The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1868-06-10
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that once more our ships are whitening every
ocean, waiting to our shores the luxuries and
riches OF other nations; and we most humbly
beseech Thee who art Resurrection and the life,
that thou wouldst enable US to improve the oc
cason for which we are assembled, and let US
honor the soldier graves, and deck with wreaths
and garlands the place where his dust reposes;
may we remember We too are soldiers battling
for the glorious liberty of the sons of God and for
the cross entrusted by God himself with the I'M
fading glories of His everlasting Kingdom.
And us we bestow applause upon the memory
of the soldiers, may we be stimulated to the per-
Torrance of our duty by the promise that II 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, livcth and recognizeth one God, world
without end. Amen.
Doctor H. j. Menninger then introduced the
Orator OF the day, Capt. W. II. s. Sweet who
spoke as follows:
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: fIi afrf q - ..e.l
fe Vas F Friends of the Union Dead.
1t 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, II 1t
does not conform to the demands of this perpet-
ual Dictator over civil governments that each
generation beholds the enormity with new indig-
nation and enters fresh protest against it, until
finally Wrong goes down before the moral force
OF Right. 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 practical 3ecogni-
ton of this truth should have demanded the out
pouring of an ocean of fraternal blood.
Seven years ago the 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 rehelliOn-rebellion so thoroughly organized,
militarily and politically, that ten States, en-
bracing 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 u fu-
turc as peaceful, prosperous and glorious as had
been the past. i-. ll
A long rumbing sound like the roll Of a muf-
fled drum, is said to precede and announce vol
canic eruption, but this people were hurled into
the scething maelstrom of a terrible civil war
almost without premonition. 1t seems that in
this precipitation of the conflict kind Provi.
dence designed to magnify our national trial, in
order that lfgpvernment might be more con-
clusively vindicated against open and secret foes,
at home and abroad.
The war of the American Revolution settled
the theory of selfgovernment. This theory has
been nearly cen ury in ripening into q tangible,
consistent fact. During this transition period,
there initiated against this theory of sclf-g0ven-
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
God and cast by His hand upon the bosom of the
stream of time, is the center extinct of concen-
trio circles of human existences sustaining, each
toward the other the relation OF cause and effect
Radiatipp ramified lines Of descent Lind cenfer
to circumference. II there could be a simultane-
Gus aud successful effort on the part of every fam
lily in the land to trace out their lines of descent
their departing footsteps would echo along con-
yerging pathways treading to 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
duty of man by giving prominence to the idea of
the unity of the human race in our great family.
Our forefathers were philanthropists.
The co-existing antagonism to which we have
adverted, unfortunately survived our revolution
airy struggle and Infatuated itself into the new
government, because might, ever tenacious,
never concessise of power, temporarily with
stood moral force and finally tarrogated to itself
the very perversiOn of the government from its
original character.
Tame craven submission or patriotic, bloody
resistance were the dread alternatives.
have thus merely adverted to some of the
phases of our earlier history SO as to revive your
one and half million of patriotic young men
sprang into arms in defense of their country.
As our forefathers secured the theory of self
government by the bayOnet and bullet between
Lexington and Yorktown, SO by the bayonet and
bullet between Sumpter and Appomattox, have
their descendants secured the embodiment of
that theory in all the ramifcatons of our gov
eminent M .-..-. t...-
After four years of bloodshed and carnage of
agony and gloom. our people joyfully beheld the
OBJ of md -
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-untod wealth dissipated as the
morning dew-and far above and greater than all,
an unnumbered host of dead-these represent the
cost, mental and material, of cffecting this hap
Ply issue out OF our national troubles.
National patriotism, when inspired by the
magnetic influence of human sympathy, is the
noblest of Enthusiasts
We have assembled here to-day to commemor
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
triotic men of any age or cline, not only from
we'll organized and powerful rebellion, but,
under Providence, from the humiliation, dcgra-
dation and subjugation, sought to be imposed
upon us, in the dark hour of our struggle, by
our ancient and common foreign enemy.
When Napoleon marched his army into Egypt
he urged his troops to deeds of vaior 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 offriendshp, and love, and
suming the habiliments 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
Traialgar-.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 because his
love of country is SO broad as to embrace hu-
manity. fr G..las-
This Enclosure was purchased pursuant to act
of Congress ratified February ed, 1867, the l35th
anniversary of the Father of his country, and
eonsecyated for all time to the patriotic and
Christian purpose of interrring Union Dead All
that was mortal of 1880 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 CON-
mand the unbOught homage of the heart.
Our comrades who here sleep their last sleep
have fallen at the threshold of life in the vigor
of early and promising manhood. Each OF these
numerous mounds represents vacant chair--a
desolate hearth-stone-an afflicted iather-a
broken hearted mother-an affectionate
sister 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 ineffaceable is our regret that SO
costly sacrifices were rendered necessary to pre-
serve our Union undivided, and our starry flag
undimmed in its 1ustre.
In the presence Of this sacred dust we involun-