Show americanism AT ITS BEST grand armile return to pence peace at the tha close of the civil war was a notable event the adaptability and the restraint ot of the american character were never shown better than in the events that followed the end of the civil war A trained army did not make america pugnacious the citizen soldiers worked as well as they had fought and one foreign power that turned aspiring eyes toward western domain gave up the dream because of them a confession made mada years liter later by a man who realized the strength of this coun arys position in having a large body bodi ot of men mea skilled in the arts of war and strong in loyalty the country at the time realized deep sentiment of the occasion which found apt expression in an article in harpers weekly it is fitting I 1 said the writer that when the work had all been done our soldiers who had borne the burden should as they return bringing peace peace back with them receive in return some some token ot of the popular appreciation ol of their services it was no ordinary pageant efant that turned all the peoples eyes toward washington it was vas no mere idle curiosity but a deep glorious solemn sentiment this sentiment was one of pride mingled with infinite pathos pride in the youthful strength of a republic tried and found steadfast pathos from the remembrance of countless heroes who have bavo received their crowns not from mortal hands nor on mortal brows who died many of them while the strife seemed yet ret uncertain may the time never come when these armed mei men shall be called again to enter the field against any any foe who whether the r domestic or foreign the god ad of battles has granted th the nation victory let us all pray that he tor for many generations grant that we may live in peace and quietness bret harte was inspired by the grand review to write a great poem A second review of the grand army he refers to a spectral figure that reviewed a phantom army of the men who had fallen in the great conflict the well known form that in abate and field had led our patriot sires alres referred to the spirit of washington A statue of washington was in front of the capitol at the time but has since been removed |