Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-04
GRAND ARMY is
LAUDED BY TAFT
FOUNDER OF G. A. R. lNSTlTU-
Tl0N is EUL0GlZED
PRESIDENT MAKES ADDRESS AT
WASHINGTON
Speaks in High Terms of Dr. 3. F.
Stephenson, by Whom Veterans
of the Civil War Were
Organized
1Rr Assoelated Pressl


MI ASHTNGTON. July 3.-Declaring
w unlike the "Pretorian suard OF
~ Rome. the men who made up
the Union forces during the Civil war
were in favor of free institutions, that
they fought for them and did not IN
fond to sacrifice them to anything
else" President Taft today as the
principal speaker at the unveiling OF
a memorial to DR.. BENJAMIN FrahhIiI
stephenson. founder of the Grahu
Army of the Republic, paid a glowing
tribute to that organization.
Congress having contributed 70 inc
cost of the memorial President Iaft
said he was present in his Official
capacity.
The president spoke in part, as fol-
lows:
I'VE are met to dedicate memorial
to a Union soldier who served Iour
years as a surgeon in the civil Nar
and who also builded an institution by
which there has been united in the
bonds of fellowship all the sweet as
sociation. all the deep lessons of 10y
atty and all the pride of patriotism thaI
such a Civil War as that could arouse
in millions of hearts
"When men at the formative period
of lffe-from is 10 22-are associated
in any work. whether it be in coIlege'
in society. in church, or otherwise, they
carry with them afterward the fond
est memories and associations for each
other. because they have passed
through a common mould.
Bond of Union Is Strong
81 can conceive of no bond of union
stronger than that which unltes tlle
men who fought from 81 to 80 In the
Grand Army and it was to the cfedlI
of the founder of the Grand Army of
the Republic that he saw the solld
basis on which such a structure as that
society could be erected.
You will recollect there We're
prophets of evil with respect to the
fate of the United States after the war
sbo11ld cease, and it was said the ag-
gregation of million men IN arms
threatened our free institutions. But
all those prophecies faded into noth-
ingness. The men who composed that
million were men in favor Oh 1ree lhsd-
tutions who had fought for them ana
did not intend TO sacrlhce thenl 10 any
thing else, 1t was the marvel OF otneF
countries that this great body OF or
aanized force, than which there was
never a stronger or better disciplined
army. faded out and disappeared INTO
the paths of peace, preserving hoILlhS
but the sweet memory and the assocla-
tion they had formed during the war
and the GOliSclOuSliGS0 NiiCy iitAe a. -
own hearts of having rendered the
greatest service, the preservation OF
their country.
Lauds Organizer
stephenson organized this Grand
Army Of the Republic to preserve tho
essence of that army il its fine CHAR
service to the government in the
Patriotism. The Grand ARMY Of the
Republic knows no Limitation but
sibleservice to the government in the
Civil War: and therefore 1t is tnat
congress, recognizing the usefulness or
such an organization in preserving pa
triotisna, properly contributed $lO,0O0
to this memorial and recognized the
Grand Army of the Republic rs an
institution that may well have ma
tional gratitude and nationals recog-
milton.
More than that. the Grand Army Of
the Republic is most useful in this
II represents the concentrated opinion
of the men who fought in the war to
preserve the Union, and it Therefore
may give authoritative expression
which no other body and no other part
of the people can give, to wit; For
getfulness of the strife that existed
during the four years Of the war. l
am GLAD to say that while that bitter
ness may in a few instances obtain,
you will never find it to exist between
the men who actually exposed their
lives on one side and the men who eX-
posed their lives on the other,
"The union of the two sections has
been nodded strongly and more strong
" by those meetings between the blue
and the gray, which ought to be en-
gcd to occur as often as pos
Giblp.H