barred our bosom to the foe,
Were always loyal and true,
We ask you now to stand by US,
AS we then stood by you.
To save the union and the flag,
We went marching to and fro,
For four more years through blood and tears,
We faced a gallant foe,
we mad two Wild cats at our back,
John Bull and johnnie Crapeau,
But with banners aloft we kept them off
And saved this land for you.
CHORUS AS BEFORE.
we kept Old Glory in the air.
The banner of the free,
But for our sturdy loyalty,
This nation would not be.
No Halls of Congress would be here,
To put your measures through,
And but very few would ever know
Or ever hear of you.
n roE,