Year: 1865

the present week. Cheers. 1Jur term OF SER
vice is therefore nearly over, and soon the SOL
diers will 6c permitted to return to their homes
and resume the avocations they pursued when the
war began. But when that order is issued. and
you are free to depart, you have still duty to
perform to your country yet. That Is, your duty
as n good American citizen


When YOU return to your homes do your duty
there. Ifthc soldiers could not be trustsd he did
not know who could. Stand by your government
Be not deceived by line spun theories but DO your
duty rs citizens.


The Governor, in conclusion spoke with refer
ence to the mastering out of of veteran soldiers,
and closed with glowing tribute to the soldiers
before him and the veterans of the United States
army, saying that veterans stood higher in
Europe, than did the armi OF the present day
No armies the world ever saw had done more than
our own. The Battle of Bunker Hill 4
great battle and great in results but there were a
thousand skirmishes in this war which entirely
eclipse it, The battle Of New Orleans a
great battle, and made Jackson President Tie
spoke of the efforts ofrevoutionary men with rev
erence and admiration, but in the present there
were many battles far greater. General Scott
mlrched to the capital of Mexico with but l4,009
men. the battle of Buena Vista made General
TAYLOR President. and yet he presumed that in the
narration of the battles of this war, the SCARED
and war-worn veterans would omit fights of 90





little moment and too tedious to mention. Tie
thanked the soldiers for their kind attention, and
again renewed the expression OF the pleasure it
gave him to see them, and to speak to them.


At the close OF Governor Morton's speech. three
cheers were given for the speaker and the old flag,
and the audience responded with three cheers for
the soldiers.


+. Buchanan Read was then introduced. and
rccited his own sterling poem Of "Sheridan's
Ride"


Governor Oglesby being present. was loudly call
cd for. The Governor responded to the call of
the vast audience, and said he came not with the
expectation of making single remark. lie heard
Governor Morton TO speak to the soldiers.
aBdthough he arrived too late to hear all Of his
spcec h, vet he had heard enough TO make him feel
better than he had for many a day. Hc thanked
Governor Morton, in the name of the State of
Illinois, for finding time to come to Chicago 20 at
tend our soldiers fair lie wished more Govern
ors had done so. lie did no: expect TO say n
word The day was warm, the soldiers tired, and
he himself was very fat and lazy. Laughter i
IL became our duty now to see what to do and how
TO do it. He had been the enemy OF the rebels
from tho day Of the commencement Of the rebellion
TO the day ofits close. He couli not feel it in his
heart to feel good naured to n rebel until he had
been whipped ard was upon his knees and begged
for mercy, and then. thank God the loyal soldiers
could let rcpentant rebel live without butcherinS
him. We had gone into this war with the purpose
Of making the rebels submit to the authority of
the United Stttes or of extermnating them. and
now, that they were whipped, like prudent men
they had concluded TO submit.


The Governor spokc of the national debt, and
said it must be paid every cent principal and inter
cs.. We mus. pay our ta~es. and our public jour
nails must stop abusing the Government and pre-
dieting the reputation of the national debt. He
elaborated the idea of Governor Morton with refer
en,e to the duty Of soldiers when they had returned
to civil life, and after some happy remlrks, which
kept his audience in entire good humor, took hi;
seat amid loud cheers


Cen Sweet followed in n short speech, after
which the soldiers repaired to camp, where the
evening parade was held IN the presence oil a
large number OF fspectators.


The exercises in the grove were witnessed by the
Sth and 10Th regiments veteran reserve corps oil
infantry. and some three thousand spectators.


Governors Morton and Oglesby then repaired to
the quarters of the rsbel prisoners at Camp Doug
las where they addressed them in speeches OF half
an hours duration.


Governor Morton, in concluding his rcmrks
slid that the doctrine of State sovereighty-the
theory that each Stite was sovereign and inde
pcndent was used rs the instrument by which the
people were led into this That was wiped
ont. We now start with the idea of national
unity and that VIC are oae nation instead OF several
States. Our country is laid off into States
for the purposes OF local AMI domestic govern
ment. We have bcch in conaict-a deadly conflict
in which brother was engaged against brother, but
that had passed away, and he hoped that hereafter
we should live in peace. lie predicted that in
ten wears the Southern States would be more
wealthy and powerful than ever before, and the
rise in rell estate will more thar pay the value o'
every slave. Our business men and young men
viii 20 there by the thousand. Emigration will
flock in from Europe. In short time the traces
OF rebellion will have passed away, and peace ana
harmony will reign. lie sure he wanted the
North and South TO live 50 together. And when
they went home he trusted they would do thcii
duty and be happy and )ntented and prosperous
/ General Sweet then addressed the prisoners
and introduced Governor Oslesby. of Illinois.


Governor Oglesby said he had had in his short
life what ne considered difficult things to do, and
had such a job now. II was not long sin'e the,
were very bitter enemies. He couldn't talk as
Governor Morton talked, for while he was in the
field fighting to the best Of his ability the Cover.
nor was at home sending him the powder and shot
lie did not feel like saving anything unkind lie
desired to speak to them frankly. When he wen
into the war he was their enemy because he loved
the n ~. and taught to honor and uphold i
rs a native born Kentuckian. The Governor told
them OF his experience at Corinth. The war /:
over. Itis no use for you to regret it. A voice
Nv are Glad OF IT, All Tue STcit a"i'cs VI 'h'
South have surrendered, and have agreed to term:
of capitulation written down by our Generals
| They are not so bad rs you thought they would be
Now the war is over; whether you are, or not, he
must say he was right glad that il was in our favor
Now the next thing is what we going to do with
voul II you have rs much sense as courage anC
can talk we'll 40 fight, I'll tell you. You have
got to live in this country. What kind oil a figure
would you cut working in Germany drinking lage
and eating black bread at four cents day.
I Laughterl You must live here. Now can it bt
any good sense on our part to PISS LAWS purposel,
to harrass you7 Would il do 10 Try you for treason
and hang you one by one? He couldn't do that
| He could not hang an unarmed man, merely because
he h,d the power and the prisoner had not. Id
desired to know if it was true that they desired tc
take the oath of aegicncc and become good citi
zens. fCries Of ayes" on all sides. II the,
would do this as men--take the oath without men
tai reservation, and keep it--he would pledg'
his word he would vote against inflicting any pun
ishment upon them. There were men, however
whom he could not forgive, and those were tn,
scoundrels who refused to recognize the code o
civilized warfare, and tortured unarmed soldiers
Such men ought not be forgiven. A brave maj
would never do it. Cries of "That's SOL Thu
people OF the South had been misled, and JEFF
Davis and cohorts had lied to them: A voice.
"That's true" lie wanted, in the future, to liv'
in harmony as brothers, and to strik" hands for th
I good of a common country.


/ The rebel prisoners gave three hearty cheers TO
each of the Governors at tho close OF the speeches
and retired to their quarters in good humor.