Press enter after choosing selection

The Soldiers' Monument

The Soldiers' Monument image The Soldiers' Monument image
Parent Issue
Day
19
Month
April
Year
1872
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

"Wo present to our readers tliis weck the oration delivurod by ox-Gov. Bi. .UK, ut Detroit, on Tuesday last, on tho oocagionof unveiling tbe Ktato Soldiors' and üailors' Monument : Fellow Citizexs : Noldiebs ot the Gkkat Wak fob the Uniqm- -This vust assemblage ot'the poople frota every part of our State tostüies thut tho interobt in tli great war to suppreas rebellion and establiah a larger libérty Kus not peaaed nor evon abated. Wo ave iivioniblod to luok upon our giuiit couxonjiuoiiitivo work, now huppily ooutpletedt iu whioh the patriotlam and ai-L goulus of Michigan ünvo unit.nd to }jivo expression to u universal public sentiinent in honor of tlio biMVB n.ion of ou'1 State who foll in deüensê oi' out govoi'uiuüiit aguiust rebbllion. Wc havo met upon un auntvo-ary duy - a duy nover to be i'oi'gotttn in tliu uiïiïils of our country. It wus on this 9th of April, 18Ü.5, tlutt the principal army of thu rebel Oonfederaoy, onder liobert E. I e, lo furod, woru ar.il WRsted by inoesaant oonüiots and want ot' t'ood, driven froui its utrenohmonta and flying southward, was overtakeu uuar Appomattox and tomplutely routed. Too v.'cuk to oontiqne the co.ntest longer, Gen. I ..■ las wholt; ioroo ind the wak was ended. nA"ith what joy tho tiding.s of this victory and Borrenaei ivuro receivud throughout tho lóyal States .t would be diiïioult now to oónoeive. fhe groat objoct, foi whioli uo sacrifico ïad seemod too severa, was attaiaed at ' last. Tüoso who had fallen in the fearful gtrugglo had not fallen in vain. Tho maimed soldiers who mot us ut ovory turn ui' tho street vroïe never to bo ashanied of their wounde. Tho suars were' to bo forover honorable, and a sourco oi' just prido tü tlio.iL! who boro thom, and to thoir ohildren forever. All tho long agouy oi'thocLvil contest was ovor. Now tho doop, steady stream oi' blood would ceaso to üow, and tho long lino of votoran Boldiery, with theii awords sheatlied, and thoir baunors iolded, would spoodiiy bü murching homo - marohing home with viotory, bringiog with thom peaoe and a Union reatored, with liberty to .IJ. tho people. Tuis was a joy too groat for wor.ls, as the events themsolves were of a charaetur to düt'y all estimation oi' their i;ir-r!;;ic)uug eonsequeaoes. We could not perinit thoiu to p.iss by without sumo enduring evidonce of the doop, soul-muving power with which tkoy had impressed us who had livfd in them and woru part oi" them. They have indeed en into tho rucurds ot' tho history oi' the timo ; but history is only the narrativo oí' dIiu aohievements of tho largor figures ;hat stand prominent iu the Boene. ïlu; great lianipitign glows ou tho historie .jago n.ui'ely as a picture oi' what the groat men did. It lives foreyer, thoeuloist of kings, griaoea uud great otürjers, and that almost alone. ïho column of viotory on the other hand is tho oi'.ition to the army. It symbolizes to tho oyo joth tho struggle and tho victory. It elovatos the gi'eat causo high abovu i nan oonneotod with it, and ennobles the nanieles soldier who died for il, u.s coinpletely as the proudest general w);.. lIio columns. It summons by its majestic t'oriu the attention of every passor-by, liowever oareleSB or intent upon bu or pleasure, and cotnmands him to remenjber with what cement oi' patriotic suiferiug and blood tho foundations oï 'State wero l;iid. The patriotic citizon who looks ou tho tall, gray shaft at Buuier l'ill is lilled at once with incmoricd of oui' great lievolutiouary war. Valley Porga stands ae ]iaiuly before hij:i as liunker itself, and he heara ü;e sphish oi' ;he sea water as t!w t;ixud toa goes ovarjoard in Boston Harbor. Ile seus the cocked hats and old Continental uni'ormti ; and Warren, and Green, uud Israel ?utnam are only soldiers in that transuoiideut caube. Tho city lms grown an:l spread out until it has enveloped the oolunm and tho hill on whieh it stands. Tho colonies, feeble n nunber but heroic iu spirit, have grown to a nation oï i'orty ujllions, one of tho mo;t powoi'i'ul on the -lobe, and still the column ou Bunker tiill teaohes its patriotic losson, and will continuo to teacli it until tho granito erumblu; üi' tLo people bouomu uuworthy ;o heor. Fil led with the spirit of the fathors of ;ho llcpublio; proi'oundly stirred by tho rrandeui of the cause, and reveyncing doeply Cho momory of thoso who sacriiceil themselves for its sucoosjs, tho jjeoplo ot' ilieliigüii havo, by voluntary subscripÁona, eruotod the monument now ubout to be unveiled boforo you. Wo stand with uucoverod heads in its preseuce. It s Uio beneuiotion we pronouuce apon the noble lives and horoio deaths oi' the ioldiera and sailors of llicliiguu who feil in our country's causo. The people have built thi.s mausoleum to their memory, not in uiouruing, but in triumph. Wo guruer uut here the bonos of the i but wc honor thé bravo spirits ihat nevor can dio. Our glorious thirteen thousand sleop in fur olt' iiolds and oenieteries, and boneath "the ucean wuW--wherover tliey chanoed to fall, it matters not - wo crown thein all hero tü-day. The statucd in this oñduring bronze show us every oao of thotn, Their character is tho rioh inheritaftos uf proeperity, ur.d wo sond down along the agos this tributo of our admiration. We sball shortly perish from tho earth aud be forgotton. Tho words wij utter here fco-day will not live long, but tUis noble strucMjre will continuo to spoak of thom loi' us. lts foundation stono, laid deop in tho earth, is not more seoure tbau tbeir inipcrishablo fainc. lts loi't-y shaft of the purest granito is not moro syiumotricul than tbeir lito, nor moro boautiful thin tbeir death. The colossal cagles that guard the appvoaches aro only emblema of tho vigilance that guarded tho nat ional life. Tho itatuesi full of tho life and charaoter which genios oonfera upon tho insensible blocks, bring back to us tho chorishod forma of tho four arms of the service. High over all, orowning the vfrhole, stands tho colossal figuro of Michigan. It was from hov and for her they wentforth; within her enoiroled aune wore the friencla and kindied they lovod ; surrouaded by tho blue waters 91 hor 110bio lakes were tho homes thoy cherishod. Thoy could heai tho dash of the wavos on hor boautiful shons v.li.n thoy slumbiued in taeir oamps faraway in tho South, and tho nortbern broozos oarried whispors of swaying pinea to them and coolod their brows heated by the fleroe raya of the Soatbern snn, or the fleroex glow of the scoreliing fever. They sang " lliohigil) iay SSiÖoigan," as thoy went into batüe, and they cbeerod her proud wbon tbey had won tho victory. bonored tlio country, and carried liiui ut hi g : but thoy loved their own Btate aboye all. Michigan reoiprooates Ihut affeotion, uní slm will oherieh iho memory of li ■■■■■ fallen son:; as the devotea gruards thi . : aacred relie. They homored iierü) li bistorio flelds of thu conílict, and gw) ■' tra pioud name íu.tho liifí'i places ot' the uiii.ji. It i hcr ploasant duty now tp see tlnt tbpir just rcuovn is :■■ !ied, ñor gi'Oot OXtlJOplo of iiatriolisin lost to tin: fUtUJ-g VÏ Vf' 'Ü l'lUÍ ;l;i'l cyu:itiy. Blllta oi'this wc Mi . ,., :. willL iWe to magnify its import1 bey have brought as tnroueh the tern.Ne trial unscatbed. Xu ■ public bequeathed to aabk the n (8 hos been pres adiibertj has beea tindioated ou the soil of the Amerioan Union, All menace by ra s hasbeeaibdued; the rebellious have all bfcenestcred so for as it was we% miüi.vy power to r st, ro Éhem. TBb work oi the soldier is , and well done Wo . f, crown the viotois aud immo m me Ihoornof peace h c,[. 'lbo nn?t tho scène, To er in the trüitsot tho groat victory and ■ them forposterity isthedutynow resting tipon us. Shall we accoinpfiah it aa the soldar did '■ rr' , ■ Th8 PO-J liticalphiloph; has ,,ot ■n vory fully dUeuss.,!!. too much occupied with its resent usfurtoom ktely the deeper ñgnificance b pohtcal transformations wbioh have aud aro stiü bemg wronght. Whil. war oontinued tho country was stramimr evwj. nf)v-;. for victory on tho battlo lwll, and tlii,-,v was no time lor anvthino' ufrthat. Wurisinitself l L barbansm, even wheacarnied on bs most reflaed aud civüized people. Oum was-BO exeeption in thia respeot and coiild not be. i'our yeaw of bloody, civil stnte could not oxist without engendermg between tho oombatants the moat in tenseresentment, desoendlng njapy ti to actual : These e&ote : not be expeoted to disappear at once We iuoot them oonstently still, and shall umie to do bo tbr many years to oome Nevertheleas, it is the higheët duty of the patnotic oitizen to contribute bis bestenergjes to remove frojn tho public mind uil ■ ung bitterness as far and fust