Democratic Sentinel, Volume 21, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 August 1897 — TALKS TO VETERANS. [ARTICLE]

TALKS TO VETERANS.

MKINL6Y RESPONDS TO A TOAST AT BUFFALO. Old Soldiers Give a Banquet in Hia Honor—Three Hundred and Fifty Thousand People in AttendanceSlat Annual Encampment. “Put ’Em Off at Buffalo.” The incoming rush of Grand Army veterans and their womenfolk to attend the national encampment at Buffalo was at its height Tuesday. The .different railroads centering there gave estimates of the number of passengers landed in Buffalo during the twenty-four hours ended at midnight. The total footed up 145,000. As all the railroads expected arrivals for Wednesday at least equaling those of the previous day, it was estimated that there would be at least 150,000 more arrivals before the big parade, which would bring the grand total of encampment visitors up to 350,000. President McKinley was the lion of the hour, it being the first time in the history of the organization that a President of the United States put in an appearance at the national encampment. Tile banquet which was tendered Tuesday night to the President and other distinguished guests was a notable affair. Covers were laid for 500 guests at the Ellicott Club. The hosts were representatives of every department in the organization and subscribed liberally toward the function. The President was escorted from the Niagara Hotel to the club by a Chicago post and an impromptu reception preceded the banquet. Rpeechmaking was in order at fl o’clock, as the President desired to leave early to attend some camp meetings. Col. James A. Sexton of Illinois was the toastmaster. President McKinley responded to his toast as follows: I wish I might frame fitting words to make suitable response to the more than gracious welcome which you have accorded me here to-ulght. I come with no set form or speech; I come with no studied phrases to present to you; but come In the spirit of companionship to talk with you us we have so often talked In the past uround the campnrea In war, us well as the camp-fires In peace. To me, 1 see by the program, has been assigned the toast. “The Country and Its Defenders.’’ My fellow-citizens, blessed Is that country whose defenders are patriots; blessed Is that country whose soldiers fight for It and are willing to give the best they have-the best that any man has—their own Uvea, to preserve It because they love It. Such an army the United States has always commanded In every crisis of her history. From the wnr of the Revolution to the late civil war the men followed that ting In battle, because they loved that flag mid believed In what It represented. That was the stuff of which the volunteeer army of (11 was made. Every one of them not ouly fought, but they thought; and many of them did their own thinking, and did uot always agree with their commanders. Note that young soldier, who In the late war, upon the buttle line, ahead with the color ?uard bearing the stars and stripes away In ront of the line, but the enemy still In front of him. The general called out to the colorbearer, “Bring these colors back to the line,” and quicker than any bullet that young soldier answered back, “Bring the line up to the colors.” It was the voice of command; there was n num behind It, and there was patriotism In his heart. "8o near to grandeur Is our dust, So near to God Is man, When duty whispers, ‘Lo, thou must,' The youth replied, ’I can.' ” And so more than 2,000,000 brave men thus responded and made up an army grander than any army that ever shook the earth with Its tread and engaged In a holler cause than ever engaged soldiers before. .What defenders, my countrymen, have we now? We have the remnant of this old, magnificent, matchless army of which I have been speaking, aud then ns allies In any fwture war we have the brave men who fought against us on Houthern battlefields. The army of Grunt and the army of Dee are together. They are one now In faith, In hope, In fraternity. In purpose and In Invincible patriotism. And therefore the country Is In no danger. In Justice strong, In pence secure, and In devotion to the flag, all one. Secretary of War Alger, speaking to the toast, ‘"rhe Army of the United States,” said in part: “It is hard for me to speak about the army with the President present. The army of the United States, as far as it went, was the best on God's footstool. He had been in London, and bad been asked what If the United States was attacked by the great military nations. I answered that in thirty days we could put millions of fighting men in the field and back them up with a wall of tire in the persons of the veterans. At the same time he thought that the army should be strengthened somewhat. He complimented the national guard and said that it would prove a great bulwark of the nation in time of need. C. Porter Johnson of Chicago, responded to the toast, "The Volunteer.” Henry Estabrook spoke to the toast, “The General.” Charles W. Anderson, a colored orator, spoke of the colored troops, mid John S. Wise spoke upon “Under One Flag." Mr. Wise, who was a Confederate officer, was received with much enthusiasm. Archbishop Ireland was the last general toast orator, and was received with vociferous applause. The feature of the morning was the second parade of the celebration and the first in which G. A. K. men took part. The Naval Veterans’ Association and the ex-Prisoners of War Association, together with the survivors of Erie County regiments and other organizations composed the Grand Army contingent of the parade. The naval veterans wore the uniform of the United States naval service and made a splendid appearance. As they passed through the streets in the rolling gait of men-of-warsmen the crowds cheered them to the echoes.