[324] more than ordinary pleasure to be able to be present on an occasion like this; to be able to look forth upon these masses of men; to be able to see in their faces the gleamings of intelligence; to see senators from Congress standing up before you; to listen to the declarations of truths so solemn, so momentous, so deep, and stirring the very foundations of the heart. I notice on one of your banners the inscription “ Friendship, Love, Truth.” I take as my motto the central-“ Love.” The closing sentiment of your resolution to-day was loyalty to God, and loyalty to your country. I thank the soldiers yonder and all they represent, for the manifestation of true loyalty during our past struggle for liberty; and I unite with you and with them in ascribing gratitude to Almighty God that He has put it into our hearts to be loyal to Him who sits on the throne of the heavens, because it is He who has brought our public mind into the channels of truth; and whether I as a soldier proclaim it or the minister or the bishop proclaims it, we hear the solemn truth that “God is love.” The fundamental truth of the whole Gospel is love. We are required by that fundamental law to love God, to love humanity, to love one another, to love the child of God. It is not like, it is love. With all the depth of the human heart to love, and to take that and carry it into yonder cottage. There you will find it will make the different parts of the same family agree; it will make the children kind to their parents and kind to each other. It will create a scene beautiful in itself; a picture lovely to look upon. Carry it into your neighborhood, and it will produce agreement between one family and another. Carry it into yonder capital and it will produce right feeling and doing. It makes senator grasp senator by
This text is part of:
Table of Contents:
Chapter
47
: freedmen's aid societies and an act of congress creating a Bureau of refugees, freedmen and abandoned lands
Chapter
55
:
first
appropriation by congress for the bureau; the reconstruction Act,
March
2
,
1867
; increase of educational work
Chapter
60
: opposition to Bureau and reconstruction work became personal; the
Congregational Church of
Washington
Chapter
62
: life in
Washington, D. C.
,
1866
to
1874
; assigned to duty in regular army as commander,
Department of the Columbia
Chapter
63
: in the
Northwest
, among the
Indians
; trip to
Alaska
; life in
Portland, Ore.
;
1874
to
1881
Chapter
64
: superintendent of the
United States military Academy
; commanding
Department of the Platte
,
Omaha, Neb.
Chapter
68
:
French
army maneuvers,
1884
; promotion to
Major General
,
United States army
,
San Francisco
1886
-
88
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