as IJossibio. W u hava agaiu our flan and our country. That is just what we tought tor. Let as not ttoow it awav ruthlo.ly al'ter it hus been achioved: ortu ana Sauih wq are unitwl ia our great free govrnment, and its destinies are m tho hands of the whole people Let them unito now in tho grand march of progresa aud developmeut. Let them not waste tho vigor of their American ..nao iu bootloss rüvilings and Bi There is a more excellent way. It u time to eonsidor deeply bth thu occaaicn of our groa oivil war and ita resolta; how rar principies fundamental in the "uvOTiunentwere in issue, and v.'l,at b settled by tho trinniph of tho national anus and .iction whioh has followod. Thi.s discussion caimot bo loncr d= The States have all been restored, and our wholo maohinery of constitufaonal government is again in i'uli play rheperploxitiesthati atr. ly thoso of adminitration. There is no longer any excuse for other than constitutional niethods. Thore aro still n and vory sorious evils existing inthelately msurreotionary States. aro these aealtwith, and wbatare tho powthe nati nal governmoutin ra tothom.' Lt n. ty happen in regard to many ot them that wu think thoy might tipnaTrov. at than by Stat authority; psijimaybetaie. Still, , ig fcothe do bc adminÍ8tration cloarly, havo vo any righttointerföre, even though we are suro tho iuterftrence would be promotive of good government in tho particular There is a certain degree ot' inpa tionce observeü ui.on this questioii on either sido. It will, 110 doubt, bo agreed upon every hand that tho great landmarks that wparate tho national from the State authority should neither be romoved nor pansed Over. Thoso are too jinportant to be cut down on any iretext, however plausible, and no pjaa that good will bc dono thereby can bfl mli.áu tod. _ Bui wljere are these land e uow Have thoy not been in a giv grefl obliterated by the rar? Have any rights Burvived, .-mil ii so what aio they? fhese are questious that must have an answer. while the war continued they wars in aüeyuee. ïlio war power h rory'thing, and tho pooplo were not vory critical as to what it could or qould not do. Thoy saw olearly, howëvi r, what was tho scope of the oontost, and did not int'end to hú diverted from the coiupjot3 closing of all the issues iu vol ved. J people also a.pprehonded at unce vh:tt was the occasion ut the struggle. It was slavery and nothing ehe. There had been a world of discussion for a goneratioh and moro i.bout ion and State rights, but it was nothingbut a cover forthe one !i monitor oalled African slavery. Thoy Bet themselye? to extírpate it ánd all thaj belongod to it, and they did it. Tho war was for tho Union - thut was plain. It was right and necessary that it should perish, for two reasons : It had made war on the Union and the government of tho country, and, therefore, deserved death for its bflénse ; and it had proved itsult' the onè great and incurable danger in the preaence of which our fret! QepubliOOOUldnol : to exisfc. It "was tho inevitable strnggle, in whioh ono of tho oombtantá must fall never to riso again. All that went beforo the wa r, and aD. that came after it, prove that slavery was iU solo occasion. As on the oio hand it was deolarad to bo tho corner 6Í.0110 ot' the Coïil'cdeiacy, no on the other it the racoguizod rock oi' oiïcnse. All the ioua turned upon it, and uil the tyrannioal auti-war atatutes woro cnactod for its seourity. Por than w wovo oommam led to huat, tho fugitivos and rei urn them to thoir mastora. Xt was for 1 m of shivory that Su ' the Ss p !,or, while intiiuidation and gag rule stifjed (ihefreedom of debate in both Houses of grees. 11 was enthroned in tho c 1 and gave law to all tho depari the gpveraments. It rent the chut twain and put strife between the followers of the rrinoe oi' Peace. Tt sot up the cruel aristooracy oi' casto iu overy ps tho land, avd ),. riotims tho lightof knowledge. With mófe thun I arroganoe and oppressiou itdoomvd its degraded helots to the ai bloc';, d the image of God from tho souls oi' a whole race of His oreatures. To all its other crimes it added a1 r'.iat o!' treason and rpbpljipp. 'i'i; up til) of ita niqüities aud tho lengthof ita oayg. . ;oanoo of Heaven, long sluAiberiug, fi 11 upon it, and the rightooüs wratüb of a forbearing and insultcd people exeouted it. i I away in tho storm of L1 - owo ing. Ct perished misorably at the hands of its mÏ8guided guardiins, and h ;s left non ■ b it. On the same monument wc croct to the immortalily of our lallen horofea, let u.s its epitaph and abide in tilo hope : tcan have 110 reaurreotion. 