Show I AT THE OPERA HOUSE The Camp Fire and Ball of theGAR GOVERNOR WESTS WELCOME Gen BTurrays Address Mr Ifyes SpeechFighting the Battles Over Again Events of the Evening The campfire and ball given by the G A R at the Walker Opera House last evening were well attended and among the throng were noted the faces of a great many of Salt Lakes most prominent prom-inent people Shortly after S oclocfc Commander Page introduced Governor West who delivered the address of welcome as follows Ladies and Gentlemen Commander and Comrades In the duty that I have been selected for to give a fitting welcome to these representatives of the grand work I would summon to my aid around this place in grand campfire the plumed troop the neighing steed the shrill shot the spiritstirring drum the airpiercing pipe the royal banner and all the quality pomp pride and circumstance cir-cumstance of war I would again have the troops upon the march I would again have the battle scenes portrayed I would again have the hospital with its ministering angels of women attending at-tending those who were sick and wounded I would have all those who fellin that great struggle both upon the victorious side and that of the vanquished van-quished I would have the leaders upon both sides here I would not only have these but I would have every man whose freedom was the result of the struggle Applause I would have them all and with them all only can a fitting tribute bs paid to that great struggle and the result and to those who are the survivors of the vie torious war Applause And over all I would have the great spirit of this glorious and united country as the re suit of that grand and glorious struggle Now as the voice of the commander of the post selected upon the partof the James B McKeati post I bid these delegates del-egates welcome here I bid heartily earnestly and socially a welcome as official representative of the government govern-ment whosecause you espoused wnose arms you valorously earned and whose flag you crowned with victory I bid you welcome Upon the behalf of my comrades who opposed you valiantly and each of whom felt that stern joy which the warrior ftels in meeting Yal ant men worthy of his steel I bid you welcome Applause Anqnow bid you welcome in the name of this audience these brave men and these beautiful women they remember and cherish vour deeds of valor they reap the benefits and the fruits of the victory which crowned your arms I am sure they wil ever cherish in their hearts the victories and the triumphs that you have won Now that your brows are crowned with victorious wreaths your bruised arms hung up for monuments your stern alarms changed to merry meetings may joy wait upon your campfires here and elsewhere May peace prosperity and happiness be in vour homes Now then in closing I will say that 1 wish that this great and glorious country may unitedly exist and that it may keep upon its surface a noble and a freedomloving people who will cherish andremember your deeds of valor and preserve the fruits of your victory E Applause Mr T E Harper then gave in his usually excellent style The Sword of Bunker Hill V Past Commander H C Wardleigh then stepped forward and proceeded as master with the installation ceremonies and the following newly elected officials then arose and repeated solemnly with right hand upraised the pledge given below Governor Murray Commanderin Chief Senior ViceCommanderGeorge C Kidder Kid-der Park City Junior ViceCommander B Wentley Boise City Idaho Medical DirectorA S Condon Ogden Chaplain George E Jayne Ogden THE PLEDGE On my ho nor as a man and as a com idj of the Grand Army of the Republic I do solemnly pledge myself to perform in letter and in spirit faithfully and impartially all the duties of the office upon which 1 am about enter So help me God Next came the installation of the commanderinchiefelect for the ensuing en-suing year ex Governor E H Murray long repeated the words above with a who list of promises appended in which he pledged himself to carry out the commands of his superior officers and to exact obedience to the same by the comrades over whom he should preside pre-side The new commander then addressed the meeting as follows He scarcely knew how to utter the thoughts which were suggested to his mind He accepted the honor placed on him by the G A R It was a place not sought and came in a way that any man should be proud to accept That was the only way in which it could come and he accepted it He should endeavor to study the rules of the organization and carry them out as faithfully as he carried out the orders of his superiors in the war Xo soldier would ask any promise other than that The G A R in the Rocky Mountains stood as a fragmentary part of that body which went to the field in 1S61 This department was composed of the gem of the mountains Idaho and Utah grand in her resources and as commander com-mander he would faithfully endeavor to carry out all the obligations of his office He knew ot no man in the post with whom he could not extend the right band of fellowship In the execution of his office he hoped that in tie honor of the soldiery of the United States there would be no falling back in all that made a splendid people He