OPERA HOUSE MEETING.

The several societies composing this grand reunion of officers of the Western Armies, and which first gave it formation, had each, through their President or otherwise, selected an orator to address their respective societies at their reunions.

The local committees of each society were charged with making all needed arrangements for the accommodation and entertainment of the societies. Upon consultation and consolidation of these committees, they formed, from their members, an Executive Committee, whose duty it was to make all provisions for the societies. They secured the Crosby Opera House in which the orators should deliver their addresses, all during the same evening, fixed the programme for the evening's entertainment, and prepared the room for the reception of members and guests. Seats were prepared on the stage for the orators, special invited guests, distinguished officers of the various and distinct armies of the entire army of the United States during the rebellion, and a large number of the members of the societies, leaving the entire auditorium to the other members of the societies and the citizens of Chicago that had been furnished with admission.

Tuesday evening of the reunion, December 15th, had been selected for the meeting, and 74 o'clock appointed as the hour of commencing.

It was an evening of great interest, and almost marking an era. The desire to witness the exercises was very great, and beside the world-wide renowned Generals, the invited guests, the officers of the armies forming the societies, all valiant veterans and distinguished, there were in the audience, the beauty and grace, the educated, talented, and prominent people of Chicago.

Seldom, if ever before, in this or any country, has there been such an assemblage of people. The demand for tickets so great that hundreds of seats, even in that great room, had been improvised, and yet other hundreds were willing to take promenade tickets.

The day had been spent in the business meetings of the socie

ties, and in greetings and friendly exchanges of good will between old comrades, old camp-fire anecdotes had been told over again, the new experiences since the "muster out," and the inquiries about comrades had been made, the pleasant feature, probably, of the reunion; and now all were eager to hear what was to be said by the chosen speakers in public.

Long before the hour for opening, this throng began to assemble and occupy their seats, the Great Western Light Guard Band playing meanwhile. Whenever the most distinguished officers entered and occupied their places upon the stage, they were greeted with cheers, and when General Grant made his appearance, the entire audience, amidst loud and continuous cheering, rose to their feet in true respect.

No greater distinguished and honored party has been assembled than were seated upon the stage at this meeting. They together had shared the dangers, received the honors of a successful war, and saved our country from ruin by usurpers.

There were the well known faces of Generals Grant, Sherman, Thomas, Schofield, Slocum, Logan, Cox, A. J. Smith, McDowell, Terry, Pope, Hamilton, Wilson, Wallace, Belknap, Hurlbut, Cruft, Morgan, Cogswell, Stoneman, Gresham, Giles A. Smith, Willich, Walcutt, Fearing, Morgan L. Smith, Force, Noyes, Leggett, and many others equally illustrious.

Shortly after the hour of commencing, Major-General George H. Thomas, President of the Society of the Army of the Cumberland, who was selected by the Executive Committee to preside over this part of the reunion, called the meeting to order and addressed the societies as follows:

COMRADES OF THE ARMIES OF THE TENNESSEE, CUMBERLAND, OHIO, AND GEORGIA:-Having been selected to preside over this interesting meeting, I take this occasion to tender my most heartfelt thanks for the honor conferred upon me.

As a good deal of time has already been spent in arranging your seats, we will now proceed to the business before the meeting, in its regular order.

FIRST: "Reveille."

This was performed by Drum-Major Nevins, of the 19th Illinois Infantry, assisted by four others, in most admirable style. The effect upon the soldiers this piece of music produced, is not

describable. It warmed the hearts of many present, and brought to mind the scenes of many camps well remembered. Cheer upon cheer was given the old familiar reveille, a welcome sound and visitor, as it awakens none of us now.

The President now introduced Lieutenant-General Sherman, who had been selected to deliver the address of welcome to those officers forming the societies, and the invited guests, members of other armies. On arising from his seat, General Sherman was greeted with enthusiastic cheers, which having subsided he said:

SPEECH OF GENERAL SHERMAN.

FELLOW SOLDIERS:-It is made my pleasant duty to address to you this evening words of welcome to the feast that will be spread before you. From the city and country, from the town and village, you have come together, the representatives of four of those grand volunteer armies which responded to our country's call in her hour of danger, fought her battles, sometimes side by side, sometimes far apart, yet always in unison, [cheers] and then, at her bidding, returned to your homes as farmers and mechanics, as artisans and citizens.

After a short rest you have again assembled, to stand as it were upon a high pinnacle, to look back across that wide valley wherein you struggled so long, to point out to each other the spots of greatest interest, and to live o'er again the hours and days and months of deepest anguish or of joy.