3 wa i the . ole oause of tho uci on was its grand snit. ino uonstituticn, nappij even' name it, and alroady t wonder how it sh u!i ovor have ex Soiuo raimante of it; ruel nd rdpntlens ■ ; : iarts ui' , try. lúa oven its ha'tet'itl memóry si'yin, and in the rter futuro wi)l prol be people. A ; uu f.'it pro p thoso wars tho termination of whieh has happily removod iu a greatmoasuro the casus belli iteelf. Sliivury is dead. Aparticulariustitutionis roinovcd justat tho timo wheu what was good in it had oxhausted its inission, and when it would havo boon cuuiinuod ia nu imperdonable ujjprossion, au unttyitígated ;vil, a causo that would have involved and dragged to the the very vitáis 'oí tho South. Wa havo washed our hands, thougb in tbo bloud of a "SVo havo streng tkoued thu very Union wc hud ma kcd for destruotion ! " Tuis ia tin; simple truth, widoly accopted iu every part of the country, alroady soon tü bo uuivcraaliy adinitted.; andthia truth it is which will forever vindicata tho nationnl causo and apotheoua0 the gallan t men who feil in it. Ihis luonument will bo a shrino toward which all opio will turn devoutly'. Thu u;ir vaa followed by three amondmenta of the Oonsfitutión of tbo United Otates which were reudered necesaary'by "It. Xhe ñrst oí' thom simply dcBomplished ïaot that slavery ia abolished', and shall aovur moro exist iu tüo Eopublio. The sucoud securen to the freod icoplo equal rights with all other vitizens, and forbids the i to deny sucu rights to any; and the suffrage in tüu hands liburated raco and igain forbids the States to inteifere with it. Thoso its are ainple and direot, They ainj at the single objuct ot' securing to iwly enfranohiaed jouIc tlio rights 'iid nothing more. Tho vnginal framewurk of tho govrnmeat riliiaius untouohed. Tho reservad rights ut the Statea and of the people aro in no wuy infringed; on thu ooutrary, thoso rights are uxtonded and made tp apply to overy a fttevoroolor or nationality. Liborty is theroby made universal, and evory fonu of sorvitiido is abolished. The Union remaiaa as it was, except that slavery has disappeairud ïï-uin it. ïho old Cunstituüun, tho safegaard of liberty, tried iu the scvuu timos heacted fumaóa of robellion, has withatood every assault and nobly triuihphed over uvory dangor. Tho fugitiyo clausc, its only dros, has boen buracd out, and all its iinegúíd is tho brightef tor tho trial. Thu .sare foundation upon our libertics lüöt is rendered doubly sound by tüe now baptism of bloud in whioh the suprome autkority over the holc land has buuii vindicated, whüo it has boon purgod oí' its only LnoonsUt which drew its authority into debate, has been shown during the .. also, that tin! Constitution is inadc for the peo ple, and not tho people for tho Coustitutiou. The instrument derives itsjuat uuthority frcmi thé íiot that it embodies the deliberatqíy ëxpressed will of the peopla It was made by tho puoplu, and lor the is subject, in all respecta, t tided and altered by the same au thority that cróated it. fhera are some thiiigs too important to bo lut't to tho oapriceof any legislativo body, and these wed iu the written Constitutioiu md can only 'uu ohari e alow and orderly prboess prcscri'ue'rf tot its ;nuendment. The oloso of th great civil war was a fit occasion lor tho exercise of this important power. Most important principies had been sottled by the groat strugjie, and ut too groat a oost of both troas-ubjeot to uuy future contingonoy. The peoplfi of thu country then proceeded, with tho utmost gteadfastnpss aud persistency, to intrench .nch tuoy dtenied fui Mental, iu the Constitution itsalf. ft will be reinembei determinediy ;hey refuaed lo bc tunad aside in any direction until this was duin.1. They wera nceasantlj vrarned against Constitutioa Ankering, against precipitauey, ana igailist bringing into nuddon citizen.ship gnorant and degradad persons who lad been raised in Blavery and vico; bufc ;hey proceeded, nevertholess, with thoir lettled puipose until everything gained iy the war liac been secured in the fundtmental law. How cuúiely wiso and rudent was tuis course is now plainly loon. Tho yiotory of tho Union anus verthi :rate was not onu whit more important than mm..