hoped that in future the Grand Army would arrest the attention of the country in good He hoped that in Utah all irrespective of party of creed or sect would honor the G A R for in all they only knew they had a flag and country and with Gods strength that flag and country would be above all Any man who wanted to be an American Ameri-can was his friend no man who did not want to be an American could behis friend On that broad platform all could unite He aSKed that in this department de-partment and in the G A R all would remember that these are what are left of those who preserved the Union and So far as they could would preserve it They were not gathered together to I collect pensions The obligations to the G A R were as great as obligations on its bond No soldier asked anything as a bounty He did not wish nor would he have a pension but whenever any soldier or his family goes down in distress the government should lift up as the soldier went to lift up the arm of the government in distress He represented re-presented all in saying the old soldiers should be taken out of the poorhouse and placed where they would be in comfort The country was too great and too broad to allow one of its defenders de-fenders in a poorhonse lie felt honored by his election today he had been honored by his State and government but no honor was greater than this He hoped he would leave the department de-partment in as good condition as he tound it If he left it in as good a condition con-dition he would feel he had done his duty if in better he would feel that he had profited by the example of his predecessor He knew he would make mistakes but if anything occurred they would be errors of the head and not of the heart V Gen Murray was followed by Mr John P Meakin who sang Ehren on the Rhine in a very pleasing manner and gained the good appreciation of the audience V COMRADE WILLIAM H NYE of Idaho was introduced and spoke as follows Ladies and Gentlemen Comrades of the GJ R The Grand Army of tho Republic was organized at Decatur Illinois April 6th 1866 by Dr B F Stephenson of Springfield who had served as surgeon of the Fourteenth Illinois Infantry and at the close of the war returned to his practice in Springfield where in February Feb-ruary 1866 he first suggested the idea of this organization We are often asked what are the objects to be ac com lished by this organization Our answer is To preserve and strengthen those kind and fraternal feelings which bind together the soldiers sailors and marines who united to suppress the late rebellion aid to perpetuate the memory and history of the dead to assist such former comrades in arms as need help and protection and to extend ex-tend needful aid to the widows and orphans or-phans of those who have fallen to maintain true allegiance to the United States of America based upon a paramount para-mount respect for and fidelity to its Constitution and laws to discountenance discounten-ance whatever tends to weaken loyalty incites to insurrection treason or rebellion re-bellion or in any manner impairs the efficiency and permanency of our free institutions and to ncourage the spread of universal liberty equal rights and justice to all men These meetings are not for the purpose pur-pose of keeping alight resentful senti ments created by the war They were instituted not for vain glorious boast ings or to awaken sectional hate They are for the sole purpose of strengthening strengthen-ing ties knit years ago and to relume the lamp of patriotism They cannot outrage theJfeelings of any loyal citizen citi-zen no matter in what geographical limit he was born When an April Sabbath twentyone years ago sealed wars bloody lips and Grant told Lee to keep his horses for the farmers work the breasts of the Union soldiers banished ban-ished bitterness and they and the warriors of the northern Virginia army quaffed the wine of peace and pledged to fealty of friends And when we pitch our final camp On Heavens eternal plain V The Bovs in Blue and the Boys in Gray oJ Will join in one refrain As one united G A R V V Will glad hosannas shout For strife and pain and Death himself Will then be mustered out Music by the band GENERAL JOHN A MCCLERNAND had not prepared a set speech for the occasion He was happy indeed to meet his comrades of the G A R on the occasion Ita wakened reminiscences of the cast that were interesting and important It awakened reminiscences of the greatest conflict of modern times Through that conflict the Union survived and yet survives Following that war a great social and political agitation which disturbed the ship of State But that ship sailed on i and prosperity followed He had thought that the flag or the coat of arms of a nation represented the distinctive dis-tinctive sentiments of the people Such was the case with the ancient Romans The flag on the ramparts may in the conflict be seized by the enemy but the brave comrades will rescue it and those may it be said who fight longest and hardest shall have the victory After a vocal solo by Mr Robert Gor linski and a recitation by Miss Mattie Sells the ball opened with a grand march led by Governor West and Mrs Brown and from that time till an early hour this morning enjoyment reigned supreme |