Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-07-06
TAFT GIVES PRAISE
TO UNION FORCES
He Declares That Unlike Pretorian
Guard of Rome Union Men
Were in Favor of Free Institu-
tons.

lions.
! WASHINGTON. July 3.-Declaring that
unlike the Pretorian guard of Rome the
men who made up the union forces dur
ling the civil war were in favor OF free
institutions; that they fought for them
land did not intend to sacrifice them 10
anything else, President Taft today, as
the principal speaker at the unveiling OF
a memorial to DR.. Benjamin Franklin
Stephenson, founder of the q. A. H.
paid glowing tribute TO that organiza-
ton. Congress having contributed TO
the cost of the memorial, President Tart
said he was present in his official capac-
Iity. He remained throughout the eXer-
cises, which lasted more than an hour
and half.
The ceremonies attending the unwilling
were simple, but impressive, and were
more or less Official in their character.
| All available regular forces In ana
about Washington and the District mill
tia turned out, and after the exercises
were over they passed in review before
the president and high officials OF the
army and G. A. r.
PRESIDENTS SPEECH.
The president spoke as follows:
| I'VE are met to dedicate memorial
to a union soldier who served four years
as a surgeon in the civil war and who
also builded an institution by which
there should be united in the bonds of
Fellowship all the sweet associations, all
the deep lessons of loyalty and all the
pride of patriotism that such a civil war
,as that could arise in millions OF hearts.
When men at the formative period In
Ilife-from Is to Pare associated In any
work whether II be in college, in So
Iciety, in church or otherwise, they carry
with them afterwards the fondest mem
cries and associations for each other, be-
cause they have passed through a COM
fmon mold. But how much greater must
be the sweet association and the BOND
OF union between men who for -FOUR
Years passed through the dangers OF the
civil war; those who survived thinking
of the tender memories OF those who
gave up their lives for their country,
Those surviving carrying with them the
sweet associations, the stories OF cour-
age, and tales full of humor and OF
lpathos. / can conceive no bond or union
stronger than that which unites the men
who fought from 81 to co In the grand
iarny: and 1t was to the credit or tina
founder of the Grand Army of the Re-
bubble that he saw the solid basis upon
which such structure as that great So
ciety could be erected.
| PROPHETS OF EVILS.
you will recollect that there were
| prophets Of evil with respect to the rate
Of the United States after the war should
| cease, after the end should be accom-
plished for which the north was fighting;
and it was said that the aggregation of
/ million men in arms threatened our free
Institutions They recalled that nle Pro-
1 torian guard of Rome was an instrument
! in furthering the ambition of those who
would suppress free institutions and who
were to assume despotic power.
But all those prophesies faded into
| he xxyhn
that million were men in favor OF free
institutions, who had fought for them
and did not intend to sacrifice them to
anything else. There was no man with
the ambition. to improve that army as an
INSTRUMENT OF despotism, even II 1t had
been willing to furnish itself as such;
and so II was the marvel Of other coun-
tries that this great body of organized
force than which there never was a
stronger or better disciplined army, faded
out and disappeared into the paths Of
peace, preserving nothing but the sweet
memory and association they had formed
during the war and the consciousness
they had in their own hearts of having
rendered that greatest service, to-wit: the
preservation Of their country.
ORGANIZED G. A. r.
Stephenson organized this Grand Army
OF the Republic to. preserve the essence
of the army in its finest characteristic.
! in its democracy and in its patriotism.
Far be 1t from me to criticise in the
slightest such organizations as the Gin
cinnati and the Loyal Legion. They are
great organizations, and those who be-
long to them may we'll have pride in
them.
But the Grand Army OF the Republic
knows no limitation but service to the
government In the civil war; and there
FORE II is At that congress, recognizing
the usefulness of such an organization
in preserving patriotism, In maintaining
II in it's intensity during those years wher,
commercial greed seemed to make many
people forget II, properly contributed
$4,000 to this memorial and recognized
the Grand Army of the Republic as an
institution which may well have national
gratitude and national recognition. More
than that the Grand Army Of the Re-
public is most useful in this: 1t repre-
sents the concentrated opinion or the men
who fought in the war to preserve the
union and Il therefore may give authori-
tive expression which no other body and
\ no other part of the people can give TO
wit: Forgetfulness of the bitterness or
the strife which existed during the four
wears Of the war. l am glad TO say that
while that bitterness may IN rev III
stances obtain, you will never ma II 10
exist between the men whoactually ex-
posed their lives on one side and the men
who exposed their lives on the other.
THE union of the two sections has oeen
, nodded strongly and more strongly Dy
. those meetings which ought to be en-
couraged between the blue and the gray
to occur as often as possible. Even with
in my recollection, on occasions ike thls
and on Memorial day and on Fourths OF
I July, I have seen the ranks of the Grand
!, Army thinned. know there are many
who, with jaunty step and keeping their
, hats on, rather tend to deceive the people
as to their age, but the fact is, that these
. ranks are thinning from day to day; per-
. haps q hundred a day are going TO their
long home 1t is fitting that such an as
ISOLATION, which in the course of the next
/, generation will pass away, should have
such an enduring monument as this to
I, testify not only to the patriotic service
that they rendered during the war, but
also to the service to the country that
they have rendered by their holding high
loyalty and patriotism since the war to
J the present day.
"Mr. Commander-in-Chief of the Grand
Army OF the Republic, inasmuch as con-
gress contributed to this monument and
, provided for It's erection. l am here Of
fcially to accept at your hands. on behalf
- - hA init I'D GfoNo