-; the triïuiph at the baila which seoured ind redults of the war in thoso uonts of the Consiitutijn which aave rendejred further strile impossiblo. e inaugurated peace in tlm i law. They have put wholtd the domain of partigan conLLct uil those rights and privileges which ►re the birthtisht and privilege ofevcry ■ being. ïhey have carried tho subliuio theoriosof thu Declaration of lu'a.'iico over iuto the Constitution, ind put thenatipnal ar.clu.rity wliully on ;!..; &iè óf liberty, ïhey have enacted ,he great doclarution, which was a sentiuont, into positivo, irrepealable law; md tlius the great werk ot' conquest and . been finished. It is finish ,d i'or all time - nobly, subümely finishud - marking the ora of civilization and Qg out of our pathway .hu decayed rubbish of worn-out systoms and expiating in a decade th i crimes of a contury, raising tho poor and eprussed up to the lofty levol of American citip, and turning the smilight of liberty and knowledgo into tho former' darknoss of slavory and ignorance, until overy avenue of our future is aglow witb. the radiántíe. Some there b„ who aro toó jlind to seo it, but tne'y are not inany, and some, also, who are nut willing to lut weakly wish to die iu tho .. darkness, and these; too, aro noti ïunny. Tho greitt body of the j. tiave fully recognird the existing t-itnation, üiiil hail it with enthusiasm. They y put the past behind thcin, ind aro hurrying forward wiiii footsteps into the opening future. Lot them neither èarry nor turn back. Our national oareer is still at the beginning. But ouly one thing romains to hú u-'iv ', ■ -tv, and it is ■. The great national reconcilia tion ought not to bo delayed another liour. The people'a representa! tve voteditbyoi majorities ovei; md over again, and the people will speedily win tho victory in this as they do in everything in the country. The liitio sch( rty iKilities may baflió them for a time, but only for a time. The grand sentiment of brotherhood is gaining volume in overy part ui' the land, and will shortly roll likc au ooean overall tho contesta of an unfortuuatü but unuvoidable conliict whii llöwed up' in the '■ Miers of the Uulon will sh 1 1 ot' the CónJ ander tho Bag of n country that ia free cnough and groat b tor thein all. They are all domen who fought sido by sidti i.. 1 , . ; nd is; J. They claiméd tho 'id Buena Vista, and thoy will earry it togethëi ■ . ut lire. I beoii fortúnate, wbite anotlu orned the useful lesson that pa only bo honorable when aided with jus' i ■ i. Wa canhot and must nol. remain a di vided people. Our noble history óf the past, both in field and forum, svinr US all, both Xorth and Scmth, to a 1. reconoiliation. Our couimon interestsin the grandest aatiónalit) tern (dmesoall usin the samo dirootion. The olear promises of tho musí, briltiant future ever aohioved by any pooplo oommand os to restore tho Unión n the public bpart, as it. has already been itutiopal authority. 'ïhh, I lirmly believe, caii bo . led in ono way, and ouly in oue wa}-. Let US, by one act of amnesty and oblivicn, re move eyei-y disability attached to any class of our peoplo on acobunt pf the ,v that now remain ara only causos of irritation, aud accomplish nq good. liet us dismiss that whole policy ut once r. H has had : . day, and is no longer required. Then let reaiize'l'ul! , l] fact that vl the States are again equal in the ÜMRion ; that roverni eni il) I ís to be carricd on prcoitely as in Michigan; that tho d ;1, and that ,'1 fCiiO i ny power. Uplia subject it is national awakenin tliat ivo need. Tho soctional controver.sy is wholly close 1; it perished with tho hubjeot of it. Thorc is not a national iut tosí lot't that is not commo-.i to the vrholo püoplü. Lst lis not dig up docaying bonos to wr.mglo over thom, but go i . , .mi-at once in our work of national progresa and regencration. !.ow ClTIZENQ - The monument r.bout to be unveiled has been ereoted in honor of patriotism - a patriotism so selfsacriticiug and doep as to load nion todio tbr it. In doiug this we have uifinned our own obligation to follow in their footsteps. Iflt was tho of these Beidien and sailors of Michigan to lay down their livos to prevent the dismemberment of the country, it is nono the less our dut y to preserve it from every harm. Abraham Lincoln, the most conspicuous ui-ii !; tor tho hational c BpeaMng at the inauguratíon of tho monument it Gettysburg, usod these words : "It is for us, the living, rather, tododicate ouraelvee to the