The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1867-07-18

SAGA0SSu ySoAS VI obC, Will SAiSS stiASht-
ly boys, in Independence, Warner
county, Ind.
The Chillian Government has condi-
tionally accerted the preferred medita-
tion Of the United States, In regard to
the Spanish -Chillian war. The condi-
tions have not been nSde pubic
Grafton delivered by Rev. Samuel
Corner Stone Of the Soldiers Mon
ument, at Upton, Iowa, July 4th,
1857.
LADIES, GENTLEMEN, AND
CITIZENS OF CEDAR COUNTY {:
We meet to-day under no ordinary
circumstances and for no ordinary pur-
pose. There can be but one such meet
ing In our life time, aud it may be but
one In a century. 1t is with no ordinary
emotion that l mingle once more with
you, and look upon these arrangements
and this vast assemblage. We have laid
aside our ordinary pursuits to meet and
lay the foundation Of structure which
Is to record the names and preserve the
memories of three hundred men. AS a
people we have done but little in the
way OF erecting monuments. Previous
to our recent war perhaps we might
nave numbered Oh our fingers all in our
country. Our policy has been to have
our monuments consist in the light
houses on our coasts, our vast manufac-
lures, our institutions of learning ana
our churches.
But we have turned aside from our
usual routine Of expenditures, and APP
propriated portion of our means to rear
a column in remembrance fmen whose
deeds and names deserve a mosument !;
and you have voluntarily associated
together and rendered your contribu-
tions that these names may be engraven
OH the marble, so that when it may be
asked in coming years, by the children,
What is the meaning of these stones? 1t
may be said, that these men whose
names you read, persisted in war 70 save
this country from dissolution and that
they might preserve civil and religious
and hand them down unimpair-
ed to all the generations following.
But the question naturally arises. why
all this-why these men have a monu-
rlent? and the answer to that question
brings up before us those dark years of
our nations history through which we
have just passed, and also with them
those momentous questions that inyo!y-
I'd us in the awful struggle-w ho., thv
nation's life was almost gone, and thou
sands feared our precious liberties were
destroyed forever. But the war clouds
ire now gone, and us we look over the
scene we are enabled more clearly to
understand our obligations to these he
'oes, and the rich Inheritance we enjoy
through their sacrifices.
The poor of earth have had but little
% perpetuate their memory heretofore.
The few monuments of earth have been
reared to royalty and lordliness, but
his is not our purpose. On this monu-
nent is to stand the names of the men,
lot blessed with fortune. but only with
anne, and SO limited in means were
many of them, that If taken from their
'wn resources their tombs would not
nave been marked by the most humble
stone. But you have determined other
wise, aud that 1t should not be said of
Is as it was said of some of old: "That
here came a great king against a city
md besieged it, and built great bulwarks
against it. Now there was found in that
:ity a poor wise man, and he by his
wisdom delivered that city, and yet no
man remembered that ss1ne poor man.
We learn here that goodness and great
ness are not the exclusive heritage of
the fortunate and favored Of earth But
pure principles and deep devotion to
right are found among the great masses
Of mankind and dwells in the cottage
perhaps more frequent than in the pal
ace. In the history of nations few are
the names that are remembered either
rivil or military. The commanders Of
the army may leave their names on the
dispatches, which makes up u nations
record, but the list of the names of pri-
Yates are unknown save in the archives
Of the nation, Our national cemeteries
are crowded with these heroes; thous-
ands with their graves unmarked, and
beyond these cemeteries lay perhaps the
scattered dust of hundreds more without
whose names already are lost
and may never be known until the res
morn. They may be remcin-
bered by small circle composed Of their
own household. How many widows Of
this lard are walking lite's Journey
alone, whose husbands rerished in bat
lie to save this country from dissolution?
How many are toiling for a subsistence
for themselves and children, who had
fundly hoped it would have been Done
by hands now mouldcring iii some sol
diers' cemetery in the far off sonti,?~
How many fathers aud mothers shed
tears when nightfall comes, as they
think of their boys who kissed them
long farewell and died Of starvation in