The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1908-06-19

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that inspired the truthful announce
ment that each succeeding regiment
bore to the front the evergreen
badge of its state, to be scathed in
fire, to wither in prison, but never,
never to he dishonored.
He described his visit to Airing
ton Cemetery in which he walked
literally for hours to and fro
between the long lines Of white
stones searching for a partic ular
name. He did not know how many
there are, but the great number i'm
pressed upon him the thought Of
all this vital manhood and splendid
integrity and moral force, and what
it might have accomplished, and
that was swept away forever. Again
referring to the flag he gave an
inspiring description Of it as kept
flying on the hilltop at Arlington.
He then outlined the progress of
the flag as it went with Grant over
the battle fields from Cairo to APP
pomatoA, reproducing the scene of
the surrender as described by Gen
eral Grant on the one side, and by
General Gordon on the other. He
then made allusion to the return by
the national government of the
confederate flags, and expressed the
hope that the South would receive
them in the spirit voiced by their
poet.
"Aye, bring the flags, the tattered
and shot torn,
The rent and faded banners that
were borne
By hands now dust, and cheered
by lips now dead.
Flung high DER ramparts rent with
shot, and red
With blood of brave, brave men Of
North and South.
They will be treasured, kissed with
pain-drooped mouth;
There is no North today, nor any
South,
Abreast they march where unwon
heights still gleam
But let us have the flags, mementos
of a dream.
Ay, let the flags go back that some
times waved above you, that
often fell
Before you, and think only of the
one banner
Delicate cluster! Flag of teeming
life!
Covering all the lands-all the sea-
shores lining. ,"
He then spoke of the flag as he
saw it in Charleston harbor where
it recalled that day in 1861 when it
fell humbled in the dust at Fort
Sumpter and of the grief that pre-
vailed throughout the North at that
time as compared with the JOY that
prevailed precisely four years after
that date when the same General |
Anderson was compelled to run it |
Town and was given the supreme |
privilege of throwing to the breeze |
The same flag, shot-torn and faded,
out with a power to effect all the
North as though it were a sentient
being. He then contrasted the
errible reaction from this day of
'ejoicing to its night of mourning
n which the strongest, gentlest,
most lovable man known to this
nation was stricken down. 1t was
he could not explain
tut which moved one to deepest
bought that the flag should have
Intercepted and thrown down the
assassin as lie committed his horri-
,le deed. 1t would seem as though
ONE higher power than chance was
resent there. In describing the
.rief of that night special reference
vas made to the effect it had upon
he Presidents friend, the devoted J
rmy nurse, Walt Whitman, with j
quotations from his verse.
The speaker then emphasized J
he devotion of heroic women to the ]
az, especially during the Civil I
Var. And repeated some express ]
ions of loyalty to it, made, but a /
ew days previously, to him, by the 5
MY woman member of the Grand {
.rmy Of the Republic, Clara Bar !
On. He then made reference TO q
)me of the most remarkable ways |
l which this superior woman had r
cen of Unreasonable service to her {
1untry and to humanity concluding a
V a vivid description of the scene c
hen the great warships all drew 2
ack and allowed the Red Cross b
nip under her direction to carry Fl
le stars and stripes into Santiago d
arbor first after peace had been &
He enforced the fact that the f;
,ldier's life had become incorpora- is
d into the flag by such deeds of I,
eroism that he could not be for a
)tten, and impressed on the vet d
ans present the influence that p
ould 90 with the children all their
YES from having seen them in such Il
] assembly, and especially from b
a soldier of the Mexican W
ar, only two of whom are living bi
the State, one who was on the 2
atform and the other of whom b
red in the speakers home town. II
Re, alling the last time he had b,
oxen in Bradford, Mr.. Dale spoke az
Tectingly Of the friend who that II
" was the first TO meet him and &c