I know that you have laid aside forever the feelings of animosity and anger, then so natural and proper, and that you have dropped into oblivion all the little jealousies and rivalries of the hour. ["Hear," "hear."] You now stand here with hand extended to every soldier in the land [applause], whether he belonged to your regiment or division; whether he served in your army or another; whether upon the land or the sea, provided only, he fought for the Union of our fathers [great applause] and the flag of our whole country. [Applause.] No mere feeling of selfglorification now animates you, but a just pride in your own actions and a deep, intense love for the comrade who stood by your side in the day of battle, and shouted with you in the hour of victory. [Cheers.] Happily, my friends, you did not belong to that class of our people in whose very youth were planted the pernicious

doctrine that the highest allegiance was due to the place of birth or of residence, and that a citizen should love a part of his country better than the whole. [Cheers.] You were reared in a better school, and taught to revere the Constitution of your whole country, and to believe that under its wise and genial influence. man would here attain the largest measure of security and happiness consistent with the general safety. We believed, that by the law of majorities and frequent resort to the ballot-box, we had discovered a panacea to the ills that had from earliest history afflicted the human family, and that we should escape the conflicts and ravages which war had caused in all preceding ages. But we were doomed to realize that we formed no exception to the general rule, that minorities would not always submit to so peaceful a decree, and that we, too, must fight to maintain the privileges of our birthright.

You may search history in vain for a more flagrant violation of faith, a more causeless breach of a national compact, than those which resulted in our civil war. Never before was an unwilling people so ruthlessly, so needlessly dragged into a long and bloody conflict; and never before was a Government so utterly unprepared for it. All attempts to avoid its outbreak were charged to cowardice, and the whole civilized world was made to believe that that "bright particular star," which had for a time shown so clearly in the western firmament, had sunk forever, and that the fair fabric which had been dedicated to liberty, had vanished as a dream before the first storm of passion that had assailed it.

Here at home reason was unseated, the laws were derided and scorned. The public property was seized and appropriated as though it were a waif upon the ocean. Good men everywhere begged and implored for a little forbearance, offering the blank sheet whereon to write their own terms of compromise, and were answered back with insult. The orator wasted his eloquence in vain; the statesman exhausted his last peaceful remedy, and then, and not till then, did war, the last arbiter of kings and peoples, assume absolute dominion over this great land of freedom. [Great applause.]

The volunteer soldier stepped upon the arena and offered his life and his services to defend and maintain the Government against all its enemies and oppressors whomsoever. He swore the oath that rebellion and anarchy should not rule this land of ours, but

that liberty, justice and law should be [cheers] restored to their rightful thrones. He has kept his oath, and we now again behold our good ship of State, full-rigged, once more on her destined course toward the Future which is hidden from all mortal eyes, and the flag is still there [cheers] unchanged-"not a star obliterated, not a stripe dimmed;" that same old flag that we have followed so often in the glare of the scorching sun, by the moon's pale beams, and the lurid light of the blazing pine-torch. [Applause.] Shall I not, then, claim for you, who represent this ideal volunteer, the higher honor-yea, the highest honor that is conceded to mortal on earth?

You can easily recall how long the war seemed to us in its progress, but how short now, looking back upon it after a period of little over three years. How inconceivably short, then, will it appear to those who a hundred years hence will grope through the pages of history to learn of the events and causes that led five millions of our people to rebel, when no single act of oppression or tyranny was even alleged! [Applause.] We owe it to them, while still in the vigor of life and health, to record the part we played in this grand drama of life, with the motives and feelings that actuated us through its various stages.

Many a time and oft you have lain upon the bare ground, with no canopy above but that of heaven, with its hosts of glittering stars, and I know you dreamed of a time to come, like this, when seated in security and peace, surrounded by admiring friends, you would be crowned with a tiara of light such as now hangs over your heads. Accept this, then, as the fruition of your dream, and enjoy the hour. [Cheers.]

Four of your comrades, one from each of the armies specially represented here, will address you, and will tell you of the deeds you have done. Give them a willing and attentive ear, and when you go back to your homes tell them all that these armies though dispersed in the flesh, yet live in the spirit as strong and enthusiastic as they were four years ago, when in the very death grapple with the enemies of our country and of civilization. [Cheers.]

And now, in the name of the committee that has made these preparations, I extend to you all a cordial greeting-to the veteran of '61, to the recruit of '65, yea, to the convert of the very last hour of grace. [Cheers.]

In the name of the people of Chicago, who have provided the