There is open to my vision more than one yawning trench in which we laid the dead of the old brigade. We laid them, elbow touching elbow, in the order in which they had stood in the line of battle. We left them in the hasty sepulchre and marched on. Now we rejoice that a grateful Government has gathered together the scattered dust of all these comrades and placed them in beautiful and safe places of honor and repose. I cannot but feel that if they could speak to us to-day they would say put the flag at the top of the mast.
I have recently returned from an extended tour of the States, and nothing so impressed and refreshed me as the universal display of this banner of beauty and glory. It waved over every school-house, it was in the hands of the school children. As we sped across the sandy wastes at some solitary house a man, a woman, a child would come to the door and wave it in loyal greeting. Two years ago I saw a sight that has ever been present in my memory. As we were going out of the harbor of Newport about midnight on a dark night some of the officers of the torpedo station had prepared for us a beautiful surprise. The flag at the top of the station was unseen in the darkness of the night, when suddenly electric search-lights were turned on it, bathing it in a flood of light.
All below the flag was hidden, and it seemed to have no touch with earth, but to hang from the battlements of heaven. It was as if Heaven was approving the human liberty and human equality typified by that flag.
Let us take on this occasion a new draught of courage, make new vows of consecration, for, my countrymen, it was not because it was inconvenient that the rebel States should go, not that it spoiled the autonomy of the country, but because it was unlawful that all this sacrifice had to be made, to bring them back to their allegiance. Let us not forget that as good citizens and good patriots it is our duty always to obey the law and to give it our loyal support and insist that every one else shall do so. There is no more mischievous suggestion made than that the soldiers of the Union Army desire to lay any yoke on those who fought against us other than the yoke of the law. We cannot ask less than that in all relations they shall obey the law, and that they shall yield to every other man his full rights under the law.
I thank you for the pleasure of participating in these exercises with you to-day, and give you a comrade's best wishes and a comrade's good-by.
[THE BENNINGTON TRIP, AUGUST, 1891.]
On Tuesday, August 18, President Harrison left Cape May Point on a journey to Bennington, to participate in the dedication of Bennington Battle Monument. He was accompanied by Private Secretary Halford, Russell B. Harrison, Mr. Howard Cale, of Indianapolis, and George W. Boyd, of the Pennsylvania Company. The trip through New Jersey was uneventful. At Vineland, Glassboro, Camden, Trenton, and Burlington crowds greeted the President, but as it was raining there was no speech-making. At Jersey City the party was joined by John A. Sleicher, W. J. Arkell, and E. F. Tibbott, the President's stenographer.
Leaving New York at noon the first stop was at Cornwall, where the President was heartily welcomed by a large crowd and bowed his acknowledgments.