The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1868-06-09


ocean. waiting to our shores the Injuries and
riches of other nations; and We most humbly
beseech Thee who art Resurrectlon ana the LIE,
that thou wouldst enable us to improve the oc
casion for which we are assembled, ana let US
honor the soldiers graves, and deck with wreaths
and garlands the place where his dust reposes
NAV we remember we too are soldiers battling
for the glorious liberty OF the sons Oh God and Tor
the cross entrusted by God himself with the I'M
fading glories of His everlasting Kingdom.
And as we bestow applause upon the memory
of the soldiers may we be stimulateo 10 the per-
Torrance of our duty by the promise That if we
are faithful we shall at the last day receive the
applause of angels and receive the welcome OF
our Redeemer, who, with the Father and Holy
Spirit, liveth and recognlZetn one 1od, world
Doctor H. j. Menninger then ntroduced the
Orator OF the day, Capt w. Il. 3. Sweet who
spoke as follows:
GRAFTON.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:
Friends Of the Union Dead.
It has been said that the sense of justice is so
strong in the human breast, that no form of law
or institution can long remain unchanged, if it
does not conform to the demands of this perpet-
ual Dictator over civil governments that each
generation beholds the enormity with new indg-
nation, and enter fresh protest against it, until
finally Wrong goes down before the moral force
OF Ri ht. Humanity perfected in Justice is the
contamination OF human government.
1t is the sad reflection OF this occasion that the
adjustment of our laws to a practical recogni
ton of this truth should have demanded the out
pouring of an ocean of fraternal blood.
Seven years agOthe peace OF our country was
rudely disturbed by the shock of civil war. The
beautiful constellation upon our national ban
ner was suddenly obscured BY the lowering cloud
of rerellion-rebellion so thoroughly organized,
militarily and politically, that ten States, EN-
bracing a large portion of our national domain,
and one third of our entire population, were
torn from their moorings in the Union, before
we were fully awakened from our dream of fu-
ture us peaceful, prosperous and glorious as had
A long rumbling sound like the roll of muf-
fled DRUM is said to precede and announce a vol
canic eruption, but this people were hurled into
the seething maelstrom of a terrible civil war
almost without premonition. 1t seems that in
this precipitation OF the conflict a kind Provi-
dence designed to magnify our national trial, in
order that self-government might be more con-
clusively vindicated against open and secret foes,
The war of the American Revolution settled
the theory of selfgovernment: This theory has
been nearly cen ury in ripening into tangible
consistent fact. During this transition period,
there initiated against this theory of sef-govern-
ment as enjoyed by one portion of our people,
an antagontistic practice as endured by another
portion of our people. This theory was, and is
based upon the broad, enduring basis of human
ity. 1t recognizes brotherhood in the human
family. just as an object cast upon the bosom
of placid stream becomes the center of concen-
trio ripples each reproducing itself in enlarged
proportions while the inner are dying away, SO
the lump of clay, animated with the breath of
600 ana cast ny his Huuu upon the BOSOM OF Tie
stream of time, is the center extinct OF concen-
trio circles of human existences sustaining, each
toward the other, the relation OF and effect
Radiating, ramified lines of descent bind center
to circumference. If there could be a simultane-
Gus and successful effort the part of every fam
ily in the land to trace out their lines of descent
their departing footsteps would echo along con-
verging pathways treading to a common centre
and thence to the throne God. AS with our fore
fathers so with us, this thought of universal
brotherhood enlarges our conception of the whole
ftty nf maj v Jriy tn fllai of
the unity of the human race in our great family.
Our torefathers were phanthropists.
The co-eXisting antagonism to which we have
adverted, unfortunately survived our revolution
airy struggle and lnsinuated itself into the new
government, because might, tenacious
never concessiie of power, temporarily with
stood moral force aud finally 1t arrogated to itscl
the very perversion of the government from il
original character.
Tame, craven submission or patriotic, blood
resistance were the dread alternatives.
l have thus merely adverted TO some of th
phases of our earlier history so as to revive YOU
recollection of the circumstances under whic
and a half million of patriotic young me
sprang into arms in defense of their country.
AS our forefathers secured the theory of sci
government by the bayOnet and bullet betwee
Lexington and Yorktown, SO by the bayonet ar
bullet between Sumpter and AppomattoX, hay
their descendants secured the embodiment
that theory in all the notifications of our go
eminent.
After four years of bloodshed and carnage, of
agony and gloom. our people joyfully beheld the
land once more bathed in the glorious sunlight
of peace.
The painful alterations of the public mind be-
tween the buoyancy of hope and the depression |
of despair-untold wealth dissipated the |
morning dew-and far above and greater than all, |
unnumbered host of dead-these represent the |
cost, mental and material, of effecting this hap
DIV issue out of our national troubles.
National patriotism, when inspired by the |
magnetic influence Of human sympathy, is the |
noblest of enthusiasms.
haxr cd har To ox 70
ate the valor and patriotism of the heroes whose |
dust has been piously gathered from the battle |
fields of Eastern North Carolina and deposited |
in this cemetery consecrated to them by the |
government, for whose salvation they laid down |
their lives They rescued our fair fabric of
government, created by the purest and most pa
we'll organized and powerful rebellion but, |
under Providence, from the humiliation, degra- |
dation and subjugatior, sought to be imposed |
upon us, in the dark hour of our struggle, By
our ancient aud common foreign enemy
When Napoleon marched his army into Egypt |
he urged his troops to deeds of vaor with the |
appeal, " Soldiers, forty centuries look down |
upon you from these pyramids"
This precious slumbering dust when animate, |
leaving the peaceful pursuits of life, sundering
the tender ties offriendship, and love, and as
Stunning the habimens of the soldier-incurred |
exposure, hardship, fatigue, danger, death, in !
spired by no such love of glory, but rather by |
the consciousness which animated the hero of
Trafalgar" Our country expects every man to
do his duty"
When the Lydian king inquired of the great
Anthenian philosopher, who was the happicst
among men, his response was that, No man
should be pronounced happy till his DEATH" "
Thrice happy then he who incurs death becauseh his
love of country is broad us to embrace hui
mainly.
This Enclosure was purchased pursuant to act
of Congress ratified February 3d. 1867, the 135th
anniversary of the Father of his country, and
consecratcd for all time to the patriotic and
Christian purpose of interrring Union Dead. All
that was mortal of $3.50 patriot soldiers, repre-
senting 81 States of the Union and every branch
of the service has been gathered here and here,
patriots will repair and mournfully linger as
long as exalted patriotism and valor can COM
mand the unbought homage of the heart
Our comrades who here sleep their last sleep
have fallen at the threshold of ifc in the vigor
of carly and promising manhood. Each of these
numerous mounds represents a vacant char-a
desOlate hearth stone-an afflicted iather-a
broken hearted mother-an aftcctionate
sist er or loving wife, the depth of whose sor
row no human consolation can reach.
While we would not disturb the repose in
which the patriot soldier sleeps, our sympathy
for the afflicted and surviving kindred is as deep,
as strong, AS ncffaceable as is regret that so
costly sacrifices were rendered necessary to pre-
serve our Union undivided, and our starry flag
undimmed in its lustre.
In the presence of this sacred dust we involun-
tarlly think OF the events connected with the
occupants of these silent tombs. The reluctance
with which VII N love of conn