The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1911-09-08


Otto c. Martin.
Ladies-Gentlemen and
Old Soldiers:-we are gathered here
today not TO discuss Reciprocity or
high and low tariff--Neither to enter
a joint disctks.on on dhe merits and
dement's of the late war of Rebellion
The hatchet has long ago been bur
led and the boys OF the Blue and the
Gray are NOW as ore family, and it
is TO talk to them that am here
today and to pay I'd pect and homage
to these nob.- ..a..G-ts. who LIFT hcme
ard loved ones, who sacrificed every
thing and braNh the roar of the
canon, the hate of the battle, who
faced death with that courage which
only the American soldier knows; to
thse we are mot tog eh1r to honor:
Regardless of the color of his uni
form or the flag uncer which lie fought.
To those df you the civil war either
is either a dim, childhood msmory Of
anxious hearts DIN the old home, from
which some brave boy went cut to the
call of his country, or it is simply
a matter of history, CLEANED in the
main from the school books and la
ter reading, but to "a small number
scattered here and there over the
land, it is still great glowing man.
DRY, full of live warm interest and
embodied in that mystic glamor that
alway glorifi@ "the scene CT other
days" when the blood ran warm in
the veins, the fire of young, virile
manhood was in the heart, and the
strength of Drawn and muscle was
in its full prime and v:gor.
And as our veterans hear the stirr-
ing notts of the marital music on
this, The Birthday of the Ameri-
can Independence, the spirit doml-
nate tie flesh that has fallen heir
to so many ills. The intervening
years drop out of sight, and they are
again the same brave soldier had
dis" who gladly an wered the call,
and marched AWAY to the same inspir-
ing music ttat now grests the ear,
and which cause the enthusiasm of
young manhood to again take pos
session of than. And they find
themselves counting still as comrades,
those who died for this old flag, so
cl1 Q had be N the comnadeship in
the days when they marched shoulder
TO shoulder to tho conflict.
To many of these brave men, the
Observance of this day, will be their
last, for ths ranks are f. u beCom'ng
dccimated and the answer to the re-
call is becoming pathetically fewer
To those who remain, Blue and |
Gray alike, we give all honor and |
praise; for each fought for the prin-
ciple, sturdily and well, as bafits
men of the race.
Friend We are grow ing to canele
and lose in our relations to these
Did heroes We are allowing our
OWN greed and selfismess to crowd
out that patriotic sentiment which
ought to b. installed in every sart
and soul ard ought to inspire us to
5r alter and n1b'er ac and deel,
% these Old soldiers. We will go
niles to hear a political speech and
'hOut Ours5,ve hoar.e, and We will {
'eIuse the daily papers with starry I
ng eyes to See how many bears Ted I
Iy Roosevelt has killed. We aulog-
1e and applaud to this skies. Pres v
dent Taft. Uncle Joe Cannon and r
'thers, who thought their political 1
actics have climbed high in the af- I
airs OF the government The news L
apers of the Land VIII use column /
elling of Champ Clark riding TO the S
apdtol ON a mule. We build monu j +
i@ts TO Lincoln and other great p
isn who have become prominent a
trough the.r executive ability, and b
is alright; l do not condemn it, d
'hey should be honoued. | applaud b
nd commend that spirit which promp I
lch action and think they deserve Il
VI we can do for them, but these II
Id gentlemen, who lift their homes, a
moving not that they would ever I'll
snHn, who XII ted their wives and "
tile ONES, knowing not but what n
nat would be their last farewellwho b
louldered their rifles and wasn't out IL
face death, who fought for four n
ing years for their country and g.
lar Rag. for these too mulch can b.
u be said, We cannot honor them II
% much; For what would Lincoln b
ave done had it NOT besn Tor thase? bi
lhre would Roosevelt have been
"a 1t not been for these? Who II
ally saved the country from desire sC
ON, was 1T Lincoln or thase men? Ii
no did the fighting? Could Wash II
Igton have won our independence Oh