unfinished vork which they ivliü fought hero have thus far nobly ad vaneed ; to consécrate our8elves to the great task remaining, and to gathcr frota tke graves of these honorable dead inward devotion to that cause for which they gare their lires. Here let us resolve that 1hey shall not havo died in vain ; that this ïnition shall, undei God, have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people for the peoplo and by the peoplo shall not perish foreverirom tho earth." These noble words apply as fitly here and now as they did theu and there. Patriotism is not confined to wars and battle-flelds, though it has there its most oonspicuous stage. It is said trui y that "Peace hath her victories no lessronowncd than war," and it may bo addod that her victories often times in vol ve as great a saoriñoe of toil and sweat of human Ufo as war. The waste and wear ;md sorrowful death of the humble and poor, occaeioned by tyrannical and bad government, are worso than war, though they seem far loss. Men take up anus to free themselves from evils greator th::n the bloody arbitr.unent to which thoy appeal. Thp good citizen, who fiiithfully and earnestly labors to supiwrt honest, just und free government, is no kss a patriot than he wlio takes up anus to beal down injustice and cppression wh: Q the rights iv.'.l liberties of the people ; and he wno tendí hiniself to fraud, pcculation, and dishonesty in public afV.'.ii.-i is no less a traitor to hia country and all her dearest intorests than he who ioins her ene mies in war. Ilis oporations are on a much less conspicuous field, but they sa the foundations of tho State all the more suroly, beeausu t'icyaro lors open and deïnonstrative. It is ono of the poni'Jties they in volco who insist upon free government that thcy may oeter rest from their ■wari'aro upon every sort. of political easy virtuo. It roquires a vigilanóe t;it. ïiever sleep", and a courage and fidolity of all, the most admirable, becanse for the most part it getteth but little applause and h.ith no rewaid but that of a good consoience. Liberty procUiins hcrsiilf from the dwolliiig places of public and by procept und example warns her disciples against all departure from sound principies and pure prácticos. Sha v.-ül noiihor palliuto nor pardon. Standing upon the tirm pillar, witli the hield in one band, held warningly forth, sho cries, " Tuebor," while with the other sho holds the dagger, which menaces puni.slnnent to all oli'ijnders ugainst tho niajesty of hor justico. That mighty army which conquered rebollion, uberated tho people and restorod the Union, dissolved at tho closo of the war aad returned peaceably to tho occupations of civil lifo It ha earned for itself a reputation sucli as men raielv have the opportunity to acquire, and it has a hold upon the admiration and affectionate gratitude of the country which will not have disappeared from tho pub ■ lic raind when tho last of them shall have joinod those whose monument we have built. Many of thom are present with is today, assistmg in tho effort to honor worthily their tallen comrades ; and with our living tribute to those who havo gone to the soldiere' rest, " On Fame's eternal camping ground," wo mingle our hearty acclaim to the gallant men who bronght their banners home. We réjoice in tLat great good fortune which has enabled them to become the saviors of their country and sti.ll survivo to behold their work. All the honors we bestow upon the dead are equally tribute to the living, and it is not atr.ongst the least of their titles to our regard that they havo with such gladness and alacrity turned their "swords into plow-shares and their spoars into pmning-hooks," To the soldiers and sailors of the Union avmies and navios, not of Michigan alono, but of our whole country, one and all, vu offer here to-day our dsep, heart feit rr;titude for the signal bravery nnl fidclity with which they defended, ro-estiblishod republicnn liberty in America, and greatly exaltcd the jut renown of our country in all lands nnder tho sun. And tothat country, for which bo much blood bas been shed, we renew our promiscs of fiilelity around this monument that we havo builiied to lier tallen defenders. May her enomiöa forget that they were ever BUoh and all her people "lieccme nnited nnder Uio vicUnóna ting that beckons us on to a grande! future than the world ever knew.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus