The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1868-08-20

REMARKS OF Kew. w. L. Smlthett, on the
30th of April last, on the occasion of decora-
rating tire graves ofsoldiers with flowers. He
has been requested to furnish his remarks to
the Head Quarters of the Grand Army Of the
Republic, and therefore takes this method Of
making them public. y
After the celebrated battle Of Marathan, by
| which was secured the liberties of ancient
Greece, and in which was struck the frs
blow, by the Republic, successfully, in ar
resting the progress Of Persian tyranny aud
] power-precursOr of it's utter overthrow
Miltiades, the victorious Athenian command
er there was rewarded by being represented
in the front OF . picture, surrounded by his
| generals and animating his troops by lock
and gesture to fight with courage and intre-
| pidity. This was the only honor paid to the
hero for his splendid achieVement--the only
| public recognition OF his valuable services to
| the State. To other statesmen and patriots
of that day the Senate of Athens had decreed
! the highest honors, and columns OF marble
were raised to immortalize their virtues, to
proclaim their courage and devotion, and to
rec DgnZe and commemorate their public
services to the grateful commonwealth.
But with the jealousy and caprice charac-
teristic of the ancient Republics, these endus
| ring memorials were destined coon to pSrish,
at the end of single generation they were
cast down and destroyed as the wave OF polit-
ical feeling rolled back and the tide OF popu-
| larity turned-as the hero and patriot became
the victim of public ingratitude and scorn,
and ostracized by enemies, were driven into
| exile or condemned to a traitors death. The
monumental memorial by legal statute was
| overthrow, and every mark of homer relig-
iousIy ebliterated Not SO in Athens, with
1 the memory of Niltiades. The simple pic
ture remained there from age to age, and its
beautiful story a lofty patriotism was hand
ed down from generation to generation, tell
ing Of its hero's worth and proves, even
when ne was greaning in dungeon, as the
victim Of popular fury, and under condsmna'
ton of death.
So, by parity of reasoning with our work
to-day, and what this record of the patriotic
past serves to illustrate. These monumsn.
tai tablets by which we are surrounded will
fall to ruin and crumble into dust, but this
simple tribute of affection, we now offer in
memorism. to the hOnored dead, with its
priceless lesson for God and country, craven
deep in the hearts Of q greatful people, Will
live on frem generation TO generation, IN I'm.
perishable freshness and unlmpaired vigor,
When the red hand of treason Was raised to
strike the flag, and the demon of reballion
was loesed DER the land, the spirits OF these
noble dead around us were reused to do ana
die for the sacred cause. They went forth a.
the tocsin of war sounded from hill to vals,
and echoed back again, from sea to sea.
There. beneath the green sod, mou!dsring In
the dust, is the fruik Of their devotion-and
there in yonder banner proudly floating over
US, with not stripe effaced," and every star
undimmed, is the price Of their blood-the
reward Of their labors. To their memory we
owe this debt of gratitude, this simple receg-
nitien of their services, the offering of patri-
otto hearts to the memory of the patriot
brave. And we come to-day, not only TO
garnish theirsepulchres, but TO remember and
celebrate their deeds, 10 proclaim their disins
tercsted virtue, their sacrificing devotion to
the world. And what are the lessons of the
hour-the teachings of this sad and solemn,
and yet beautifully touching occasion? TO
sympatyze with the bereaved ones, to make
the widow and orphan, the children OF the
Republic, the honored charge of common
country-to stand by, succor and protect
them, as their lost ones braVely rallied around
our imperriled nationality, and in life and in
death defended the nation q symb oil from des-
ecration-the glorious old flag, and so secured
to us and our children, an inheritance OF
peace to the latest generation. And til at
other lesson-the precious boon they have SO
secured how ought we to value and treasure,
how ought we to love and preserve 1t he
deemed from shame by the blood OF so many
thousands, how pure and stainless ought we
30 maintain its honor among the nations, and
make our land praise, JOY and an excel
lency in the world.
With God-given destiny, for who dares
dispute or question the recognition OF the
hand of heaven in all the past, let us live, as
people, for the elevation of the race, for the
happiness ola common humanity, and for the
reimbursement Of the nations of the earth.
Never, with such an experience in the past,
let it be recorded In the hand writing of God
upon the page of our history-naene, meme, te-
kez, uplarsi,s-" weighed in tho balance and
touad wanting"
We come here then, to-day, as we honor
the memory of these martyred dead, to renew
our patriotic vows-tO plight eur strength
and faith in the mission and permancy of the
Republic, and to resolve, God helping III, that
1t shall be Union, indssoluble and forever.
In one Of Cicero's celebrated orations
against the traitor Cstaline, the following
sentiment occurs: ''If to Romulus was de-.
creed divine honors, because he founded the
city, what honor shall be decreed to him who
saved and preserved the city?" As then we
shower these peerless beauties of nature
around the graves of the departed, who have
bled and died TO preserve our institutions and
save us country, let this be our sentiment
this our high resolve, that to them, under
God, we accord the highest honors, the richest
need of praise. But this lie not all: The
fathers have founded the Republic, and have
committed to us the trust to preserve and
keep, if necessary, to save, the Republic.
This is our work our mission. In the hour Of
the perilous past these have done their duty
have fulfilled their obligations. In the
future, when need arises, American
fellow citizen, GO, and do thou likewise"