Year: 1872

! W
prove to be inaccurate. Many times
they are but extravagaut praise Of the
few leaders who figured conspicpously
tor time; distorted accounts Of that
which, when once understood, will leave
no lasting impress, or leaving it, will
show greatly 10 the dscredit Of the ae-
tor. Again, histories written so soon
after q conflict, while full Of accounts of
| glorious deeds Of prominent leaders,
leave almost out of view, the heroic
achievements of the great, patriotic, no
BILE soldiery, and the ceaseless labors of
! the brave, patient and Dameless people.
These constitute theme for patient toll
in years, which shall succeed those of ex-
citcment. And bo1ored should be the
historian, who gathering from the four
or five years Of strife and bloodshed,
through which this country has passed,
the heroic deeds, and patient toll, the


manly suffering of that great throng of
unnamed heroes, who fought SO many
battles, and shall print them on immortal
pages.


TO the leaders of our arnies we owe
much TO the common soIdiery, more.
| And we are here to-day as part Of
that "patient, nameless people" of whom
| have spoken, to join with part of
that common soldery in speaking of
those years Of toll aud strife which were
so full of heroism on the one part, and
patriotic labor on the ether. And while
many OF you can talk over far different
life, during those years, from what many
of US can, yet happily to-day our desires
| and objects shOuld he one


Now there should be no difference be-
tween us so far as our labors are concern
ed. We each meet to-day to rejoice that
your heroiSm on the field, and our pat
riotism at home, have preserved unsul-
lied our common flag, and saved un-
broken our common country. But we
are also called upon to-day, amid our
rcjoicings, TO remember in sadness, and
cherish with heartfelt gratitude, those
noble men, who, flushed with patriotism
and fired with love of country, soon
rendered mp their lives amid the din and
smoke of battle. To such we owe at
least the poor boon Of cherishiug their
memory. One of the means of perpetu.
ating a memory Of the dark days through
which, like true and noble men as you
are, you bore many times in victory and


sometimes Though defeat, but never in


the lust, your country's emblem, in your


yearly gathering together of that num-


Der, each year lessening, who have been
spared to their country and their fami-
lies.


1t is also q reminder to the great mass
of people who were never in danger


with you. of the victories you achieved,


of the patient, patriotic labor they per-


formed, and of the good results it ac-


complished through your and their ef-


forts. And as your gatherings shall
come and go, and the time when you
surrendered everything up at your
cOuntry's call shall recede farther and


farther into the past, and as your
numbers yearly decrease, as comrade af


ter comrade shall answer the summons


to join the unnumbered host that has


gone before, and as the steps of those


who shall be left shall shorten in the
march of life, trust just and due ap-


probation of your great work, and that


of those who shall be sleeping in their
graves will continually grow up in the


hearts and memories of the millions oi


American citizens who shall live TO enjoy


the fruits of the toll and danger thi ough
which you passed.


But your yearly gatherings, l trust,
have still another Specification, different


from any to which have alluded. They
will serve to impress in favorable man
ner upon the minds of rising generations
the great truth, that treason TO good
government should be hateful and hated


: hot ~


into tatters our country's flag, withoat


beihg remembered as a traitor, and fit to
receive traitors doom. And | know
that so lar as any act or word of yours
, can 60, it will be to repel with scorn any
: idea that men may deliberately plan and
, murderously attempt TO execute treason
against the life of their country, and


failing in their criminal undertaking, il
the name of that country whose lie they
sought, demand forgiveness and forget
iulness of their unmeasured crime, and
have it extended TO them.


, The great law of self preservation de
: mands that there should always be diff
: ference made in our estimate OF men who
: save, and men who attempt to destroy
+: the government, which affords them pro
: lection to life and property and it mat
| ters not how deep the repentance may
e be, after they have sought the life o
= that government, have been compelled
{ through force Of arms to submit, fo
: reason teaches that they should neve
q have so strong hold upon the affections
+. Of people as the men who have n,
: treason to repent of. Now shall the'
: occupy this subordinate place in our es


limation, because Of any reason of +,
!, venge or hate, but because the future wei
= being of the people demand that all mel
(; must understand that he who plans tn
j destruction of his country cannot by an


life repentance regain the high position
e from which he fell. This is but the de
S mand of justice, and from full recogni
!, tion OF that demand we shall not b.
:, Grawn by any false logic or argument
/ however plausible. The truth should


stand boldly out, that to sin agains
c ones country involves the idea OF pun
e ishment, either 10y the inffiction of penal
n ties prescribed by law, or by such pub
j. lie estimate of the crime, as will be
:, continual reminder to the perpetrator
II of the great fact that they have sinned
:, That the war through which you hav